WhatGradsMake
Certificate (under 1 year)+10% vs national median752 grads tracked

Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) at College of Lake County

Ranked 14th of 74 certificate (under 1 year) programs in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) by 5-year earnings.

Median · 1 year out
$46,289
middle 50%: $32,051 – $67,887
Median · 5 years out
$60,330
middle 50%: $40,769 – $83,094
Median · 10 years out
$68,274
middle 50%: $47,901 – $93,504

Salary trajectory

Median earnings vs the national median for Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) (certificate (under 1 year)) graduates.

This program (median)National median, same major & degreeMiddle 50% of graduates

Graduates of College of Lake County's certificate (under 1 year) program in Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) earn a median $46,289 one year after graduating, rising to $68,274 by year ten. Five years out, earnings run 10% above the national median of $55,047 for this field, ranking 14th of 74 reporting programs.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau PSEO, release V4.13.0 2025Q4. Earnings are for graduates working in covered states; figures are medians in nominal dollars.

Will the degree pay for itself?

Drag the sliders — payback uses this program's actual salary curve.

Assumes a 6.5% APR loan and this program's median salary trajectory (interpolated between years 1, 5 and 10).

Paid off in
6.8 yrs
≈ $7,618 total interest

Same major at other universities

William Rainey Harper College
$64,204 · 5 yrs out
Springfield Technical Community College
$62,818 · 5 yrs out
Elgin Community College
$61,712 · 5 yrs out
San Jacinto Community College District
$61,427 · 5 yrs out
Illinois Valley Community College
$61,332 · 5 yrs out
Lone Star College System
$60,789 · 5 yrs out
Midland College
$59,848 · 5 yrs out
Richland Community College
$59,848 · 5 yrs out
Laurel Ridge Community College
$59,105 · 5 yrs out
Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana - Region 2
$58,065 · 5 yrs out
Portland Community College
$57,938 · 5 yrs out
City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College
$57,867 · 5 yrs out

Other majors at College of Lake County

Fire Protection (Associate)
$112,340 · 5 yrs out
Accounting and Related Services (Certificate)
$95,590 · 5 yrs out
Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$86,717 · 5 yrs out
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Certificate)
$86,086 · 5 yrs out
Computer Systems Networking and Telecommunications (Certificate)
$85,430 · 5 yrs out
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate)
$80,647 · 5 yrs out
Drafting/Design Engineering Technologies/Technicians (Certificate)
$78,110 · 5 yrs out
Engineering/Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians (Associate)
$76,582 · 5 yrs out
Computer Programming (Associate)
$76,015 · 5 yrs out
Health Professions and Related Programs (Associate)
$74,878 · 5 yrs out
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) (Associate)
$74,872 · 5 yrs out
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services (Associate)
$74,872 · 5 yrs out

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