Heating & Air Conditioning at Centura College-Richmond Main
a compact campus enrolling 31 students in North Chesterfield, VA.
Program Analysis
At $29,395 per year, Heating & Air Conditioning graduates from Centura College-Richmond Main earn below the $36,779 national average. Lower costs or geographic factors may offset the earnings gap.
Every dollar of tuition returns an estimated 18.5x in decade earnings — an exceptional ratio that places this among the highest-ROI Heating & Air Conditioning programs nationally.
AI disruption models show minimal impact on this program's career paths. The gap between optimistic and pessimistic scenarios is just 0% — this trade's hands-on core resists automation.
Median debt of $14,730 represents roughly 6 months of the $29,395 starting salary — a manageable burden by trade school standards.
Ranked #247 of 260 Heating & Air Conditioning programs, Centura College-Richmond Main falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Heating & Air Conditioning offers 15 registered apprenticeship pathways — an unusually broad set of earn-while-you-learn alternatives to the classroom track.
Earnings Overview
Projected 10-Year Earnings
Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.
Top Career Paths
Top career paths for Heating & Air Conditioning graduates by median salary.
| Career Path | Median Salary | Growth | AI-ProofAI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers | $59,810 | +8.1% | 89% |
About Heating & Air Conditioning Careers
Your career in HVACR begins with your hands on the tools. As an apprentice, you’ll work alongside a senior technician, learning to use pressure gauges on a residential AC unit or a multimeter to diagnose a faulty furnace circuit board in a chilly basement. Soon, you'll be driving the service van, independently tackling everything from routine maintenance to emergency repairs on commercial rooftops. This is skilled, physical work that requires you to be on-site—it can’t be automated or outsourced.