Trade Schools
New York is home to many trade schools and community colleges that provide post-secondary programs designed to prepare students for rewarding careers in the field of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.
Depending on the credential you want to pursue, the training can last from a few months to two years or more.
This profession can also be learned through apprenticeships that last up to five years.
Although these programs last longer, apprentices usually receive a salary that increases gradually during the training period.
We invite you to read our list and choose the format that best fits your learning style.
1Apex Technical School
About the School
Apex Technical School offers hands-on training programs that prepare students for employment in high-demand industries.
Apex Technical School is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges.
Courses Offered
The school’s catalog includes an Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Appliance/Controls program.
Students learn the skills needed to repair and maintain domestic and commercial air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
The courses also cover electrical controls, major home appliances, and gas heating systems.
Trainees spend 450 hours in total in the classroom and 450 hours in hands-on training.
Graduates know how to troubleshoot and evaluate refrigerators, conditioning, and appliance equipment to determine their performance.
Students are also prepared for the EPA Type 608 certification exam- a credential needed for those who maintain, service, repair, or diagnose refrigerant equipment.
The curriculum covers topics on:
- Major Home Appliances
- Basic Refrigeration/ Air Conditioning
- Domestic Refrigeration/ Air Conditioning
- Commercial Refrigeration
- Commercial Air Conditioning
- Advanced Commercial Refrigeration and Air Conditioning
Contact Information
- Address: 24-02 Queens Plaza South, Long Island City, NY 11101
- Phone: (212) 645-3300
- Website: https://apexschool.com
2Turner School
About the School
Turner School offers continuing education courses in the field of Commercial and Industrial Building Operations and Management for more than 75 years.
The school is licensed by the New York State Education Department, and New York Fire Department.
Turner School is a member of several HVAC-related Associations, such as the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers, the Air Conditioning Contractors of America, and the US Green Building Council.
Classes are available both online and on-site.
Courses Offered
The school provides a Refrigeration Machine Operator License that covers topics on Fundamentals of Refrigeration, Refrigerants, Evaporators, Condensers, Metering Devices, Water Pumps, New York Refrigeration Cycle, Mathematics, and many other topics related to Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.
Courses take approximately nine months to complete and include six months of written class work and seven weeks of practical laboratory work.
Students attend the school eight hours per week for 25 weeks in total.
Contact Information
- Address: 145 W 30th St # 6, NY, NY 10001
- Phone: 212.736.1507
- Website: https://www.turnerschool.com
3The Refrigeration Institute
About the School
The Refrigeration Institute offers training programs for students who want to start careers in the field of Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.
Courses Offered
The following programs are included in The Refrigeration Institute’s catalog:
- Refrigeration and Air Conditioning- 450 hours of instruction provided for 28 weeks
- Refrigeration System Operating Engineer- a 225-hour program that takes around 14 weeks in total to complete
- EPA Technical 608 Certification- students need this certification to be allowed to maintain, service, repair, or dispose of appliances that contain refrigerants
The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning program covers the foundations of refrigeration and electricity during the first 14 weeks, while the rest of the course covers charging, recovery, and troubleshooting.
The Refrigerating System Operating Engineer courses prepare students for the Q-01 exam.
This exam is required for those who want to become licensed electricians in New York and allowed to operate commercial equipment 100-ton or larger- machines that usually can be found in hospitals, hotels, commercial buildings, colleges, universities, movie theaters, and other large buildings.
Contact Information
- Address: 545 Eighth Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10018
- Phone: 212-244-2588
- Website: https://www.therefrigerationinstitute.com
4Sunset Technology Center
About the School
Sunset Technology Center offers training programs in New York and New Jersey for students who want to start a career in the fields of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, electricity, plumbing, and solar panels.
Classes are available in Spanish.
Courses Offered
The Sunset Technology Center offers courses on the following subjects:
- Photovoltaic Solar Panel- a program for those who want to start a career in the field of renewable energy
- Residential Refrigeration & Commercial Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning- a five-month program designed for students who want to work in the HVAC field
- Automotive Air Conditioning- this program includes a Section 609 License
- Heating and Plumbing- the program covers classes on the installation and repair of different types of bathroom and kitchen faucets, copper welding, installation, and repair of water heaters, among many other topics.
