Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR) at North Seattle College

This North Seattle College HVAC program comes with estimated debt of $12,000—notably lower than both the state and national medians—but projected first-year earnings of around $41,000 lag behind what comparable Washington programs typically deliver. In a state where HVAC programs average $46,720 in first-year earnings, with top performers like Wenatchee Valley reaching over $50,000, this gap of roughly $5,700 matters when you're starting a skilled trades career in one of the country's most expensive metro areas.

The debt-to-earnings ratio of 0.29 looks reasonable on paper, suggesting manageable loan payments. However, these figures are estimates drawn from peer programs nationally, not actual outcomes from North Seattle's graduates. The real question is whether $41,000 goes far enough in Seattle, where the cost of living significantly exceeds the national average. HVAC technicians typically see strong long-term earnings growth, but starting below the state median in a high-cost city could make those first few years financially challenging.

If your child is committed to staying in the Seattle area, compare this program directly with the Washington schools posting higher reported earnings. The lower estimated debt is appealing, but in the trades, starting salary and regional demand matter enormously for building momentum early in a career.