Career Training Path › HVAC schools › California
HVAC schools in California
California has 40 accredited campuses awarding hvac credentials. If you finish and work as an HVAC technician in California, expect to start around $46,950–$58,280 and reach a median of $72,560 with experience; the top quarter earn $90,780 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, California). Graduates of these California programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $33,602 in their first year, against $32,848 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What hvac and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn in California
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 35,130 employed in California. National median: $61,010.
Campuses in California, ranked by what their graduates earned
Cities: AnaheimBakersfieldBaldwin ParkCathedral CityChula VistaCitrus HeightsClovisCoachellaColtonEl CajonFairfieldFresnoGarden GroveGardenaHesperiaHuntington ParkLa PuenteLakewoodLancasterModestoOceansideOntarioPasadenaRancho CordovaRancho MirageResedaRiversideSacramentoSan JoseSanta ClaraStocktonTemeculaVisaliaWest Covina
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brownson Technical School | Anaheim | for-profit | 189 | $46,101 | not reported | 89% | $36,240 |
| Capstone College | Pasadena | for-profit | 73 | $45,899 | $9,500 | 64% | $20,809 |
| Institute for Business and Technology | Santa Clara | for-profit | 142 | $41,306 | $9,238 | 84% | $30,501 |
| National Career Education | Citrus Heights | for-profit | 53 | $41,306 | $9,238 | 83% | $29,169 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Visalia | Visalia | for-profit | 60 | $36,355 | $13,000 | not reported | $33,136 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Temecula | Temecula | for-profit | 55 | $36,355 | $13,000 | 82% | $30,114 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Ontario | Ontario | for-profit | 35 | $36,355 | $13,000 | 64% | $31,279 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | for-profit | 29 | $36,355 | $13,000 | 58% | $27,534 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Hesperia | Hesperia | for-profit | 15 | $36,355 | $13,000 | 63% | $30,880 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Trades Education Center | Fresno | for-profit | 11 | $36,355 | $13,000 | 80% | $32,406 |
| DeHart Technical School | Modesto | for-profit | 50 | $35,595 | $8,950 | 93% | $31,015 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Lancaster | Lancaster | for-profit | 45 | $33,602 | $13,000 | 57% | $32,032 |
| San Joaquin Valley College-Rancho Mirage | Rancho Mirage | for-profit | 12 | $33,602 | $13,000 | 70% | $32,789 |
| CET-Coachella | Coachella | non-profit | 37 | $32,866 | $6,160 | 84% | $27,522 |
| CET-San Jose | San Jose | non-profit | 14 | $32,866 | $6,160 | 81% | $24,566 |
| CET-Colton | Colton | non-profit | 11 | $32,866 | $6,160 | 72% | $23,513 |
| InterCoast Colleges-West Covina | West Covina | for-profit | 34 | $32,688 | $9,500 | not reported | $35,442 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Rancho Cordova | Rancho Cordova | for-profit | 25 | $32,688 | $9,500 | 67% | $30,682 |
| InterCoast Colleges-Fairfield | Fairfield | for-profit | 21 | $32,688 | $9,500 | 71% | $26,136 |
| Institute of Technology | Clovis | for-profit | 122 | $31,622 | $9,500 | 74% | $29,228 |
| Mayfield College | Cathedral City | for-profit | 39 | $30,514 | $9,500 | 82% | $30,596 |
| UEI College-Riverside | Riverside | for-profit | 161 | $30,359 | $9,500 | 71% | $33,956 |
| UEI College-Gardena | Gardena | for-profit | 91 | $30,359 | $9,500 | 60% | $34,105 |
| UEI College-Sacramento | Sacramento | for-profit | 36 | $30,359 | $9,500 | 60% | $33,919 |
| UEI College-Ontario | Ontario | for-profit | 198 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 66% | $31,514 |
| UEI College-Garden Grove | Garden Grove | for-profit | 123 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 63% | $33,738 |
| UEI College-Reseda | Reseda | for-profit | 117 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 74% | $32,929 |
| UEI College-Chula Vista | Chula Vista | for-profit | 107 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 71% | $34,257 |
| UEI College-Huntington Park | Huntington Park | for-profit | 92 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 70% | $34,673 |
| UEI College-Oceanside | Oceanside | for-profit | 81 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 69% | $34,243 |
| UEI College-Stockton | Stockton | for-profit | 58 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 71% | $33,047 |
| UEI College-West Covina | West Covina | for-profit | 56 | $30,225 | $9,500 | 67% | $32,425 |
| UEI College-Fresno | Fresno | for-profit | 173 | not reported | $9,500 | 61% | $33,551 |
| UEI College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | for-profit | 91 | not reported | $9,500 | 69% | $32,499 |
| Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education | Baldwin Park | Public | 16 | not reported | not reported | 71% | $11,859 |
| Hacienda La Puente Adult Education | La Puente | Public | 11 | not reported | not reported | 77% | $9,138 |
| ATA College | El Cajon | for-profit | 10 | not reported | not reported | 90% | $26,134 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology | Riverside | for-profit | 10 | not reported | not reported | 66% | $25,460 |
| National Polytechnic College | Lakewood | for-profit | 9 | not reported | not reported | 47% | $34,762 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology | Huntington Park | for-profit | 8 | not reported | not reported | 76% | $23,967 |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.