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HVAC technician apprenticeships: what they pay, state by state
U.S. Department of Labor records list 10,373 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (SOC 49-9021). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $14.85 an hour in Tennessee to $31.00 in Minnesota, across the 23 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts.
Apprentice counts and wages by state
The most are in California (1,487), Florida (1,067), Iowa (825), New Jersey (708), Virginia (696). Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion ran from $21.03 an hour in Virginia to $51.97 in California, across the 9 states with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. A median is shown only where 50 or more apprentices carry the wage; the counts are shown for every state with an active apprentice in fiscal 2024.
| State | Active, fiscal 2024 | Started, fiscal 2023 | Median starting wage | Median completing wage | BLS median, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 1,487 | 465 | $27.61 | $51.97 | $34.88 |
| Florida | 1,067 | 459 | $18.00 | $25.77 | $27.24 |
| Iowa | 825 | 390 | $17.00 | $22.00 | $29.17 |
| New Jersey | 708 | 273 | $20.00 | $39.08 | $35.79 |
| Virginia | 696 | 251 | $16.00 | $21.03 | $28.72 |
| Pennsylvania | 487 | 134 | $19.87 | $41.50 | $30.00 |
| Missouri | 418 | 182 | $20.98 | fewer than 50 wages | $28.82 |
| Ohio | 414 | 183 | $18.00 | $28.73 | $30.06 |
| Minnesota | 379 | 183 | $31.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $36.71 |
| Texas | 374 | 169 | $18.20 | fewer than 50 wages | $27.77 |
| Michigan | 293 | 119 | $19.95 | $35.95 | $29.26 |
| Illinois | 276 | 112 | $20.88 | fewer than 50 wages | $37.21 |
| Delaware | 248 | 91 | $18.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $29.96 |
| Indiana | 239 | 72 | $20.41 | fewer than 50 wages | $29.05 |
| Maryland | 228 | 79 | $17.50 | $30.75 | $33.67 |
| Hawaii | 219 | 58 | $19.54 | fewer than 50 wages | $31.47 |
| Georgia | 212 | 92 | $16.45 | fewer than 50 wages | $27.11 |
| Kentucky | 196 | 70 | $21.10 | fewer than 50 wages | $28.18 |
| South Carolina | 139 | 39 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $27.22 |
| Louisiana | 134 | 83 | $16.79 | fewer than 50 wages | $28.20 |
| Arizona | 114 | 47 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.56 |
| Tennessee | 111 | 56 | $14.85 | fewer than 50 wages | $26.68 |
| Idaho | 104 | 83 | $20.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $27.04 |
| Utah | 102 | 63 | $17.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $28.24 |
| Nebraska | 99 | 34 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.77 |
| Kansas | 87 | 23 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.07 |
| South Dakota | 68 | 24 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.51 |
| Montana | 64 | 28 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.26 |
| Colorado | 61 | 15 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $31.35 |
| Alaska | 51 | 18 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $37.23 |
| Arkansas | 51 | 18 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $23.13 |
| Oklahoma | 50 | 50 | $16.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $27.67 |
| Nevada | 46 | 20 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.09 |
| Rhode Island | 39 | 7 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $32.39 |
| Massachusetts | 32 | 12 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $37.16 |
| West Virginia | 32 | 4 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $23.49 |
| Wisconsin | 28 | 13 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.67 |
| New Hampshire | 27 | 15 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $35.51 |
| Wyoming | 27 | 22 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $26.30 |
| North Carolina | 22 | 6 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $27.53 |
| Vermont | 18 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.88 |
| Alabama | 17 | 3 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $23.26 |
| New York | 16 | 5 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $35.78 |
| North Dakota | 15 | 9 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $35.81 |
| Connecticut | 11 | 10 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $36.83 |
| Maine | 11 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $30.37 |
| Washington | 10 | 6 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $36.38 |
| District of Columbia | 9 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $40.57 |
| Mississippi | 6 | 3 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $23.41 |
| New Mexico | 4 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $24.17 |
| Oregon | 2 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $30.26 |
Hourly wages, most active apprentices first. The starting wage is the median across the apprentices who started in fiscal 2023 and the completing wage the median across those who completed it: two groups of people. The BLS figure is the wage survey's median for the occupation in the state, a different source and a different period, so read the two side by side and not as a ratio. Which wages DOL counts and how the state is assigned are on the data page. As a file: every trade and state with an active apprentice (CSV).
What those wages come to a week and a year, at your hours →
How the apprenticeship runs
Some technicians train through an apprenticeship, which usually lasts several years, with paid on-the-job training and some technical instruction each year; over its course they learn about topics such as safety practices, blueprint reading, and heating and cooling systems. The federal Apprenticeship Finder searches apprenticeship openings by occupation and by city, state or ZIP code. Apprenticeship Finder →
BLS wording
“Some technicians train through an apprenticeship program, which usually lasts several years. Apprenticeships include paid on-the-job training, as well as some technical instruction, each year. Over the course of the apprenticeship, technicians learn about topics such as safety practices, blueprint reading, and heating and cooling systems.”
How long. Postsecondary programs generally last six months to two years, and on-the-job training after hiring is typically lengthy; an apprenticeship usually lasts several years.
BLS wording
“Once hired, they typically have a lengthy period of on-the-job training to attain competency. ... These programs generally last from 6 months to 2 years and lead to a certificate or an associate's degree. ... Some technicians train through an apprenticeship program, which usually lasts several years.”
From the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, read 2026-09-28. The steps in order and pay by state are on How to become an HVAC technician.
Common questions
How much do apprentice HVAC technicians make?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $14.85 an hour in Tennessee to $31.00 in Minnesota, across the 23 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts. Among the apprentices who completed in fiscal 2023, the median wage at completion ran from $21.03 an hour in Virginia to $51.97 in California, across the 9 states with 50 or more exit wages DOL counts. The starters and the completers are different people, and the wages are in that year's dollars.
How long does it take to train as an HVAC technician?
Postsecondary programs generally last six months to two years, and on-the-job training after hiring is typically lengthy; an apprenticeship usually lasts several years.
How many apprentice HVAC technicians are there?
U.S. Department of Labor records list 10,373 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (SOC 49-9021). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. The most are in California (1,487), Florida (1,067), Iowa (825), New Jersey (708), Virginia (696).
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration: Apprenticeship Participant Characteristics and Training Outcomes (the dataset), retrieved 2026-09-24: every apprentice count and apprentice wage. Titles counted for this trade: Air & Hydronic Balancing Technician; FURNACE INSTALLER; HEATING & AIR-CONDITIONER INSTALL/SER; REFRIGERATION MECHANIC (Any Ind); REFRIGERATION UNIT REPAIRER; REFRIGRATION & AIR CONDITION MECHANIC (Existing Title: Refrigeration Maint).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, retrieved 2026-10-03: the median for the occupation, $61,010 a year nationally. How the numbers are built.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, read 2026-09-28: how the apprenticeship runs and how long the training takes.
Other trades: Electricians · Plumbers and pipefitters · Welders · Truck drivers (CDL) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) · Elevator installers · Ironworkers · Sheet metal workers · Carpenters · Brickmasons and blockmasons · Auto service technicians · Diesel mechanics · Heavy equipment operators · Machinists. Or see every trade side by side.