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How to become an HVAC technician in Missouri
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. Missouri has no state HVAC board: heating, air conditioning and mechanical work are not among the licensing boards its Division of Professional Registration lists. Kansas City, for example, requires heating, ventilation and refrigeration work to be done by a licensed mechanical contractor under a mechanical supervisor certificate holder. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Missouri earned a median $59,950 a year in May 2025 ($28.82 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Missouri
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 |
| Kansas City Mechanical Supervisor certificate (city example) | At least three years of full-time work in the mechanical supervisor trade, shown by two notarized reference questionnaires; at least 21, with a high-school diploma or GED (or an extra year of experience for each year lacking); pass the Prometric heating, air conditioning, refrigeration and ventilation exam (31325) or the ICC master mechanical exam (W29). Application fee $60. | — | Prometric 31325 or ICC W29 | $60 |
Renewal. The EPA 608 credential does not expire.
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · Missouri Division of Professional Registration: listings of boards (retrieved 2026-09-23) · City of Kansas City, MO: contractor licensing (retrieved 2026-09-23) · Kansas City, MO: mechanical supervisor certificate of qualification requirements (retrieved 2026-09-23). Requirements change; confirm with the city or county where you will work 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 Missouri?
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. Missouri has no state HVAC board: heating, air conditioning and mechanical work are not among the licensing boards its Division of Professional Registration lists. Kansas City, for example, requires heating, ventilation and refrigeration work to be done by a licensed mechanical contractor under a mechanical supervisor certificate holder.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Missouri?
The published fee in the table above is $60. It is charged by Kansas City, 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 Missouri?
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 Missouri?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Missouri earned a median $59,950 a year in May 2025, $28.82 an hour. That median is 2% below the national figure of $61,010, and Missouri ranks 31 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Missouri?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Missouri under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, 182 apprentices started, at a median $20.98 an hour across the 180 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 25 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 Missouri
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Missouri earned a median $59,950 a year in May 2025, $28.82 an hour. 7,220 people held the job, 2.5 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 2% below the national figure of $61,010, and Missouri ranks 31 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Missouri
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.84 | $39,180 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.61 | $47,040 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $28.82 | $59,950 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $35.87 | $74,610 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $42.68 | $88,760 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $30.01 | $62,410 | 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 Missouri
Kansas City, MO-KS employs the most HVAC technicians of the 8 metro areas based in Missouri that BLS publishes, 3,010, at a median $62,680 a year. The best-paid is St. Louis, MO-IL at $63,000.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City, MO-KS | 3,010 | $62,680 | $45,620 | $88,760 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | 2,980 | $63,000 | $45,870 | $100,180 |
| Springfield, MO | 690 | $56,410 | $38,760 | $78,710 |
| Columbia, MO | 330 | $58,880 | $39,430 | $82,870 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | 210 | $55,360 | $38,560 | $81,980 |
| Jefferson City, MO | 190 | $58,180 | $38,420 | $107,240 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | 170 | $61,910 | $42,630 | $85,880 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | 110 | $47,150 | $37,950 | $72,690 |
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.
Missouri against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | Nevada | $60,510 | 4,170 |
| 29 | Kansas | $60,460 | 3,770 |
| 30 | Indiana | $60,430 | 8,530 |
| 31 | Missouri | $59,950 | 7,220 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $59,850 | 3,020 |
| 33 | Virginia | $59,730 | 14,690 |
| 34 | Arizona | $59,400 | 10,860 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $59,950 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $28.82 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $39,180 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $88,760 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 7,220 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Missouri
U.S. Department of Labor records list 418 registered apprentices active in Missouri 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, 182 apprentices started, at a median $20.98 an hour across the 180 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 25 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 Missouri
Electricians ($65,410) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($66,790) · Welders ($51,950) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($54,550) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($96,360) · Elevator installers ($126,750) · Ironworkers ($77,410) · Sheet metal workers ($63,560) · Carpenters ($60,840) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($72,370) · Auto service technicians ($49,160) · Diesel mechanics ($59,360) · Heavy equipment operators ($60,540) · Machinists ($58,710)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Missouri.
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.