HVAC technician
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers work on heating, ventilation, cooling, and refrigeration systems.
What the job is
- The work
- Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers work on heating, ventilation, cooling, and refrigeration systems.
BLS
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- How people get in
- HVAC technicians usually take a 6-month to 2-year program at a technical school or community college, or train in an apprenticeship. Federal law requires nearly all of them to hold EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification; some states and cities also license them.
- Good fit for
- Students who like hands-on repair work on heating, air conditioning and refrigeration systems.
- Career cluster
- Construction
- Paying for it
- File the FAFSA (opens by October 1) for grants, work-study and federal loans; a Pell Grant pays up to $7,395 a year (2026–27). Average public four-year tuition and fees: $11,950 in-state vs $31,880 out-of-state (2025–26). Residency rules and regional discounts · Save with 2+2 transfer
- Your state
-
StateChoose a state
- AlabamaState guide
- AlaskaState guide
- ArizonaState guide
- ArkansasState guide
- CaliforniaLicense rules
- ColoradoState guide
- ConnecticutState guide
- DelawareState guide
- District of ColumbiaState guide
- FloridaLicense rules
- GeorgiaState guide
- HawaiiState guide
- IdahoState guide
- IllinoisState guide
- IndianaState guide
- IowaState guide
- KansasState guide
- KentuckyState guide
- LouisianaState guide
- MaineState guide
- MarylandState guide
- MassachusettsState guide
- MichiganState guide
- MinnesotaState guide
- MississippiState guide
- MissouriState guide
- MontanaState guide
- NebraskaState guide
- NevadaState guide
- New HampshireState guide
- New JerseyState guide
- New MexicoState guide
- New YorkState guide
- North CarolinaState guide
- North DakotaState guide
- OhioLicense rules
- OklahomaState guide
- OregonState guide
- PennsylvaniaState guide
- Rhode IslandState guide
- South CarolinaState guide
- South DakotaState guide
- TennesseeState guide
- TexasLicense rules
- UtahState guide
- VermontState guide
- VirginiaState guide
- WashingtonState guide
- West VirginiaState guide
- WisconsinState guide
- WyomingState guide
Key numbers
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, pay for May 2025.
- Median pay
- $61,010 a year ($29.33 an hour)
BLS
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs in 2025
- 440,900
- Typical entry
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Training after hire
- Long-term on-the-job training
Job outlook, 2025–35
- Projected growth
- +11%, which BLS calls "much faster than average"
BLS
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers — Summary (Quick Facts)U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
- Jobs added
- +48,200 over 2025–35
- All U.S. jobs
- 3.5% over the same period, for comparison
Tools overview
BLS does not publish what a starter tool set costs. Ask the school or apprenticeship sponsor which tools you must buy before you enrol.
- Apprentices learn to use a variety of tools as part of their training.
BLS
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers — How to Become OneU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OOH)- Checked
- 20 Oct 2026
Step-by-step roadmap
The routes, step by step, the national certifications and the state licensing rules are on one page.
HVAC technician: school or apprenticeship, EPA 608, state license
See the roadmap
Route 1: Certificate or associate degree, then on the job · Route 2: Apprenticeship
Every number links to the BLS page it came from, checked 20 Oct 2026. Education Margdarshan does not recommend paid courses. All trades