The school also prepares students for the EPA Section 608 licensing exam- required before being allowed to work with appliances that include refrigerants.
Contact Information
- Address: 208 W 29th St Suite #405, New York, New York 10001
- Phone: 212-594-8139
- Website: https://www.sunsettechnologycenter.com
5Career School NY
About the School
Career School NY offers classes that prepare students for careers in a wide range of in-demand industries.
The school is accredited by the Council on Occupational Education.
Courses Offered
Career School NY catalog includes a program in Electrical Assistant & HVAC.
This program covers the theory behind electrical control and equips students with the confidence to start a career or a business in the field.
Students enrolled in this program receive individualized training and can progress at their own pace.
After completing several weeks of training, students have the opportunity to participate in an externship where they use the skills learned in the classroom in a real-world environment.
The curriculum covers 720 hours of study in topics such as:
- Basic Electricity Fundamental concepts
- Electrical Conductors and wiring techniques
- Introduction to HVAC
- Troubleshooting HVAC equipment
- Gas Heating/Hydronic
- Refrigeration
- And many other topics
This program costs $12,695 if completed within normal time.
Contact Information
- Address: 350 St Marks Pl, Staten Island, NY 10301
- Phone: (718) 521-6487
- Website: https://www.careerschoolny.com
6The Carbone Academy
About the School
The Carbone Academy offers training programs designed to prepare students for licensing exams and employment in a wide range of fields.
Courses are available for engineering areas both online and in-person.
Courses Offered
The Academy’s catalog includes the following programs:
- Chiller Operation and Cooling Towers- a fully-virtual course that includes a one-year membership to the National Association of Power Engineers
- Refrigeration Machine Operators- a 200-hour curriculum that prepares students for the written and practical exams at the New York City Fire Department
- Refrigeration Practical Exam Preparation
- C and F Preparation Course- a program that prepares students for the Certificate of Fitness exams at the FDNY.
- Basic Boiler Plant Operation- a fully-virtual course that introduces students to the concepts necessary to begin a career in stationary engineering
- And more
Practice exams are also available.
Tuition varies depending on the program.
The Refrigeration Machine Operators program costs $3,000, while the Boiler Plant Operation course costs $945.
The Refrigeration Practical Exam Preparation Course costs $1,000.
Contact Information
- Address: 858 Jamaica Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11208
- Phone: 347-724-4615
- Website: https://thecarboneacademy.com
7CARMI Centro de Entrenamiento
About the School
CARMI Centro de Entrenamiento was founded in 2000 and specializes in offering training programs in Spanish.
Courses Offered
Available at the Center are the following electricity and HVAC-related courses:
- Residential Refrigeration
- Commercial Refrigeration
- Air Conditioning, Heating, and Cooling
- Residential Electricity
- Commercial Electricity
- Boilers Plumbing
- Ice Machines
- Manufacture and Installation of Ducts
Curriculum content and costs vary depending on the program.
The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Laboratory course is structured into three levels, each taking 10 weeks to complete:
- Level I- Basic Principles of Refrigeration
- Level II- Commercial Refrigeration
- Level III- Central Air Conditioning
At the end of the program, students who have attended regularly will be able to diagnose and repair all types of refrigeration, air conditioning, and heating equipment.
They will also know how to design and install air ducts for central air conditioning and heating systems.
Students will be evaluated during classes through oral, written, and practical tests, and they must keep a 90 percent attendance.
Contact Information
- Address: 1283 Walton Ave, The Bronx, NY 10452
- Phone: 718-410-5172
- Website: https://www.carminc.net
8Electrical and HVAC Training Center
About the School
The Electrical and HVAC Training Center provides programs that prepare students for new careers in the HVAC/R or Electrical Industries.
Electrical and HVAC Training Center is accredited by the Accrediting Council for Continuing Education & Training.
Courses Offered
The center provides a Heating Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration program designed for those with little or no experience in these industries.
This program includes EPA Certification 608 Exam and OSHA 30.
