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How to become an HVAC technician in California
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; California licenses HVAC contractors (CSLB C-20), and the pages read do not say whether a technician who works for one needs a state license. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California earned a median $72,560 a year in May 2025 ($34.88 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in California
The licensing authority is California Contractors State License Board (CSLB). 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 |
| C-20 HVAC Contractor (CSLB) | Business license to contract HVAC work: four years of journey-level C-20 experience, the Law & Business exam plus the C-20 trade exam, and the $450 original application fee (exam or waiver for one classification). An active license expires every two years, an inactive one every four. | — | Law & Business exam + C-20 trade exam | $450 |
Renewal. Every two years (the CSLB C-20 license; the EPA 608 credential does not expire).
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · CSLB C-20 HVAC classification (retrieved 2026-09-16) · California CSLB: fees (retrieved 2026-09-24) · CSLB general renewal information (retrieved 2026-09-24) · CSLB: Experience for the exam (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) 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 California?
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; California licenses HVAC contractors (CSLB C-20), and the pages read do not say whether a technician who works for one needs a state license.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in California?
The published fee in the table above is $450. 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 California?
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 California?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California earned a median $72,560 a year in May 2025, $34.88 an hour. That median is 19% above the national figure of $61,010, and California ranks 12 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice HVAC technicians make in California?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in California under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, 465 apprentices started, at a median $27.61 an hour across the 456 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $51.97 an hour at completion (232 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What HVAC technicians earn in California
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California earned a median $72,560 a year in May 2025, $34.88 an hour. 35,130 people held the job, 1.9 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 19% above the national figure of $61,010, and California ranks 12 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in California
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.57 | $46,950 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $28.02 | $58,280 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $34.88 | $72,560 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $43.65 | $90,780 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $52.44 | $109,060 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $36.24 | $75,370 | 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 California
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA employs the most HVAC technicians of the 25 metro areas based in California that BLS publishes, 10,720, at a median $73,830 a year. The best-paid is Napa, CA at $84,570.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | 10,720 | $73,830 | $46,590 | $109,010 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | 4,820 | $64,300 | $46,760 | $95,910 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | 3,980 | $78,490 | $49,180 | $129,380 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | 3,210 | $74,880 | $46,710 | $113,990 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | 2,940 | $66,670 | $46,620 | $101,260 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,740 | $82,050 | $57,170 | $136,650 |
| Fresno, CA | 1,300 | $62,580 | $43,920 | $101,680 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | 750 | $69,710 | $45,910 | $100,220 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | 680 | $66,400 | $46,210 | $95,730 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | 560 | $79,510 | $49,200 | $122,600 |
| Vallejo, CA | 490 | $67,950 | $49,440 | $98,800 |
| Modesto, CA | 470 | $64,760 | $47,820 | $90,480 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | 390 | $75,710 | $47,540 | $102,520 |
| Visalia, CA | 330 | $64,990 | $44,720 | $101,780 |
| Salinas, CA | 300 | $72,550 | $49,590 | $115,990 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | 260 | $78,640 | $48,550 | $120,430 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | 210 | $78,330 | $47,760 | $115,790 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | 200 | $75,160 | $48,190 | $112,460 |
| Merced, CA | 190 | $64,040 | $47,480 | $97,930 |
| Redding, CA | 160 | $63,020 | $46,660 | $93,590 |
| Chico, CA | 120 | $62,920 | $43,720 | $94,280 |
| El Centro, CA | 120 | $75,220 | $47,370 | $111,110 |
| Yuba City, CA | 90 | $62,850 | $46,740 | $88,850 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | 80 | $62,670 | $45,270 | $99,320 |
| Napa, CA | 70 | $84,570 | $51,400 | $108,850 |
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.
California against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | New Jersey | $74,450 | 10,330 |
| 10 | New York | $74,430 | 24,430 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $73,850 | 2,560 |
| 12 | California | $72,560 | 35,130 |
| 13 | Maryland | $70,020 | 8,560 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $67,370 | 1,450 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $65,450 | 1,300 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | California | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $72,560 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $34.88 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $46,950 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $109,060 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 35,130 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in California
U.S. Department of Labor records list 1,487 registered apprentices active in California 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, 465 apprentices started, at a median $27.61 an hour across the 456 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $51.97 an hour at completion (232 completers with an exit wage DOL counts).
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · What those wages come to at your hours a week → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Wages are DOL's own hourly figures in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in California
Electricians ($76,160) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($72,830) · Welders ($58,060) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($60,230) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($129,040) · Elevator installers ($141,180) · Ironworkers ($76,370) · Sheet metal workers ($76,590) · Carpenters ($75,920) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($69,050) · Auto service technicians ($64,980) · Diesel mechanics ($73,950) · Heavy equipment operators ($87,160) · Machinists ($57,190)
See all 15 ranked by pay in California.
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.