Heating & Air Conditioning at Lincoln Land Community College
a compact campus enrolling 3,917 students in Springfield, IL.
Program Analysis
At $28,504 per year, Heating & Air Conditioning graduates from Lincoln Land Community College earn below the $36,779 national average. Lower costs or geographic factors may offset the earnings gap.
With a 89.3x return on tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.
The 9% spread between best and worst-case AI scenarios signals strong resilience. Most careers in Heating & Air Conditioning involve physical, hands-on work that current AI cannot replicate.
The median debt load of $7,445 represents less than half a year of starting salary — among the lightest debt-to-income ratios in vocational education.
Lincoln Land Community College ranks #62 among 260 Heating & Air Conditioning programs, placing it in the top 5% nationally by our financial outcomes measure.
The limited growth from $28,504 to $32,199 over five years suggests earnings in this trade plateau relatively early in one's career.
The 15 apprenticeship pathways connected to Heating & Air Conditioning reflect strong industry infrastructure for this trade. Apprenticeships typically lead to journeyman-level wages.
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.