The following courses are available at the Center:
- All Trades Program- a 150-hour course that covers topics such as Introduction to Math, Basic Communication Skills, Intro to Power Tools, Intro to Basic Rigging, Basic Employability Skills, and more
- HVAC/R Level One- a 150-hour program that provides students with an introduction to Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration principles
- HVAC/R Level Two- this course allows students to practice installation procedures on different equipment
- HVAC/R Program Level Three- this part prepares students with the skills needed to troubleshoot control circuits and electric motors found in HVAC equipment.
Each of the above levels includes 150 hours of training.
Contact Information
- Address: 65 Elm Street, Copiague, NY 11726
- Phone: (631) 226-8021
- Website: https://www.electricaltrainingcenter.edu
9Reinassance Technical Institute
About the School
Reinassance Technical Institute offers vocational training programs that help students start a new career.
The Institute currently operates in a 5,250-square-feet center located in Harlem.
Courses Offered
Reinassance Technical Institute offers an HVAC Technician training program that can be completed in 11 months.
The curriculum includes classes such as:
- Basic Safety- a class that provides students with the safety information needed for employment in the construction field
- Introduction to Construction Math- this course reviews the math skills that apply to construction trades
- Introduction to Hand Tools- students learn how to identify and use different types of construction tools
- Introduction to Power Tools- this course covers the safe handling and maintenance of power tools
- Introduction to HVAC- students learn the basic principles of heating, ventilating, and air conditioning
- Basic Electricity- this class teaches about the concept of power generation and distribution, AC and DC circuits, as well as common electrical components
- Introduction to Heating- this course covers the fundamental heating systems and the combustion process
- Fiberglass and Fabric Duct Systems
- And many other topics
Contact Information
- Address: 173 East 112th Street. New York, New York 10029
- Phone: 212-722-5000
- Website: https://renaissancetechnicalinstitute.org
10Coop Tech
About the School
Coop Tech provides training programs in the fields of building trades, healthcare, IT, and service industries.
The school has campuses at several locations in New York, including Long Island, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island.
Coop Tech is a half-day vocational program that offers training in a variety of in-demand fields for more than 30 years.
The program serves approximately 1,500 students who are between 17 and 21.
Students attend the program either as shared-instruction students enrolled at a high school or as graduates who have already obtained a diploma.
Courses Offered
The building trades pathway available at the school includes the following courses:
- Introduction to Building Maintenance- an entry-level course that teaches students how to perform basic building maintenance functions in carpentry, electrical, plumbing, and janitorial fields
- Building Maintenance- students learn sheetrock installation, finishing and repair, floors and wall tie installation, painting, door, and door lock installation, and landscaping
- Electrical Installation- a course that covers electrical theory and basic blueprint drawings, residential and commercial wiring
- Solar Electric- students use basic mathematical concepts, proper safety procedures, and other skills needed for entry-level employment as trainees in the photovoltaic field
- And more
Contact Information
- Address: Address: 14-30 Broadway Queens, NY 11106
- Phone: (212) 369-8800
- Website: http://www.co-optech.org
Regional Salary in New York
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY | 1,420 | $64,420 | $30.97 | $94,720 | $38,330 |
| Binghamton, NY | 230 | $58,240 | $28 | $80,260 | $36,760 |
| Buffalo-Cheektowaga-Niagara Falls, NY | 1,000 | $61,220 | $29.43 | $83,140 | $38,260 |
| Elmira, NY | 60 | $56,110 | $26.98 | $76,260 | $37,080 |
| Glens Falls, NY | 200 | $60,080 | $28.89 | $81,740 | $38,410 |
| Ithaca, NY | 80 | $60,580 | $29.13 | $83,160 | $42,550 |
| Kingston, NY | 190 | $59,870 | $28.79 | $80,750 | $37,920 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA | 19,480 | $72,820 | $35.01 | $102,190 | $39,880 |
| Rochester, NY | 1,420 | $59,780 | $28.74 | $81,630 | $38,020 |
| Syracuse, NY | 670 | $61,250 | $29.45 | $92,060 | $37,700 |
| Utica-Rome, NY | 220 | $56,820 | $27.32 | $78,050 | $38,850 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 100 | $53,470 | $25.71 | $77,450 | $34,860 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have read our list, it’s time to continue the research and apply for the program that best meets your needs.
Before taking this important step make sure you gather information about all the factors that are relevant to you.
