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How to become an HVAC technician in Maryland
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. Maryland also licenses HVACR workers statewide: an apprentice license, a journeyman license after four years as an apprentice and 6,000 hours of training, and master licenses after three years as a journeyman. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Maryland earned a median $70,020 a year in May 2025 ($33.67 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Maryland
The licensing authority is Maryland Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors (Maryland Department of Labor). 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 |
| HVACR Apprentice | The first state license; apprentices train under the direction and control of a licensed HVACR contractor. License fee $12. | — | — | $12 |
| HVACR Journeyman | Licensed as an apprentice at least four years, with at least 6,000 hours of training in HVACR services under the direction and control of a licensed HVACR contractor, then the journeyman exam (70% to pass). License fee $25. The exam fee is paid separately to the testing service. | 6,000 hrs (at least 4 yrs) | Journeyman exam (70% to pass) | $25 |
| HVACR Master | Licensed as a journeyman and working in all areas of HVACR at least three years under a HVACR master, with at least 1,875 hours in the year before applying, then the master exam (70% to pass). License fee $94.50. The exam fee is paid separately to the testing service. | — | Master exam (70% to pass) | $94.50 |
Renewal. The EPA 608 credential does not expire; state license renewal is set by the board.
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Maryland HVACR Board: licensing requirements (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Maryland HVACR Board: fees (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with Maryland Board of Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors (Maryland Department of Labor) 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 Maryland?
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. Maryland also licenses HVACR workers statewide: an apprentice license, a journeyman license after four years as an apprentice and 6,000 hours of training, and master licenses after three years as a journeyman.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Maryland?
The published fees in the table above run from $12 to $94.50 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 Maryland?
HVACR Journeyman takes 6,000 hours of on-the-job experience over at least 4 years; the pages read do not say whether a worker needs a license to do the work, and the table above has each license's own requirement.
How much do HVAC technicians make in Maryland?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Maryland earned a median $70,020 a year in May 2025, $33.67 an hour. That median is 15% above the national figure of $61,010, and Maryland ranks 13 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Maryland?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Maryland under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, 79 apprentices started, at a median $17.50 an hour across the 79 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $30.75 an hour at completion (84 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What HVAC technicians earn in Maryland
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Maryland earned a median $70,020 a year in May 2025, $33.67 an hour. 8,560 people held the job, 3.1 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 15% above the national figure of $61,010, and Maryland ranks 13 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Maryland
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.20 | $46,180 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $27.06 | $56,280 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $33.67 | $70,020 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $46.05 | $95,790 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $51.32 | $106,740 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $35.49 | $73,820 | 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 Maryland
Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD employs the most HVAC technicians of the 4 metro areas based in Maryland that BLS publishes, 3,960, at a median $63,180 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD | 3,960 | $63,180 | $45,040 | $103,320 |
| Lexington Park, MD | 350 | $61,840 | $43,130 | $112,290 |
| Hagerstown-Martinsburg, MD-WV | 280 | $58,410 | $38,040 | $87,790 |
| Salisbury, MD | 160 | $61,220 | $43,690 | $98,140 |
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 Maryland: Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV and Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD.
Maryland against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | New York | $74,430 | 24,430 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $73,850 | 2,560 |
| 12 | California | $72,560 | 35,130 |
| 13 | Maryland | $70,020 | 8,560 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $67,370 | 1,450 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $65,450 | 1,300 |
| 16 | Colorado | $65,200 | 8,940 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Maryland | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $70,020 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $33.67 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $46,180 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $106,740 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 8,560 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Maryland
U.S. Department of Labor records list 228 registered apprentices active in Maryland 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, 79 apprentices started, at a median $17.50 an hour across the 79 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $30.75 an hour at completion (84 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 Maryland
Electricians ($73,490) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($65,400) · Welders ($60,310) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($59,360) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($106,090) · Elevator installers ($122,260) · Ironworkers ($71,730) · Sheet metal workers ($62,560) · Carpenters ($62,960) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($59,030) · Auto service technicians ($57,520) · Diesel mechanics ($74,790) · Heavy equipment operators ($61,410) · Machinists ($59,810)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Maryland.
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.