Heating & Air Conditioning at Hennepin Technical College
Brooklyn Park, MN · Public · Associate Degree · Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)
TradeSchoolWorth Score (Base Case)
66
Optimistic
67
Base Case
66
Pessimistic
Earnings
$65,592/yr (78% vs median)
AI Risk
Low (11% exposed)
Job Market
Large (40,100 openings/yr)
How AI Changes the Outlook
Three scenarios based on how aggressively AI disrupts the career paths available to Heating & Air Conditioning graduates.
| Optimistic No Disruption |
Base Case Gradual AI |
Pessimistic Aggressive AI |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-Year Earnings | $808K | $722K | $630K |
| Earnings Multiple | 68.7x | 61.4x | 53.6x |
| Viable Career Paths | 1 of 1 | 1 of 1 | 1 of 1 |
| TradeSchoolWorth Score | 66 | 67 | 66 |
10-Year Earnings Projection
*Year 1 uses actual reported earnings. Scenarios diverge as AI impact compounds over time.
Program Tuition
$11,762
Median Debt at Graduation
$14,751
2.7 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$78,403
20% growth from Year 1
Career Paths
Where Heating & Air Conditioning graduates typically work. Raw data — no blending. The scenarios above model how these factors interact. This field has roughly 40,100 combined openings per year.
| Career Path | Wage | Openings/yr | Growth | AI Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers | $59,810 | 40,100 | +8.1% | 11% |
Compare & Explore
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the TradeSchoolWorth Score for Heating & Air Conditioning at Hennepin Technical College?
This program scores 67/100 in the Base Case scenario, factoring in earnings, AI disruption risk, job market size, and earnings multiple. The score ranges from 66 (optimistic) to 66 (pessimistic) depending on AI's impact.
How does AI affect Heating & Air Conditioning career prospects?
We model three scenarios: Optimistic (no disruption), Base Case (gradual AI adoption), and Pessimistic (aggressive AI displacement). In the base case, Heating & Air Conditioning graduates retain 1 of 1 viable career paths. 10-year earnings range from $630,229 (pessimistic) to $808,306 (optimistic).
How many job openings are there for Heating & Air Conditioning graduates?
The career paths mapped to Heating & Air Conditioning have roughly 40,100 combined job openings per year nationally, making this a large job market.
Is Heating & Air Conditioning at Hennepin Technical College worth it?
In the Base Case, this program earns 61.4x its tuition over 10 years. Even in the Pessimistic scenario, the multiple is 53.6x. The spread between scenarios tells you how sensitive this trade is to AI disruption.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024-2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Scenarios use a continuous weighting function combining AI exposure and BLS job growth projections.
"Earnings Multiple" is total 10-year projected earnings divided by tuition — not a discounted financial ROI.
Last updated 2026.