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How to become an HVAC technician in Arizona
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. Arizona's Registrar of Contractors licenses contracting businesses: any business contracting for air-conditioning and refrigeration work must be a licensed contractor, and the license belongs to the business, not to its qualifying party. The residential (R-39R), commercial (C-39) and dual (CR-39) classifications are listed here; other classifications also cover the work. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Arizona earned a median $59,400 a year in May 2025 ($28.56 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Arizona
The licensing authority is Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC). 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 |
| R-39R Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (residential contractor) | Residential work. The business names a qualifying party with at least four years of practical or management experience in the trade, two of them within the last ten years (accredited technical training can count for up to two), who passes the Statutes and Rules Exam ($61, paid to Gmetrix) and the trade exam ($66, paid to PSI) with at least 70%. The trade exam applies unless the qualifying party is eligible for a waiver. Published total $720: $80 application, $270 license and a $370 recovery fund assessment for two years, excluding exam fees. | — | AZ Statutes and Rules Exam and trade exam | $720 |
| C-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (commercial contractor) | Commercial work, an alternative to R-39R. The business names a qualifying party with at least four years of practical or management experience in the trade, two of them within the last ten years (accredited technical training can count for up to two), who passes the Statutes and Rules Exam ($61, paid to Gmetrix) and the trade exam ($66, paid to PSI) with at least 70%. The trade exam applies unless the qualifying party is eligible for a waiver. Published total $580: $100 application and $480 license for two years, excluding exam fees. | — | AZ Statutes and Rules Exam and trade exam | $580 |
| CR-39 Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (dual contractor) | Residential and commercial work under one license. The business names a qualifying party with at least four years of practical or management experience in the trade, two of them within the last ten years (accredited technical training can count for up to two), who passes the Statutes and Rules Exam ($61, paid to Gmetrix) and the trade exam ($66, paid to PSI) with at least 70%. The trade exam applies unless the qualifying party is eligible for a waiver. Published total $850: $100 application, $380 license and a $370 recovery fund assessment for two years, excluding exam fees. | — | AZ Statutes and Rules Exam and trade exam | $850 |
Reciprocity. Arizona has no direct reciprocity with any state; the Registrar can waive the trade exam and experience for a qualifying party who held a comparable license elsewhere, earned by trade exam, within the past five years.
Renewal. Every two years for the contractor license (renewal $540 residential, $480 commercial, $650 dual); the EPA 608 credential does not expire.
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Arizona ROC: Applying for a license (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Arizona ROC: License Classification Requirements (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Arizona ROC: License and renewal fees (retrieved 2026-09-23) · A.R.S. 32-1122 (qualifications for a license) (retrieved 2026-09-23) · A.R.S. 32-1101 (definitions, including dual licensed contractor) (retrieved 2026-10-03) · A.R.S. 32-1121 (persons not required to be licensed) (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Arizona Registrar of Contractors (ROC) 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 Arizona?
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. Arizona's Registrar of Contractors licenses contracting businesses: any business contracting for air-conditioning and refrigeration work must be a licensed contractor, and the license belongs to the business, not to its qualifying party. The residential (R-39R), commercial (C-39) and dual (CR-39) classifications are listed here; other classifications also cover the work.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Arizona?
The published fees in the table above run from $580 to $850 depending on the tier. 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 Arizona?
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 Arizona?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Arizona earned a median $59,400 a year in May 2025, $28.56 an hour. That median is 3% below the national figure of $61,010, and Arizona ranks 34 of 51 by pay for this trade.
What HVAC technicians earn in Arizona
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Arizona earned a median $59,400 a year in May 2025, $28.56 an hour. 10,860 people held the job, 3.4 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 3% below the national figure of $61,010, and Arizona ranks 34 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Arizona
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.25 | $37,950 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.68 | $47,170 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $28.56 | $59,400 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $35.49 | $73,810 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $38.54 | $80,160 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $29.28 | $60,900 | 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 Arizona
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ employs the most HVAC technicians of the 7 metro areas based in Arizona that BLS publishes, 8,070, at a median $61,170 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | 8,070 | $61,170 | $38,210 | $83,180 |
| Tucson, AZ | 1,380 | $56,070 | $36,050 | $75,860 |
| Yuma, AZ | 280 | $57,290 | $38,760 | $75,970 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 270 | $56,810 | $38,090 | $78,520 |
| Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ | 260 | $58,280 | $37,320 | $79,090 |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 140 | $58,360 | $38,710 | $80,340 |
| Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ | 120 | $49,080 | $36,090 | $74,120 |
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.
Arizona against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | Missouri | $59,950 | 7,220 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $59,850 | 3,020 |
| 33 | Virginia | $59,730 | 14,690 |
| 34 | Arizona | $59,400 | 10,860 |
| 35 | Utah | $58,730 | 5,580 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $58,650 | 5,380 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $58,620 | 5,100 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Arizona | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $59,400 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $28.56 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $37,950 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $80,160 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 10,860 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Arizona
U.S. Department of Labor records list 114 registered apprentices active in Arizona 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, 47 apprentices started; 46 have a starting wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs here. Of those who completed that year, 20 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs.
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 Arizona
Electricians ($61,060) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($62,070) · Welders ($55,600) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($58,080) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($75,420) · Ironworkers ($59,390) · Sheet metal workers ($50,260) · Carpenters ($58,580) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($59,260) · Auto service technicians ($49,570) · Diesel mechanics ($61,680) · Heavy equipment operators ($60,620) · Machinists ($61,080)
See all 14 ranked by pay in Arizona.
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.