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How to become an HVAC technician in Alabama
Technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants need the federal EPA Section 608 certification, except for an apprentice closely and continually supervised by a certified technician. Alabama's Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors certifies contractors: no person may perform the function of a certified contractor unless the person in responsible charge is a certified contractor. The pages read do not say whether a technician working under a certified contractor needs a credential of their own. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Alabama earned a median $48,370 a year in May 2025 ($23.26 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Alabama
The licensing authority is Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors. The pages each row was read from are listed under the table, with the date each was read.
| License | What it takes | Experience | Exam | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA Section 608 Certification (federal) | Required nationwide for technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants, except apprentices closely and continually supervised by a certified technician: Type I (small appliances), Type II (high- and very-high-pressure, other than small appliances and motor-vehicle air conditioners), Type III (low-pressure) or Universal (all). Pass an EPA-approved test; the credential does not expire. | — | EPA-approved Section 608 test (Type I / II / III / Universal) | not published |
| Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor certification (state) | A contractor certification. To sit for the Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors exam: 3,000 hours of work experience as the Board defines it, or graduation from an approved heating, air conditioning or refrigeration curriculum. Exam fee $175. After passing, active status, for a contractor who performs installation, service or repair, costs $220 a year and requires a business name and a $20,000 performance bond; inactive status, for an individual who does not do the work, costs $110 a year with no bond. Certifications lapse if not renewed by December 31, and each contractor takes 4 hours of continuing education a year, except in the first year of certification and for an inactive contractor 65 or older. | — | Heating and Air Conditioning Contractors exam (open book) | $395 |
Reciprocity. A contractor holding a current, valid license from the Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, South Carolina (Residential Building Commission or Contractor's Board), Texas, West Virginia or Louisiana contractor boards, earned on an equivalent exam passed with at least 70%, may apply by reciprocity. The application is completed, signed and notarized and sent by email, mail, UPS or FedEx with a $220 processing fee and a $20,000 performance bond in the business name; reciprocal applications cannot be processed online.
Renewal. Every year, by December 31, with 4 hours of continuing education a year, except in the first year of certification and for an inactive contractor 65 or older.
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Alabama HVACR Board: how to get licensed (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Alabama HVACR Board: frequently asked questions (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Alabama HVACR Board: examination application (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Code of Alabama 34-31-18 et seq. (heating, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors) (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors before you act.
The steps in order, with exams, fees and renewal → · Every fee here, itemised and totalled → · Compare time and cost across trades and states →
Common questions
Do you need a license to work as an HVAC technician in Alabama?
Technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants need the federal EPA Section 608 certification, except for an apprentice closely and continually supervised by a certified technician. Alabama's Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors certifies contractors: no person may perform the function of a certified contractor unless the person in responsible charge is a certified contractor. The pages read do not say whether a technician working under a certified contractor needs a credential of their own.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Alabama?
The published fee in the table above is $395. Read each tier's requirements for any exam or license-issue fee charged on top.
How long does it take to become an HVAC technician in Alabama?
It depends on which credential you need and the training and testing each step takes; the full path is in the table above.
How much do HVAC technicians make in Alabama?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Alabama earned a median $48,370 a year in May 2025, $23.26 an hour. That median is 21% below the national figure of $61,010, and Alabama ranks 50 of 51 by pay for this trade.
What HVAC technicians earn in Alabama
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Alabama earned a median $48,370 a year in May 2025, $23.26 an hour. 8,260 people held the job, 3.9 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 21% below the national figure of $61,010, and Alabama ranks 50 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Alabama
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.56 | $36,510 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $19.39 | $40,340 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $23.26 | $48,370 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $28.86 | $60,020 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $31.58 | $65,690 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $24.67 | $51,320 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Pay by metro area in Alabama
Birmingham, AL employs the most HVAC technicians of the 12 metro areas based in Alabama that BLS publishes, 2,370, at a median $48,740 a year. The best-paid is Huntsville, AL at $49,940.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | 2,370 | $48,740 | $37,440 | $69,830 |
| Mobile, AL | 820 | $47,960 | $36,220 | $70,720 |
| Huntsville, AL | 770 | $49,940 | $37,590 | $73,030 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | 540 | $46,870 | $35,900 | $61,580 |
| Montgomery, AL | 540 | $48,680 | $35,880 | $65,960 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | 450 | $48,430 | $35,810 | $61,780 |
| Decatur, AL | 330 | $48,750 | $36,830 | $75,650 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | 260 | $48,170 | $36,120 | $64,310 |
| Dothan, AL | 250 | $46,210 | $35,240 | $61,710 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | 250 | $46,560 | $35,160 | $61,780 |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | 130 | $47,780 | $34,870 | $64,920 |
| Gadsden, AL | 120 | $49,300 | $34,360 | $71,100 |
Metropolitan statistical areas as BLS publishes them in the same May 2025 estimates. A metro that crosses a state line is listed only under its primary state, so part of a neighboring state's metro can sit outside this table. Areas outside any metro are not shown. Listed under another state but reaching into Alabama: Columbus, GA-AL.
Alabama against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 47 | New Mexico | $50,270 | 1,950 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $48,850 | 1,690 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $48,680 | 2,700 |
| 50 | Alabama | $48,370 | 8,260 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $48,110 | 4,960 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $48,370 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $23.26 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $36,510 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $65,690 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 8,260 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Alabama
U.S. Department of Labor records list 17 registered apprentices active in Alabama 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, the latest year the file holds in full, 3 apprentices started; 1 has a starting wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs here. No apprentice who completed that year has an exit wage DOL counts.
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in Alabama
Electricians ($55,690) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($58,670) · Welders ($48,490) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($52,120) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($92,030) · Elevator installers ($103,700) · Ironworkers ($56,640) · Sheet metal workers ($47,530) · Carpenters ($48,220) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($49,710) · Auto service technicians ($45,640) · Diesel mechanics ($50,470) · Heavy equipment operators ($47,520) · Machinists ($55,560)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Alabama.
The pay and employment figures on this page are the May 2025 BLS estimates, apart from the apprenticeship figures, which are DOL's; the licensing detail is read from the pages listed in the licensing section, each with the date it was read. See how the numbers are built.