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Technical profession gains ground in a billion-dollar market serving supermarkets, hospitals, industries, and digital structures, while companies seek skilled labor to install, maintain, and diagnose increasingly complex refrigeration and air conditioning systems.
Refrigeration and air conditioning technicians have come to occupy a more prominent role in sectors that rely on air conditioning, cold rooms, supermarkets, hospitals, industries, and data centers to maintain continuous operations, preserve products, and reduce the risk of failures in critical environments.
Previously more frequently associated with the repair of household appliances, the activity today caters to a wide chain of technical services, which includes food storage, hospital air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, industrial operation, and the functioning of digital structures.
The expansion of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration sector, known as HVAC-R, helps explain the pressure for qualified labor in different regions of the country.
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According to a report released by ABRAVA, the segment generated approximately R$ 50.15 billion in 2025 in Brazil and is expected to reach R$ 55.62 billion by the end of 2026.
This growth is not limited to the commercialization of equipment, as installation and maintenance are among the areas directly linked to the operation of systems in companies, commercial buildings, hospitals, supermarkets, and industrial environments.
According to the association’s survey, installation and maintenance grew by 20.7% in 2025 compared to 2024, and are expected to remain among the market highlights in 2026, with an anticipated growth of 19.8% by December.
Refrigeration market expands search for qualified professionals
The demand for technicians arises at a time when companies are looking to reduce downtime, avoid losses, and keep systems within operational efficiency standards, especially in activities that depend on controlled temperature.
In the case of supermarkets, failures in cold rooms, refrigerated counters, or freezing equipment can compromise stocks and affect operations within a few hours, according to the logic of commercial refrigeration operation.
Hospitals have another type of requirement, as surgical centers, pharmacies, laboratories, examination rooms, and areas with patients depend on controlled temperature, adequate filtration, and regular maintenance to operate with operational safety.
In data centers, cooling integrates the infrastructure that supports servers, online systems, data storage, and digital services, as the equipment generates heat continuously during operation.
Also in industry, technical performance appears in production lines, conservation environments, machines with thermal control needs, and processes where temperature variations can interfere with performance or continuity of activity.
Salaries of refrigeration technicians vary according to region and specialization
Compensation contributes to placing the technical career on the radar of workers looking for an area with recurring demand and the possibility of working in different segments of the economy.
Data from the Salary Portal for the position of mechanical technician in heating, ventilation, and refrigeration in the city of São Paulo indicate a range between R$ 2,350.00 and a ceiling of R$ 4,400.30.
The same source reports an average starting salary of R$ 3,448.19 in 2026, a value that can vary according to region, company size, experience, type of system served, and operation complexity.
Professionals working in commercial refrigeration, critical area air conditioning, advanced diagnostics, and preventive maintenance may find more specialized positions, especially in companies operating larger systems.
The modernization of equipment also influences the work routine, as current systems incorporate automation, sensors, electronic controls, energy efficiency, and refrigerants that require proper handling.
Besides manual skill, the service requires reading measurements, interpreting failures, evaluating pressure and temperature, identifying leaks, knowledge of components, and proper recording of interventions performed.
PMOC reinforces maintenance in buildings and companies
Federal Law 13,589, of January 4, 2018, made the Maintenance, Operation, and Control Plan, known as PMOC, mandatory for buildings of public and collective use with artificially climatized environments.
According to ABRAVA, the plan gathers data on the building, the air conditioning system, the technical manager, and the maintenance, operation, and control routines planned for these environments.
With the PMOC requirement, maintenance becomes part of the regular management of commercial buildings, schools, hotels, shopping malls, offices, hospitals, and high-traffic spaces.
When there is a lack of qualified professionals, companies may face more downtime, higher energy consumption, loss of efficiency, and difficulty proving inspection and maintenance routines.
Inadequate maintenance can also reduce the lifespan of equipment and increase operational costs, especially in places where systems operate for long periods or serve areas of collective use.
In this context, the need for trained technicians to follow procedures, document interventions, assess operating conditions, and comply with safety practices in air-conditioned environments is growing.
In public and collective use buildings, air quality and system stability become part of building management routine, with a direct impact on operation, maintenance, and technical control of equipment.
Correct installation reduces risk of failures and energy waste
The expansion of air conditioning in the country has also increased the demand for proper installation, as the equipment’s performance depends on the environment’s conditions and how the system is applied.
A poorly sized equipment, installed without technical criteria or maintained irregularly, can consume more energy, present recurring defects, and deliver performance below expectations.
For this reason, the technician needs to assess thermal load, ventilation, drainage, electrical network, maintenance access, and operating conditions before and after the system’s installation.
In commercial refrigeration, the impact is usually direct on the operation of supermarkets, butcheries, bakeries, pharmacies, restaurants, distribution centers, and food industries.
These establishments depend on controlled temperature to preserve products and reduce losses, making preventive maintenance an important step in the operational routine.
When small faults are not identified early, they can evolve into larger interruptions, especially in operations dealing with food, medications, or sensitive equipment.
Technical training gains importance with more complex equipment
The lack of prepared professionals exposes a training challenge in an area that requires practical knowledge, mastery of procedures, basic electronics, safety, automation, and good maintenance practices.
In daily life, the technician deals with compressors, condensers, evaporators, controls, valves, sensors, pressures, and protection systems that require correct diagnosis and safe execution.
It is also part of the routine to communicate problems clearly, guide clients or internal teams, and record the service in a manner compatible with the company’s or contract’s requirements.
ABRAVA has highlighted initiatives aimed at the qualification, management, and competitiveness of installers in a market that grows while demanding greater specialization from field professionals.
With more technological equipment, continuous updating becomes part of the activity, especially in systems involving automation, energy efficiency, electronic control, and documented maintenance.
The combination of increasing heat in large cities, the search for thermal comfort, the expansion of supermarkets and hospitals, and the digitalization of the economy broadens the presence of refrigeration in essential activities.
In practice, the technician’s work is usually noticed by the user when the room heats up, the food loses preservation, the equipment fails, or an operation needs to be interrupted.
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