Refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanic
Licensed trade installing and servicing refrigeration and air-conditioning plant. Federal ARCtick licence required to handle refrigerant.
Jobs, demand and who does this work
Figures for the ANZSCO occupation Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanic (342111), the closest official match for refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanic, from Your Career (Jobs and Skills Australia data, sourced 2026-09-23).
- Median weekly earnings (full-time)
- $2,019
- People employed
- 28,800
- Future demand
- Stable
- Work full-time
- 93%
- Average full-time hours
- 43 a week
- Women
- 2%
- Median age
- 33
Where the jobs are (share of workers)
| NSW | 31.6% |
| VIC | 20.9% |
| QLD | 24.4% |
| WA | 11.3% |
| SA | 8.6% |
| TAS | 1.1% |
| ACT | 0.7% |
| NT | 1.3% |
Highest qualification held by workers
| Postgraduate qualification | 0.5% |
| Bachelor degree | 2.6% |
| Diploma or advanced diploma | 4.8% |
| Certificate I-IV | 69.2% |
| Year 12 | 12.8% |
| Below Year 12 | 8.6% |
What a refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanic actually does
Refrig techs typically start between 7 and 8am with a service sheet of units to inspect. Domestic split-system installers spend their day on ladders running line sets between condensers and head units, brazing copper, vacuuming and charging with refrigerant. Commercial techs work on rooftop packaged units, chillers and VRF systems - often in heat, often at heights, often well after-hours when the building is empty. Supermarket and cold-store work means freezer rooms at -25 degrees one hour and a plant room at 45 the next. Most days mix two or three jobs: a service call, a small install, and a fault diagnosis. Expect a lot of time on the multimeter, manifold gauges and electronic leak detector. Logbooks are non-negotiable - every refrigerant transaction has to be recorded under the ARCtick licence. Most days finish 4-5pm. After-hours callout work for plant failure pays a strong premium but interrupts the weekend.
Skills you'll use
- Reading mechanical drawings and AS/NZS 5149 refrigeration code
- Copper brazing and pressure testing
- Refrigerant recovery, vacuum and charging
- Electrical fault-finding on three-phase plant
- PLC and BMS commissioning on commercial systems
- Logbook compliance under the Ozone Protection Act
- Customer service and quoting service contracts
How to become one
- 1Finish Year 10 or above with maths, English and ideally physics
- 2Sign a 4-year apprenticeship with a refrig contractor or a Group Training Organisation
- 3Complete the UEE32225 Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration through TAFE
- 4Pass the restricted electrical licence units required to work on AC circuitry in your state
- 5Apply for an ARCtick refrigerant handling licence through the Australian Refrigeration Council
- 6Renew the ARCtick licence every 3 years and maintain your state electrical endorsement
Where you can work
- Domestic split-system installation firms
- Commercial HVAC and mechanical services contractors
- Supermarket and cold-storage chains
- Data centre operators with CRAC and CRAH plant
- Hospitals and aged-care facilities
- Resources sector camps with chilled-water plant
- Self-employed sole trader or small service firm
Career progression
Typical stages and roles. Apprentice and tradesperson pay is set by the modern award or enterprise agreement that covers the job; check it with the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool.
- Apprentice4 yearsTypical roles: First-year apprentice refrig tech, Fourth-year apprentice refrig tech
- Tradesperson0-4 yearsTypical roles: Domestic split-system installer, Commercial service technician, Supermarket refrigeration tech
- Leading hand or supervisor5-10 yearsTypical roles: Service manager, Project commissioning engineer, Site supervisor
- Subcontractor or business owner8+ yearsTypical roles: Sole-trader refrig contractor, HVAC service business owner
Is this for you?
You might love this if
- You're comfortable working on ladders and rooftops in heat
- You're patient with diagnostic work and logical fault paths
- You don't mind tight plant rooms and ceiling spaces
- You can hold a steady hand for brazing in awkward spots
- You can keep accurate logbooks under licensing rules
This might not suit you if
- You can't commit to 4 years of low apprentice pay
- You have a respiratory issue affected by refrigerant or brazing fumes
- You're uncomfortable with heights or confined spaces
- You panic when a commercial system fails on a 38-degree day
Entry requirements
- Year 10 or equivalent
- A signed apprenticeship training contract with a host employer.
State licensing
This trade requires a state licence on top of the apprenticeship qualification.
| State | Licensing authority |
|---|---|
| NSW | Australian Refrigeration Council (ARCtick) and Building Commission NSW |
| VIC | Australian Refrigeration Council (ARCtick) and the Building and Plumbing Commission |
| QLD | Australian Refrigeration Council (ARCtick) and Queensland Building and Construction Commission |
| SA | Australian Refrigeration Council (ARCtick) |
| WA | Australian Refrigeration Council (ARCtick) |
| TAS | Australian Refrigeration Council (ARCtick) |
| NT | Australian Refrigeration Council (ARCtick) |
| ACT | Australian Refrigeration Council (ARCtick) |