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Refrigerant Recovery Operator Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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Refrigerant Recovery Operator information

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How much do refrigerant recovery operator jobs pay per hour?

As of Sep 1, 2026, the average hourly pay for refrigerant recovery operator in the United States is $25.70, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $22.36 and $28.61 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a refrigerant recovery operator?

A Refrigerant Recovery Operator is responsible for safely recovering, recycling, and disposing of refrigerants from HVAC systems and other cooling equipment. They ensure compliance with environmental regulations, prevent refrigerant emissions, and may test or process recovered refrigerants for reuse. Operators often work with specialized equipment and must follow proper safety protocols. This role is essential in reducing environmental impact and maintaining system efficiency. Certification, such as EPA Section 608, is typically required for handling refrigerants.

What does a refrigerant recovery operator do?

A typical day for a Refrigerant Recovery Operator often involves traveling to job sites, setting up recovery equipment, and safely extracting refrigerants from HVAC or refrigeration systems. You’ll frequently interact with building maintenance staff, HVAC technicians, and sometimes regulatory inspectors to ensure proper procedure and documentation. The role can involve physical labor, working both indoors and outdoors, and adhering to safety protocols throughout the process. Collaboration with other team members is common, especially when managing larger or more complex projects.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a refrigerant recovery operator?

To thrive as a Refrigerant Recovery Operator, you need knowledge of HVAC systems, environmental safety standards, and the handling of refrigerants, often supported by relevant EPA Section 608 certification. Familiarity with refrigerant recovery machines, leak detectors, and record-keeping software is typically required. Attention to detail, strong problem-solving abilities, and clear communication are valuable soft skills in this position. These skills are essential to ensure the safe, legal, and efficient recovery and disposal of refrigerants while maintaining compliance with environmental regulations.

What certification do you need to recover refrigerant?

Refrigerant Recovery Operators must obtain EPA Section 608 certification to legally recover refrigerants. There are four types of certification, with Type I, II, and III covering different equipment and refrigerants, and Universal certification covering all types. Proper training and understanding of environmental regulations are essential for certification eligibility.

Who can perform refrigerant recovery?

Refrigerant Recovery Operators are trained and certified professionals authorized to perform refrigerant recovery. They must follow environmental regulations and use specialized recovery equipment to safely remove refrigerants from appliances or systems. Certification programs like EPA 608 are typically required to ensure proper handling and compliance.
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What states have the most Refrigerant Recovery Operator jobs?

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Infographic showing various Refrigerant Recovery Operator job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 38% Full Time, 60% Part Time, 1% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $53,458 per year, or $25.7 per hour.

Refrigerant Recovery Technician

Summit Refrigerants

Jasper, GA • On-site

Other

Posted 2 days ago

New


Job description

Company Description

Summit Refrigerants is one of the fastest-growing EPA-certified refrigerant reclaimers in the United States, providing customers with strong service, technical expertise, and reliable product availability. With over 100 years of combined experience across refrigerant reclamation, services, the team supports contractors and distributors in a dynamic, highly regulated industry. Operating within the HVAC service sector, which exceeds $100 billion in annual sales, Summit Refrigerants helps customers comply with EPA regulations, recover and reclaim used refrigerants, and access reclaimed and virgin products. The company serves residential wholesale distributors as well as commercial and industrial mechanical contractors and OEMs, offering a full line of refrigerants, recovery cylinder maintenance, and rental and sale of large recovery cylinders. Summit Refrigerants is proud to partner with many of the most respected companies in the industry.

Role Description The Refrigerant Recovery Technician is a full-time, on-site role based out of Jasper, GA. This role focuses on safely recovering, handling, and transferring refrigerants from cylinders and systems in compliance with EPA regulations and company procedures. Day-to-day tasks include operating recovery and reclamation equipment, inspecting and maintaining recovery cylinders, documenting refrigerant volumes and types, and preparing materials for processing or shipment. The technician collaborates with warehouse and operations staff to ensure accurate inventory, supports quality control checks on recovered refrigerants, and follows all safety and environmental guidelines. The position may require lifting and moving cylinders, working in a fast-paced industrial environment, and performing routine equipment inspections and minor maintenance.


Key Responsibilities

  • Perform refrigerant recoveries, dehydrations, system flushes, and document day-to-day progress.
  • Operate equipment in the field in a safe manner considering safety as the primary goal daily.
  • Be willing to accept training and constructive criticism in order to develop the skill sets as tenure progresses.
  • Travel is required, overnight and even extended projects can be up to two weeks in certain cases.
  • Complete training and maintain a clean driving record.  Class C Commercial license up to A CDL driver’s license with HAZ-Mat endorsement is required.
  • ELD compliance is required.
  • Manage company credit card expenses and expense reports daily and submit when prompted monthly.
  • Interact with customers in a professional manner.
  • Communication effectiveness is essential


Skills Required

  • Proven working experience in the HVAC and refrigeration segment
  • Formal HVAC school and transcript requested
  • Strong Refrigeration Theory
  • Personal hygiene and appearance must fit a professional manner.
  • Use of all hand tools associated within the industry a must
  • Ability to analyze and solve problems
  • Dependability / Punctuality / Afterhours availability
  • Travel is often required and could result in extended hotel stays.
  • Clear oral and written communication skills
  • Keen attention to detail
  • Professional email communications
  • Mechanical rooms & outdoors working environment 

Other

  • Competitive compensation and excellent benefits
  • Position requires high school diploma / HVAC diploma
  • Universal 608 EPA License required
  • Located in Jasper, GA
  • Clean Criminal background
  • Summit is a drug free workplace and screening is part of a random consortium. Due to the nature of the role, working off-site in chemical or petroleum plants is common, and coupled with DOT requirements, all techs are required to meet the drug and background screen requirements of the client site they are working on and DOT. This could include testing of hair, oral fluid, and/or urine.