How to become a HVAC Technician

Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians are essential for keeping Australians comfortable throughout the changing seasons. If you’re looking to enter this field, you’ll need to gain the necessary qualifications and experience to ensure you install equipment correctly. To help you get started on your journey to becoming an HVAC technician in Australia, here’s a comprehensive guide on what steps you should take.

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‍Step 1: Get the right certifications

The first step to becoming a successful HVAC technician is getting the right education. You must possess at least a Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (UEE30607). This two-year program offers hands-on training in installation, maintenance, troubleshooting, and servicing of air conditioning systems. Completion of this course will provide the theoretical knowledge necessary for entry into the industry.

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‍Step 2: Complete an apprenticeship

You may also want to consider a diploma or apprenticeship program if you want to get more specialised training. Apprenticeships usually last three years and involve working with an experienced technician while studying part-time at a TAFE institution. With these programs, you'll gain practical experience as well as theoretical understanding of how HVAC systems work. If you want to start your own business as a HVAC technician, doing some further study is a good step. You have even do it in parallel to starting your business.

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‍Step 3: Obtain a licence

To become a qualified HVAC technician in Australia, it is important that you have a valid licence from SafeWork NSW or other relevant state or territory licensing body. You must also gain approval from your local council before commencing any service, repair or installation work for clients in residential or commercial properties. These requirements vary depending on your location so be sure to check with your local council before beginning any work as an HVAC technician. If you can’t find the correct information online, just contact your council on the phone and someone will be able to assist you.

Step 4: Start your business

Now that you have the right training and experience, it’s time to get your business off the ground. To come up with a unique business name, you can take this quick business name quiz. After thinking up a name and brand identity, you should register for your website domain and open an ABN. You can apply for an ABN online in minutes and it’s free. Depending on the business you want to run, you’ll need to decide between how you want to structure your business. Most HVAC technicians will pick between a simple sole trader structure, or a company. Take this business structure quiz to see which one is right for you. If you anticipate earning over $75,000 a year, you’ll also need to register for GST.

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‍Step 5: Find work

As a HVAC technician, there will naturally be some seasonality to the work that you do. Heading into the colder winter months, you’ll see demand for heating increase. Likewise, during the summer months, installation of cooling systems will increase. It’s important that you are prepared for this by ensuring you have the right tools and hardware ready for these peaks. You should also plan your holidays around these busy periods. To find work, you can start with posting for work on online job sites and reaching out to your connections.

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‍Step 6: Get paid

To pitch for a job, you'll need to issue a quote, and after you have completed a gig, you need to send an invoice to your client. They can then make a payment into your nominated bank account. If you open a business bank account* with Thriday, you not only get the peace of a mind of having a FCS-backed account, but you can also take advantage of invoicing, receipt scanning, BAS lodgment and tax forecasting. Thriday is a powerful all-in-one financial management platform that automates banking, accounting and tax.

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Becoming an HVAC technician is a hot profession (pardon the pun) and a great way to build a successful business. By following the steps above and obtaining the necessary licenses, you will be well on your way to becoming a certified HVAC technician in Australia.

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