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How to become an HVAC technician in Massachusetts
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. Massachusetts also requires a refrigeration license for work on any refrigerant-containing part of a refrigeration or air-conditioning system of 10 tons or greater: an apprentice license, then a journeyman refrigeration technician license after 6,000 hours as a licensed apprentice and 450 hours of approved study. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Massachusetts earned a median $77,300 a year in May 2025 ($37.16 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Massachusetts
The licensing authority is Massachusetts Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians, and Sprinkler Fitters (Office of Public Safety and Inspections). 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 |
| Refrigeration Apprentice | At least 18. Be licensed with the Office of Public Safety and Inspections, hold a Division of Apprentice Standards registration and be employed by a Massachusetts refrigeration contractor for the whole apprenticeship; work hours count only while all of these hold. Non-refundable application fee $40. | — | — | $40 |
| Journeyman Refrigeration Technician | A high school diploma or equivalent, the EPA Section 608 Universal certification, 450 hours of study at a Bureau-approved school and 6,000 hours of work in Massachusetts as a licensed refrigeration apprentice under a Massachusetts refrigeration contractor, then a written exam passed with 70% or more. From November 9, 2026 applicants need the 450 hours and the 6,000 hours, unless the Bureau accepts the earlier requirements for a documented hardship (no such waivers on or after May 10, 2027); applications dated and received before November 9, 2026 may instead pair 250 hours of study with 6,000 hours of work, 500 with 4,000, or 1,000 with 2,000. The Bureau's application page also lists a route for a holder of an equivalent license from another jurisdiction, approved by a majority vote of the Bureau. Non-refundable application fee $75. | 6,000 hrs (≈ 3 yrs) | Written examination (70% to pass) | $75 |
Renewal. On the Bureau's renewal notice, sent 60 days before the license expires ($50 for a technician, $20 for an apprentice).
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Mass.gov: Apply for an Apprentice Refrigeration license (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Mass.gov: Apply for a Refrigeration Technician License (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Mass.gov: Renew your Pipefitter, Refrigeration Technician, or Sprinkler Fitter License (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Mass.gov alert: new licensing requirements for refrigeration technicians effective November 9, 2026 (retrieved 2026-09-24) · 528 CMR 11.03 (refrigeration technician and contractor licensing), LII copy (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with Massachusetts Bureau of Pipefitters, Refrigeration Technicians, and Sprinkler Fitters (Office of Public Safety and Inspections) before you act.
Years to this license at your hours a week → · 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 Massachusetts?
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. Massachusetts also requires a refrigeration license for work on any refrigerant-containing part of a refrigeration or air-conditioning system of 10 tons or greater: an apprentice license, then a journeyman refrigeration technician license after 6,000 hours as a licensed apprentice and 450 hours of approved study.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Massachusetts?
The published fees in the table above run from $40 to $75 depending on the tier. 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 Massachusetts?
You can be licensed as Journeyman Refrigeration Technician after 6,000 hours of on-the-job training. The time-to-journeyman calculator turns the hours into years at your own hours a week.
How much do HVAC technicians make in Massachusetts?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Massachusetts earned a median $77,300 a year in May 2025, $37.16 an hour. That median is 27% above the national figure of $61,010, and Massachusetts ranks 4 of 51 by pay for this trade.
What HVAC technicians earn in Massachusetts
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Massachusetts earned a median $77,300 a year in May 2025, $37.16 an hour. 8,200 people held the job, 2.3 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 27% above the national figure of $61,010, and Massachusetts ranks 4 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Massachusetts
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $24.44 | $50,820 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $29.36 | $61,070 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $37.16 | $77,300 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $45.71 | $95,070 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $49.23 | $102,410 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $37.38 | $77,760 | 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 Massachusetts
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH employs the most HVAC technicians of the 6 metro areas based in Massachusetts that BLS publishes, 6,050, at a median $78,530 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | 6,050 | $78,530 | $50,890 | $103,050 |
| Worcester, MA | 800 | $73,800 | $48,300 | $96,800 |
| Barnstable Town, MA | 460 | $73,330 | $50,870 | $96,780 |
| Springfield, MA | 460 | $76,530 | $47,940 | $98,870 |
| Pittsfield, MA | 190 | $63,900 | $48,250 | $98,430 |
| Amherst Town-Northampton, MA | 180 | $73,370 | $49,150 | $92,230 |
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 Massachusetts: Providence-Warwick, RI-MA.
Massachusetts against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $84,390 | 400 |
| 2 | Alaska | $77,430 | 610 |
| 3 | Illinois | $77,410 | 9,740 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $77,300 | 8,200 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $76,610 | 3,800 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $76,350 | 4,200 |
| 7 | Washington | $75,660 | 7,370 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Massachusetts | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $77,300 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $37.16 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $50,820 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $102,410 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 8,200 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Massachusetts
U.S. Department of Labor records list 32 registered apprentices active in Massachusetts 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, 12 apprentices started; 12 have a starting wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs here. Of those who completed that year, 6 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 Massachusetts
Electricians ($79,420) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($93,880) · Welders ($62,570) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($63,030) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($110,210) · Elevator installers ($138,420) · Ironworkers ($120,840) · Sheet metal workers ($82,100) · Carpenters ($75,200) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($94,950) · Auto service technicians ($60,760) · Diesel mechanics ($73,270) · Heavy equipment operators ($76,820) · Machinists ($67,270)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Massachusetts.
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.