Heating & Air Conditioning at Fortis College-Norfolk
with a smaller student body of 431 in Norfolk, VA.
Program Analysis
Graduates earn $32,955/yr, roughly in line with the $36,779 national median for Heating & Air Conditioning. The value proposition here depends on cost, not earnings.
Every dollar of tuition returns an estimated 27.7x 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 12% — this trade's hands-on core resists automation.
With first-year pay of $32,955 far exceeding the $10,523 median debt, the payback timeline is measured in months, not years.
Ranked #195 of 260 Heating & Air Conditioning programs, Fortis College-Norfolk falls below the median. Stronger options exist, though cost and location may compensate.
Five-year earnings of $38,095 are relatively flat compared to the $32,955 starting salary — typical of trades with stable but capped salary bands.
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.