How to become an HVAC Engineer / Technician
HVAC Engineer / Technician is a role people enter from work ashore, not from a junior yacht job. You need no yacht experience. You do need the qualifications and the background below.
Where you startAnd where it leads. A typical path, not a rule.
HVAC Engineer / Technician
Year 0. Pay from about US$5,500 a month. Specialist engineer who keeps a large yacht's air conditioning, chilled water, ventilation and refrigeration plant running in any climate.
Third Engineer
Year 3-4. Pay from about US$4,000 a month. Junior engineering officer on larger yachts, running daily rounds, planned maintenance and engine room watches under the second and chief engineer.
Second Engineer
Year 5-7. Pay from about US$6,000 a month. The engineer who runs the engine room day to day under the chief, keeping generators, machinery and hotel systems working on yachts from 45m upward.
First Engineer
Year 8-10. Pay from about US$8,000 a month. Second in command of the engine room on larger yachts, running daily maintenance, watchkeeping and the engineering team under the Chief Engineer.
Before you applyWhat an HVAC Engineer / Technician needs, from the HVAC Engineer / Technician guide
Must have
- STCW Basic Safety Training
- ENG1 medical
- F-Gas certificate (EU or UK Category 1)
- Refrigeration and air conditioning trade qualification, e.g. City & Guilds 2079 or NVQ Level 3
Gets you hired
- MCA AEC 1 and 2
- PDSD
- EPA Section 608 Universal for US-based yachts
- Manufacturer training, e.g. Heinen & Hopman or Condaria
- 18th Edition wiring regulations or equivalent electrical ticket
Visas
- Schengen visa if required
- US C1/D crew visa
What counts instead of yacht experienceOur advice
Captains hire an HVAC Engineer / Technician for chilled water systems, compressor and chiller overhaul and refrigerant handling and recovery. With no yacht job behind you, show the same skills from work ashore. For an HVAC Engineer / Technician, that means your qualifications and the years you have worked in the profession.
Write each job on your CV as what you did, with numbers: how many guests, how many boats, how many covers. Then list every skill below that you can prove.
- Chilled water systems
- Compressor and chiller overhaul
- Refrigerant handling and recovery
- BMS and control diagnostics
- Cold room and galley refrigeration
- Electrical fault finding
- Planned maintenance records
Your first stepsIn the order we suggest
Get the tickets an HVAC Engineer / Technician must hold
You need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical, F-Gas certificate (EU or UK Category 1) and Refrigeration and air conditioning trade qualification before a yacht can put you to work as an HVAC Engineer / Technician.
STCW and ENG1: what they are and what they cost →Write a first HVAC Engineer / Technician CV
Keep it to one page. Put your tickets and your start date at the top, then your qualifications and your work ashore, with dates.
See a HVAC Engineer / Technician CV example →Create your crew profile
Upload that CV and we build your profile from it. Your name and contact details stay hidden. Captains and recruiters contact you. It is free.
Create your crew profile →Apply and look for daywork
Apply to open jobs and to crew agencies, and take daywork: a few paid days on a yacht is how most first-time crew get a reference. 1 HVAC Engineer / Technician job is open on SuperyachtRoles.com now.
See open HVAC Engineer / Technician jobs →Step up to Third Engineer
The usual path puts Third Engineer at year 3 to 4. Pay starts from about US$4,000 a month.
How to become a Third Engineer →
HVAC Engineer / Technician jobsOpen now on SuperyachtRoles.com. Some ask for experience, so read each advert.
QuestionsMore in the green crew guide
Can I become an HVAC Engineer / Technician with no experience?
With no yacht experience, yes. With no professional background, no. HVAC Engineer / Technician is a role people enter from work ashore, and you need STCW Basic Safety Training, ENG1 medical and F-Gas certificate (EU or UK Category 1).
How long does it take to become an HVAC Engineer / Technician?
It is a starting role, so the time is what it takes to get the tickets and find the first job. From there, the usual path puts Third Engineer at year 3 to 4.
What does an HVAC Engineer / Technician earn at the start?
From about US$5,500 a month, by our HVAC Engineer / Technician guide. Pay is usually tax-free with food and accommodation covered. Rotational posts on larger yachts trade a slightly lower monthly figure for long paid leave, and charter yachts add tips shared across all crew.
Let the yachts come to you
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