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Certificate III · national qualification

Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration

This trade qualification trains you to install, service and repair the refrigeration and air conditioning systems found in homes, shops, offices and food storage facilities.

Compare 13 providers
Illustration of a person working as air Conditioning Technician
How long it takes
3 to 4 years
full time at TAFE NSW
What it costs
From $3,300
Subsidised at TAFE NSW, full fee up to $22,176
How you can study
On campus
Main job
Air Conditioning Technician
$109,200 median pay, In demand
Taught by
13 providers
7 states and territories

Is this course right for you?

What the Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration asks of you, and what you might want to check first.

It helps to have

  • an interest in how cooling and heating systems work
  • a careful and safety focused approach to handling refrigerants
  • good hand skills for pipework, fittings and electrical work
  • problem solving skills for finding and fixing faults

Before you start

There are no entry requirements for this qualification.

Where this course can take you

Jobs this qualification is a recognised route into, and the study that can follow it.

Jobs you can do with it

  • Air Conditioning Technician

    Air conditioning technicians install, service and repair the systems that keep homes, offices and warehouses at the right temperature.

    What else you need

    Trade qualification, usually done as an apprenticeship. To handle refrigerants you also need an ARC refrigerant handling licence, and some states require a further trade licence; the award alone does not confer these. This catalogue groups awards: verify the chosen provider, programme and intake; the family-level link is not confirmation that every offering is approved.

    Median pay$109,200

    In demand

Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list.

What it costs

Subsidised place

From $3,300

at TAFE NSW. Whether you get a subsidised place depends on your state, residency, age and earlier study.

Paying the full fee

$16,980 to $22,176

across the TAFEs listed below. Private providers set their own fees.

  • TAFE NSWNSW

    Subsidised
    $3,300
    Concession
    $240
    Full fee
    $16,980
    How long
    3 to 4 years

  • GOTAFEVIC

    Full fee
    $22,176

Fees as each TAFE shows them on its website, read 20 September 2026. Private providers set their own fees.

Where you can study this course

There are 13 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.

What you’ll learn

The main topics covered in the Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration.

  • Handling refrigerants safely
  • Refrigeration pipework and fittings
  • Installing and servicing air conditioning
  • Medium and low temperature systems
  • Fault finding and repairs
  • Working from plans and diagrams
See all 27 core units

Core units

Everyone completes these. Select a unit to see what it covers.

  • Loading the details for UEECD0007…

Questions to ask before you enrol

Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.

  1. When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
  2. What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
  3. Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
  4. Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?

Questions people ask

Who is this qualification for?

This trade qualification prepares you to install, service and repair refrigeration and air conditioning systems in homes, shops, offices and food storage facilities. You learn to handle refrigerants safely, read plans, run pipework and controls, and fault find on motors. Most people take it on as an apprenticeship.

Do I need experience or other qualifications first?

The qualification itself has no entry requirements. Individual providers can set their own conditions, so check with the provider you choose.

Is a licence, registration or check required to work in this area?

Yes. Finishing this qualification meets the training requirements for a national Refrigerant Handling Licence, which is required to work on refrigeration and air conditioning equipment that carries the risk of a fluorocarbon refrigerant being emitted. Additional conditions may apply in some jurisdictions.

Related courses

The national training register, training.gov.au. TAFE course pages, read 20 September 2026. Google reviews. Pay and shortage status from Jobs and Skills Australia.