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How to become an HVAC technician in Florida
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; Florida licenses air-conditioning contractors through the DBPR as Certified (statewide) or Registered (local), Class A (unlimited) or Class B (up to 25 tons). 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 Florida earned a median $56,670 a year in May 2025 ($27.24 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Florida
The licensing authority is Florida DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB). 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 |
| Certified Class A AC Contractor (statewide, unlimited) | Statewide certification (a certified contractor may contract in any jurisdiction in the state), unlimited in executing contracts to install, maintain, repair, fabricate, alter, extend or design central air-conditioning, refrigeration, heating and ventilating systems. Four years' experience as a worker or foreman, at least one of them as a foreman and a passing Class A contractors' exam. Initial certification fee $245 when applying between May 1st of an even year and August 31st of an odd year, $145 otherwise. | — | Air-conditioning Class A contractors' examination | $245 through August 31, 2027 |
| Certified Class B AC Contractor (statewide, limited) | Statewide (a certified contractor may contract in any jurisdiction in the state), limited to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating in any one system. Same certified-contractor path and the Class B exam. | — | Air-conditioning Class B contractors' examination | not published |
Reciprocity. In-state, a Certified contractor may work in any Florida jurisdiction; a Registered contractor may work only where registered.
Renewal. Biennial (renews August 31 of every even-numbered year; the EPA 608 credential does not expire), with 14 hours of continuing education.
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · DBPR Construction Industry (contractor classes) (retrieved 2026-09-24) · DBPR Construction Industry FAQs (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Florida CILB: certified Class A air conditioning contractor application (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with Florida DBPR, Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) 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 Florida?
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; Florida licenses air-conditioning contractors through the DBPR as Certified (statewide) or Registered (local), Class A (unlimited) or Class B (up to 25 tons). 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 Florida?
The published fee in the table above is $245. Read each tier's requirements for any exam or license-issue fee charged on top. The Certified Class A AC Contractor (statewide, unlimited) fee is $245 through August 31, 2027 and $145 after that.
How long does it take to become an HVAC technician in Florida?
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 Florida?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Florida earned a median $56,670 a year in May 2025, $27.24 an hour. That median is 7% below the national figure of $61,010, and Florida ranks 41 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Florida?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Florida under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, 459 apprentices started, at a median $18.00 an hour across the 457 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $25.77 an hour at completion (172 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What HVAC technicians earn in Florida
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Florida earned a median $56,670 a year in May 2025, $27.24 an hour. 39,160 people held the job, 3.9 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 7% below the national figure of $61,010, and Florida ranks 41 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Florida
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.45 | $38,370 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.51 | $46,830 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $27.24 | $56,670 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $30.59 | $63,620 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $37.60 | $78,210 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $27.55 | $57,310 | 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 Florida
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL employs the most HVAC technicians of the 22 metro areas based in Florida that BLS publishes, 9,140, at a median $58,040 a year. The best-paid is Naples-Marco Island, FL at $59,540.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | 9,140 | $58,040 | $39,520 | $80,220 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 6,090 | $50,540 | $39,620 | $75,300 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | 5,140 | $51,460 | $38,020 | $77,840 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 3,340 | $58,590 | $37,920 | $79,910 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 2,110 | $58,170 | $37,830 | $78,070 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL | 1,870 | $59,070 | $37,760 | $78,250 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | 1,130 | $57,240 | $37,470 | $78,460 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL | 1,120 | $56,680 | $37,380 | $76,270 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL | 950 | $58,030 | $37,190 | $76,880 |
| Naples-Marco Island, FL | 910 | $59,540 | $39,990 | $83,200 |
| Port St. Lucie, FL | 830 | $57,210 | $37,440 | $78,320 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL | 820 | $49,290 | $37,440 | $74,310 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 620 | $53,690 | $35,640 | $73,300 |
| Ocala, FL | 600 | $49,020 | $35,330 | $74,810 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL | 570 | $48,810 | $37,600 | $75,070 |
| Gainesville, FL | 480 | $55,670 | $36,070 | $75,240 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL | 450 | $51,600 | $36,770 | $75,830 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL | 340 | $50,470 | $37,310 | $75,200 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 290 | $57,090 | $38,730 | $77,440 |
| Wildwood-The Villages, FL | 200 | $51,220 | $37,660 | $78,070 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | 170 | $47,470 | $37,740 | $73,900 |
| Sebring, FL | 170 | $44,720 | $33,280 | $62,400 |
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.
Florida against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Texas | $57,760 | 34,730 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $57,560 | 5,650 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $57,260 | 15,230 |
| 41 | Florida | $56,670 | 39,160 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $56,610 | 6,920 |
| 43 | Georgia | $56,390 | 12,290 |
| 44 | Idaho | $56,240 | 4,550 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $56,670 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $27.24 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $38,370 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $78,210 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 39,160 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Florida
U.S. Department of Labor records list 1,067 registered apprentices active in Florida 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, 459 apprentices started, at a median $18.00 an hour across the 457 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $25.77 an hour at completion (172 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 Florida
Electricians ($57,250) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($52,910) · Welders ($50,640) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($50,640) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($86,870) · Elevator installers ($104,730) · Ironworkers ($55,700) · Sheet metal workers ($49,640) · Carpenters ($49,870) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($52,760) · Auto service technicians ($48,260) · Diesel mechanics ($60,490) · Heavy equipment operators ($49,400) · Machinists ($57,140)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Florida.
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.