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How to become an HVAC technician in Indiana
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. Indianapolis says there is no state license for HVAC contractors; the city licenses them, and the license holder each business must employ, after a board-approved exam. The pages read do not say whether an individual technician needs a license. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Indiana earned a median $60,430 a year in May 2025 ($29.05 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Indiana
The licensing authority is City of Indianapolis, a representative local authority. 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 |
| Indianapolis HVAC license (city example) | Approval from the city's board, then the Prov heating and cooling exam for the license class (70% to pass), and an orientation. At least five years in the HVACR trade, which can combine industry-related education and work experience, and the EPA certification the license class needs. The city's license-holder fee is prorated by when you apply in the two-year term: $377 from January to June 2026, $283 from July to December 2026, $189 in 2027; renewal $247. | — | the Prov heating and cooling exam for the license class (70% to pass) | $189 to $377, by application date |
| Indianapolis HVAC Contractor (business, city example) | Each hvac business needs at least one license holder who passed the exam, a $5,000 surety bond, general liability insurance and workers' compensation. Business license fees are not charged to a sole proprietorship, and a sole proprietorship, partnership or LLC without employees can file a workers' compensation waiver instead of carrying coverage (a corporation must carry it). The new business license fee is prorated the same way ($247, $185 or $124); renewal $247. | — | — | $124 to $247, by application date |
Renewal. Every two years (Indianapolis contractor licenses expire December 31 of odd-numbered years); the EPA 608 credential does not expire.
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · City of Indianapolis: contractor licenses (retrieved 2026-09-23) · City of Indianapolis: HVAC license application packet (retrieved 2026-09-23) · City of Indianapolis: Board of Heating and Cooling Examiners exam application (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with City of Indianapolis, a representative local authority 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 Indiana?
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. Indianapolis says there is no state license for HVAC contractors; the city licenses them, and the license holder each business must employ, after a board-approved exam. The pages read do not say whether an individual technician needs a license.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Indiana?
Fees are set by the issuing authority; each tier's fee, where published, is in the table above.
How long does it take to become an HVAC technician in Indiana?
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 Indiana?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Indiana earned a median $60,430 a year in May 2025, $29.05 an hour. That median is 1% below the national figure of $61,010, and Indiana ranks 30 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Indiana?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Indiana under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, 72 apprentices started, at a median $20.41 an hour across the 72 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 28 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs. Wages are in that year's dollars.
What HVAC technicians earn in Indiana
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Indiana earned a median $60,430 a year in May 2025, $29.05 an hour. 8,530 people held the job, 2.7 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 1% below the national figure of $61,010, and Indiana ranks 30 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Indiana
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.45 | $40,460 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $23.33 | $48,530 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $29.05 | $60,430 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $38.09 | $79,220 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $47.02 | $97,800 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $31.30 | $65,110 | 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 Indiana
Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN employs the most HVAC technicians of the 12 metro areas based in Indiana that BLS publishes, 3,080, at a median $62,160 a year. The best-paid is Kokomo, IN at $64,800.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 3,080 | $62,160 | $45,540 | $98,740 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 870 | $60,830 | $39,450 | $96,980 |
| Evansville, IN | 490 | $59,500 | $37,660 | $96,770 |
| South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI | 370 | $59,460 | $38,660 | $97,500 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 240 | $59,590 | $37,440 | $99,690 |
| Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN | 230 | $61,430 | $41,040 | $86,390 |
| Bloomington, IN | 180 | $60,920 | $38,850 | $96,450 |
| Kokomo, IN | 170 | $64,800 | $44,460 | $97,830 |
| Terre Haute, IN | 140 | $54,300 | $38,170 | $81,250 |
| Michigan City-La Porte, IN | 90 | $60,810 | $45,200 | $93,730 |
| Muncie, IN | 80 | $55,850 | $37,520 | $80,080 |
| Columbus, IN | 70 | $54,490 | $41,590 | $95,380 |
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 Indiana: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN and Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN.
Indiana against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Iowa | $60,680 | 3,840 |
| 28 | Nevada | $60,510 | 4,170 |
| 29 | Kansas | $60,460 | 3,770 |
| 30 | Indiana | $60,430 | 8,530 |
| 31 | Missouri | $59,950 | 7,220 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $59,850 | 3,020 |
| 33 | Virginia | $59,730 | 14,690 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $60,430 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $29.05 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $40,460 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $97,800 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 8,530 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Indiana
U.S. Department of Labor records list 239 registered apprentices active in Indiana 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, 72 apprentices started, at a median $20.41 an hour across the 72 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 28 have an exit wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs.
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 Indiana
Electricians ($68,490) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($76,320) · Welders ($49,730) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($60,290) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($102,040) · Elevator installers ($92,390) · Ironworkers ($70,130) · Sheet metal workers ($64,040) · Carpenters ($62,870) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($73,110) · Auto service technicians ($49,360) · Diesel mechanics ($60,610) · Heavy equipment operators ($79,580) · Machinists ($57,800)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Indiana.
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.