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How to become an HVAC technician in Kentucky
Kentucky's Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction licenses master HVAC contractors and journeyman HVAC mechanics, but its HVAC law does not apply to a master contractor's subordinate employees who are not journeymen or apprentices and do not contract except as employees. 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. A journeyman license takes two years in the trade and passing the department's examination. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Kentucky earned a median $58,620 a year in May 2025 ($28.18 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Kentucky
The licensing authority is Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (Division of HVAC). 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 |
| Journeyman HVAC Mechanic | At least 18, and a US citizen or a resident alien authorized to work in the United States. Two years employed in the HVAC trades under the direction and supervision of a master HVAC contractor, or two years of HVAC work in Kentucky or another jurisdiction shown by verifiable documentation. One year of HVAC experience is at least 1,500 hours of HVAC work in a continuous 12-month period, and one academic year of a department-approved curriculum can count as one year, for no more than one year. An apprentice may register with the department; apprentices are not required to pay a fee for the registration. The registration form carries the supervising master HVAC contractor's signature and license number, and the certificate lets the apprentice work under the direct supervision of a journeyman and the general supervision of a master. Then the journeyman exam, passed with at least 70 percent. The department's in-person exam costs $50; both of its exams are open book exams, with no study guides. Then the license fee, $50 for a twelve-month license, prorated for a first license by the month you apply and your birth month, from $29.17 to $75. | — | Kentucky journeyman HVAC exam (open book) | $50 exam, then $29.17 to $75 for the license by birth month |
| Master HVAC Contractor | At least 18, and a US citizen or a resident alien authorized to work in the United States. Two years as a journeyman HVAC mechanic under the direction and supervision of a master HVAC contractor, two years as a master HVAC contractor or the equivalent in Kentucky or another jurisdiction, or two years licensed and employed as a mechanical engineer. Then the master exam, passed with at least 70 percent. The department's in-person exam costs $150; both of its exams are open book exams, with no study guides. Then proof of general liability insurance of at least $500,000 and property damage coverage of at least $300,000; and the license fee, $250 for a twelve-month license, prorated for a first license from $145.83 to $375. The master contractor supervises and is primarily responsible for all HVAC work done by the licensee's employees and subcontractors. | — | Kentucky master HVAC exam (open book) | $150 exam, then $145.83 to $375 for the license by birth month |
Renewal. Every year, by the last day of the birth month, with at least six hours of continuing education (fifty dollars for a journeyman).
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction: Division of HVAC (retrieved 2026-10-03) · KRS 198B.656 (practice and titles without a license prohibited), Kentucky General Assembly (retrieved 2026-10-03) · KRS 198B.658 (qualifications for licensure and certification), Kentucky General Assembly (retrieved 2026-10-03) · KRS 198B.674 (exemptions), Kentucky General Assembly (retrieved 2026-10-03) · 815 KAR 8:010 (licensing requirements for master HVAC contractors and journeyman HVAC mechanics), Kentucky General Assembly (retrieved 2026-10-03) · 815 KAR 8:030 (apprentice HVAC mechanic registration), Kentucky General Assembly (retrieved 2026-10-03) · 815 KAR 2:010 (continuing education requirements), Kentucky General Assembly (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction: master HVAC contractor license application (Form HVAC 1) (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction: journeyman HVAC mechanic license application (Form HVAC 2) (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction: HVAC in-person examination requirements (retrieved 2026-10-03). Requirements change; confirm with Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction (Division of HVAC) 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 Kentucky?
Kentucky's Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction licenses master HVAC contractors and journeyman HVAC mechanics, but its HVAC law does not apply to a master contractor's subordinate employees who are not journeymen or apprentices and do not contract except as employees. 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. A journeyman license takes two years in the trade and passing the department's examination.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Kentucky?
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 Kentucky?
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 Kentucky?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Kentucky earned a median $58,620 a year in May 2025, $28.18 an hour. That median is 4% below the national figure of $61,010, and Kentucky ranks 37 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Kentucky?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Kentucky under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, 70 apprentices started, at a median $21.10 an hour across the 68 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 36 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 Kentucky
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Kentucky earned a median $58,620 a year in May 2025, $28.18 an hour. 5,100 people held the job, 2.5 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 4% below the national figure of $61,010, and Kentucky ranks 37 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Kentucky
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.65 | $38,790 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.97 | $47,780 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $28.18 | $58,620 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $32.47 | $67,540 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $38.47 | $80,020 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $28.30 | $58,870 | 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 Kentucky
Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN employs the most HVAC technicians of the 6 metro areas based in Kentucky that BLS publishes, 1,890, at a median $58,930 a year. The best-paid is Lexington-Fayette, KY at $60,280.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN | 1,890 | $58,930 | $45,870 | $78,740 |
| Lexington-Fayette, KY | 740 | $60,280 | $37,470 | $81,180 |
| Bowling Green, KY | 230 | $55,230 | $39,240 | $74,260 |
| Elizabethtown, KY | 160 | $55,740 | $34,190 | $78,450 |
| Owensboro, KY | 160 | $60,060 | $46,320 | $81,030 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | 90 | $56,610 | $44,970 | $78,110 |
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 Kentucky: Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH and Clarksville, TN-KY.
Kentucky against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 34 | Arizona | $59,400 | 10,860 |
| 35 | Utah | $58,730 | 5,580 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $58,650 | 5,380 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $58,620 | 5,100 |
| 38 | Texas | $57,760 | 34,730 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $57,560 | 5,650 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $57,260 | 15,230 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Kentucky | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $58,620 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $28.18 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $38,790 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $80,020 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 5,100 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Kentucky
U.S. Department of Labor records list 196 registered apprentices active in Kentucky 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, 70 apprentices started, at a median $21.10 an hour across the 68 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 36 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 Kentucky
Electricians ($59,720) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($64,160) · Welders ($51,470) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($56,340) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($77,020) · Elevator installers ($42,670) · Ironworkers ($64,060) · Sheet metal workers ($60,680) · Carpenters ($52,680) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($59,820) · Auto service technicians ($44,890) · Diesel mechanics ($55,480) · Heavy equipment operators ($57,780) · Machinists ($58,660)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Kentucky.
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.