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How to become an HVAC technician in Louisiana
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. Louisiana's State Licensing Board for Contractors licenses mechanical contractors: a subcontractor who bids on or performs commercial mechanical work on a project of $10,000 or more must be licensed with the Board. The pages read do not say whether an individual HVAC technician needs a state license. New Orleans, for example, issues a Class B Journeyman Mechanic license, renewed each year, whose holder must be employed by and work under the supervision of a Class A Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Louisiana earned a median $58,650 a year in May 2025 ($28.20 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Louisiana
The licensing authority is Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (mechanical contractors). 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 |
| New Orleans Class B Journeyman Mechanic license (city example) | At least 18, with a passing ICC official results report for the G31 National Journeyman Mechanical exam and the city's Journeyman Acknowledgement Document. The holder must be employed by and work under the supervision of a Class A Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor. The license is $55 a year, renewed annually online through the One Stop App. | — | ICC G31 National Journeyman Mechanical | $55 |
Renewal. New Orleans journeyman mechanic licenses are renewed every year.
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors: FAQ (retrieved 2026-09-24) · City of New Orleans: Class B journeyman mechanical license (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors (mechanical contractors) 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 Louisiana?
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. Louisiana's State Licensing Board for Contractors licenses mechanical contractors: a subcontractor who bids on or performs commercial mechanical work on a project of $10,000 or more must be licensed with the Board. The pages read do not say whether an individual HVAC technician needs a state license. New Orleans, for example, issues a Class B Journeyman Mechanic license, renewed each year, whose holder must be employed by and work under the supervision of a Class A Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Louisiana?
The published fee in the table above is $55. It is charged by New Orleans, 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 Louisiana?
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 Louisiana?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Louisiana earned a median $58,650 a year in May 2025, $28.20 an hour. That median is 4% below the national figure of $61,010, and Louisiana ranks 36 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Louisiana?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Louisiana under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, 83 apprentices started, at a median $16.79 an hour across the 83 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 9 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 Louisiana
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Louisiana earned a median $58,650 a year in May 2025, $28.20 an hour. 5,380 people held the job, 2.8 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 4% below the national figure of $61,010, and Louisiana ranks 36 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Louisiana
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.77 | $36,950 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $21.62 | $44,980 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $28.20 | $58,650 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $31.73 | $65,990 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $37.60 | $78,210 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $27.35 | $56,880 | 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 Louisiana
New Orleans-Metairie, LA employs the most HVAC technicians of the 10 metro areas based in Louisiana that BLS publishes, 1,280, at a median $63,500 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans-Metairie, LA | 1,280 | $63,500 | $38,300 | $81,610 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 1,180 | $62,940 | $38,490 | $80,080 |
| Shreveport-Bossier City, LA | 500 | $58,620 | $36,510 | $76,130 |
| Lafayette, LA | 450 | $51,970 | $34,510 | $74,720 |
| Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA | 270 | $57,320 | $35,990 | $78,650 |
| Monroe, LA | 260 | $57,270 | $35,390 | $73,300 |
| Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux, LA | 250 | $58,470 | $35,500 | $72,470 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 220 | $47,360 | $37,740 | $69,090 |
| Alexandria, LA | 190 | $47,330 | $33,440 | $73,620 |
| Hammond, LA | 130 | $57,140 | $38,300 | $75,400 |
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.
Louisiana against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33 | Virginia | $59,730 | 14,690 |
| 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 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Louisiana | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $58,650 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $28.20 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $36,950 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $78,210 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 5,380 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Louisiana
U.S. Department of Labor records list 134 registered apprentices active in Louisiana 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, 83 apprentices started, at a median $16.79 an hour across the 83 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 9 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 Louisiana
Electricians ($61,540) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($63,680) · Welders ($62,250) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($49,320) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($76,410) · Ironworkers ($68,830) · Sheet metal workers ($50,320) · Carpenters ($49,920) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($57,440) · Auto service technicians ($46,400) · Diesel mechanics ($58,680) · Heavy equipment operators ($51,700) · Machinists ($61,110)
See all 14 ranked by pay in Louisiana.
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.