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How to become an HVAC technician in Colorado
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. Colorado has no state HVAC license: heating, air conditioning and mechanical work are not among the occupational credentials its Division of Professions and Occupations lists. Denver, for example, issues a Heating and Ventilating Journeyman certificate, whose holder may do the work only in the employ of a licensed heating and ventilating contractor. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Colorado earned a median $65,200 a year in May 2025 ($31.35 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Colorado
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 |
| Denver Heating and Ventilating Journeyman certificate (city example) | Four years of heating and ventilating field installation experience in an apprenticeship or on-the-job training program, at least 7,000 hours, documented by notarized letters showing what, when and where the experience was gained; then the ICC F31 National Standard Journeyman Mechanical exam. The certificate covers warm-air heating, ductwork, ventilation, gas piping and air-conditioning refrigeration systems, and the holder may do the work only in the employ of a Heating and Ventilating Contractor Class A or a Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning Contractor. Certificate fee $40; certificates are renewed every three years. | — | ICC F31 National Standard Journeyman Mechanical | $40 |
Reciprocity. Denver does not accept or reciprocate contractor licenses or certificates from other counties or states.
Renewal. Denver certificates are renewed every three years.
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Colorado DPO: occupational professions list (retrieved 2026-09-24) · City and County of Denver: mechanical certificates (retrieved 2026-09-24) · City and County of Denver: contractor licensing fees (retrieved 2026-09-24) · City and County of Denver: contractor licensing (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with the city or county where you will work 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 Colorado?
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. Colorado has no state HVAC license: heating, air conditioning and mechanical work are not among the occupational credentials its Division of Professions and Occupations lists. Denver, for example, issues a Heating and Ventilating Journeyman certificate, whose holder may do the work only in the employ of a licensed heating and ventilating contractor.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Colorado?
The published fee in the table above is $40. It is charged by Denver, not by the state. 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 Colorado?
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 Colorado?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Colorado earned a median $65,200 a year in May 2025, $31.35 an hour. That median is 7% above the national figure of $61,010, and Colorado ranks 16 of 51 by pay for this trade.
What HVAC technicians earn in Colorado
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Colorado earned a median $65,200 a year in May 2025, $31.35 an hour. 8,940 people held the job, 3.1 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 7% above the national figure of $61,010, and Colorado ranks 16 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Colorado
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.18 | $48,220 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $27.91 | $58,050 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $31.35 | $65,200 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $39.43 | $82,010 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $49.83 | $103,640 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $34.29 | $71,330 | 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 Colorado
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO employs the most HVAC technicians of the 7 metro areas based in Colorado that BLS publishes, 4,360, at a median $71,580 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | 4,360 | $71,580 | $49,010 | $104,880 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 950 | $61,460 | $47,550 | $94,990 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | 930 | $66,290 | $48,280 | $105,020 |
| Greeley, CO | 410 | $62,020 | $47,880 | $94,690 |
| Boulder, CO | 340 | $71,080 | $48,900 | $113,670 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 260 | $60,540 | $45,770 | $92,620 |
| Pueblo, CO | 160 | $59,110 | $46,040 | $91,840 |
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.
Colorado against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Maryland | $70,020 | 8,560 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $67,370 | 1,450 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $65,450 | 1,300 |
| 16 | Colorado | $65,200 | 8,940 |
| 17 | Maine | $63,170 | 2,250 |
| 18 | Oregon | $62,940 | 3,980 |
| 19 | Ohio | $62,510 | 14,150 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Colorado | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $65,200 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $31.35 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $48,220 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $103,640 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 8,940 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Colorado
U.S. Department of Labor records list 61 registered apprentices active in Colorado 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, 15 apprentices started; 13 have a starting wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs here. Of those who completed that year, 2 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 Colorado
Electricians ($62,230) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($63,240) · Welders ($58,590) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($61,500) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($103,980) · Elevator installers ($123,360) · Ironworkers ($58,830) · Sheet metal workers ($57,880) · Carpenters ($62,830) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($65,260) · Auto service technicians ($61,280) · Diesel mechanics ($70,480) · Heavy equipment operators ($62,620) · Machinists ($60,200)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Colorado.
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.