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

Spokane Community College's HVAC program sits in an unusual position: it performs slightly above the national average but lands in the bottom half of Washington state programs. At $42,862, first-year earnings trail the state median by nearly $4,000 and fall well short of what nearby Wenatchee Valley College graduates earn ($50,579). In a state where HVAC skills command premium pay, this program's 40th percentile ranking suggests graduates aren't capturing the full value of Washington's strong market for these trades.

The financial fundamentals work reasonably well. With $17,231 in typical debt and a 0.40 debt-to-earnings ratio, graduates face manageable repayment—about what's typical for HVAC programs both nationally and statewide. You're looking at roughly $190/month in loan payments on an income that should comfortably support that burden. The concern isn't crushing debt; it's whether students are getting the stronger earning potential available through other Washington programs.

One important caveat: this data reflects fewer than 30 graduates, so individual outcomes can vary significantly. Still, if your child is Washington-based and interested in HVAC, explore what accounts for the earnings gap with top-performing programs in the state. The difference between $42,862 and $50,579 compounds to hundreds of thousands over a career—worth investigating whether curriculum, employer connections, or certification paths explain the disparity.