SKILLED TRADES AND VOCATIONAL (NSQF)

AC and Refrigeration Technician

Install, service and repair air conditioners, cold rooms and refrigeration units.

Class 10 with Maths and Science helpful After Class 10 Self-employed

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

Hands-on work you can see and fix
Tracing a fault step by step until the machine runs
Helping homes, shops and cold-storage units stay cool, especially in summer

It may not suit you if you dislike

Hot roofs, tight spaces and heavy units
Urgent calls during heat waves, sometimes late in the evening
Early years can bring small jobs and modest income

Class 11–12 subjects: Class 10 pass. Maths and Science help a lot in this trade and many ITI admission notices ask for them, so check the notice for your state or institute.
First degree: ITI Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician (CTS trade), 2 years, about 3,200 hours. You get a National Trade Certificate at the end.
Entrance exams: ITI admission through your state or the institute's process, then the All India Trade Test conducted by DGT at the end of the course.
Licence or registration: None needed to start working.

Open to every streamClass 10 with Maths and Science helpful.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Installing, servicing and repairing split and window AC, domestic fridges, cold rooms, ice machines and cooling towers. Daily work includes fault-finding, leak checks, gas charging and electrical checks.

A day in the work
Your day often starts with a list of calls from homes and shops. You might check a split AC that is not cooling, find a leak with a pressure gauge, then braze a joint and recharge the gas. In the afternoon you may service a compressor in a cold room or clean a cooling tower. You end by noting the parts used and explaining the fault to the customer in plain words.

The path, step by step

Step 1 · Class 8–10Build your Maths and Science base. Learn how electricity flows and how a fridge moves heat. Never touch live wiring without an adult or a teacher present.
Step 2 · After Class 10Apply for admission to an ITI running the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician trade. Government ITIs admit through state processes and private ITIs have their own process, so read the admission notice of the institute you choose. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 3 · 2 yearsComplete the two-year course. It covers workshop safety, pipe work, refrigerant handling, electrical controls, split and window AC, and cold storage. Each year includes 150 hours of on-the-job training or a group project.
Step 4 · End of ITISit the All India Trade Test run by DGT's Controller of Examinations. Passing it gets you the National Trade Certificate, which is recognised across India.
Step 5 · Optional apprenticeshipTake an apprenticeship with an employer. An ITI pass has a shorter practical period (12 months) than a Class 10 entrant (18 months). Apprentices who pass the trade test get the National Apprenticeship Certificate.
Step 6 · LaterWork for a service company, a shop or a cold-storage business, or start your own repair work. Later options include the Crafts Instructor Training Scheme to teach in ITIs, or an advanced vocational diploma.

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Class 11–12	2 years	Your school's fees	—	—
ITI admission (Refrigeration and AC trade)	Admission process (no fixed duration)	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	Maharashtra Govt ITIs: ₹500/month stipend (domicile, income up to ₹8 lakh). Goa: ₹250/month merit scholarship. Haryana SC/ST: ₹2,500/year allowance
ITI course (CTS trade, with All India Trade Test at end)	2 years	Check the college's fee page	Check the college's fee page	Maharashtra Govt ITIs: ₹500/month stipend (2023-24 session). Haryana SC/ST: ₹2,500/year allowance
Optional apprenticeship after ITI	12 months	Check the notice	Check the notice	Not stated on the page

Total timeAbout 4 years after Class 10 (2-year ITI plus 12-month optional apprenticeship)

Total costDepends mostly on the college you choose — compare fee pages.

Good to knowThe page gives no ITI fee figures; check each ITI's fee page and ask about stipends and scholarships, which vary by state and year.

Fees from: DGT, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician curriculum (course structure; fees not stated) · Maharashtra DBT: Stipend of Rs. 500/month for Craftsman Training trainees in Govt ITI · Goa DSDE: Scholarships for ITI trainees · Haryana ITI: Schemes (Post Matric Scholarship for SC/ST). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Earnings depend on your skill, the city you work in, and whether you work for a company, a shop or on your own. New technicians usually earn less than people with years of service and a steady customer base.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~AC repair is just topping up the gas.~~

Fact: Gas work is only one part. The trade also covers electrical controls, circuit repair, pipe work, and servicing cold rooms and cooling towers.

Try it now

Class 7–9With an adult's permission, clean the filter of a fan or AC and notice how it changes the airflow. Write down the parts you can see.
Class 10–12Read the first-year topics in the DGT trade curriculum. Note which ones you find interesting, such as wiring, pipe work or fault-finding.Open link ↗
College or afterIf you join an ITI, ask your instructor for a service visit or a group project, and volunteer to help on real jobs during your on-the-job training.

Good to know

The DGT curriculum files do not agree on the NSQF level. One version shows Level 4 and another shows Level 5. Check the current notice at your ITI.
Electrical skills matter as much as gas work. Learn wiring and controls well, since many faults are electrical.
Refrigerant gases are regulated. Ask your ITI what rules apply to handling them, because these rules can change.

Sources: DGT, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technician competency-based curriculum (CTS, NSQF Level 4) · DGT, Curriculum for Mechanic Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (apprenticeship)