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How to become an HVAC technician in Michigan
Michigan licenses HVAC work through LARA as a Mechanical Contractor under HVAC classifications; technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants also need the federal EPA Section 608 certification, except for an apprentice closely and continually supervised by a certified technician. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Michigan earned a median $60,850 a year in May 2025 ($29.26 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Michigan
The licensing authority is Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes. 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 |
| Michigan Mechanical Contractor License (state) | Select an HVAC work classification and document at least 3 years or 6,000 hours of experience in it (a completed 2-year HVAC program can credit up to 1 year), then pass the classification exam (PSI). Nonrefundable $300 initial license fee. | 6,000 hrs (≈ 3 yrs) | Michigan mechanical work-classification exam (PSI) | $300 |
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Michigan LARA Mechanical Contractor application (retrieved 2026-09-16). Requirements change; confirm with Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes 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 Michigan?
Michigan licenses HVAC work through LARA as a Mechanical Contractor under HVAC classifications; technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants also need the federal EPA Section 608 certification, except for an apprentice closely and continually supervised by a certified technician.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Michigan?
The published fee in the table above is $300. 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 Michigan?
Michigan Mechanical Contractor License takes 6,000 hours of experience (a completed 2-year HVAC program can credit up to 1 year); 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 Michigan?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Michigan earned a median $60,850 a year in May 2025, $29.26 an hour. That median is about the same as the national figure of $61,010, and Michigan ranks 25 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Michigan?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Michigan under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, 119 apprentices started, at a median $19.95 an hour across the 119 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $35.95 an hour at completion (51 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What HVAC technicians earn in Michigan
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Michigan earned a median $60,850 a year in May 2025, $29.26 an hour. 12,590 people held the job, 2.9 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is about the same as the national figure of $61,010, and Michigan ranks 25 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Michigan
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.33 | $40,210 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $23.09 | $48,040 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $29.26 | $60,850 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $37.40 | $77,780 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $45.81 | $95,290 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $31.01 | $64,490 | 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 Michigan
Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI employs the most HVAC technicians of the 15 metro areas based in Michigan that BLS publishes, 5,740, at a median $63,170 a year. The best-paid is Ann Arbor, MI at $75,000.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 5,740 | $63,170 | $42,840 | $95,610 |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI | 1,920 | $60,190 | $43,710 | $94,590 |
| Lansing-East Lansing, MI | 490 | $60,440 | $40,030 | $93,480 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 460 | $75,000 | $46,620 | $101,310 |
| Flint, MI | 430 | $59,870 | $39,120 | $95,570 |
| Kalamazoo-Portage, MI | 430 | $61,270 | $43,930 | $97,920 |
| Niles, MI | 240 | $58,130 | $38,710 | $79,580 |
| Saginaw, MI | 210 | $60,060 | $38,790 | $98,260 |
| Traverse City, MI | 210 | $60,590 | $39,010 | $91,450 |
| Muskegon-Norton Shores, MI | 180 | $56,550 | $38,250 | $78,890 |
| Battle Creek, MI | 130 | $60,100 | $41,290 | $73,900 |
| Monroe, MI | 130 | $59,340 | $37,450 | $95,290 |
| Jackson, MI | 110 | $61,220 | $44,010 | $97,820 |
| Midland, MI | 90 | $56,490 | $35,470 | $80,640 |
| Bay City, MI | 70 | $60,170 | $36,040 | $81,330 |
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 Michigan: South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI.
Michigan against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Vermont | $62,150 | 970 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $61,710 | 6,630 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $61,390 | 1,610 |
| 25 | Michigan | $60,850 | 12,590 |
| 25 | Montana | $60,850 | 1,230 |
| 27 | Iowa | $60,680 | 3,840 |
| 28 | Nevada | $60,510 | 4,170 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Michigan | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $60,850 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $29.26 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $40,210 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $95,290 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 12,590 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Michigan
U.S. Department of Labor records list 293 registered apprentices active in Michigan 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, 119 apprentices started, at a median $19.95 an hour across the 119 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $35.95 an hour at completion (51 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 Michigan
Electricians ($76,270) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($80,190) · Welders ($49,990) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($57,180) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($106,890) · Elevator installers ($99,140) · Ironworkers ($62,830) · Sheet metal workers ($64,490) · Carpenters ($61,680) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($63,500) · Auto service technicians ($54,120) · Diesel mechanics ($61,420) · Heavy equipment operators ($62,690) · Machinists ($52,360)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Michigan.
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.