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How to become an HVAC technician in North Carolina
North Carolina 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; heating and HVAC contracting is state-licensed by the NC Board through its H-1/H-2/H-3 heating classes. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in North Carolina earned a median $57,260 a year in May 2025 ($27.53 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in North Carolina
The licensing authority is North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler 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 |
| NC Heating (HVAC) Contractor, H-1/H-2/H-3 (state) | Two years (4,000 hours) of on-site full-time experience, up to half of which may be academic or technical training; pass the Heating Group No. 1, 2 and/or 3 contractor exam. Non-refundable examination application fee $150; annual license fee $150. | 4,000 hrs (at least 2 yrs) | NC Heating Group No. 1/2/3 contractor exam | $300 |
Renewal. Annual (licenses expire December 31; renew in January).
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · NC Board Applicant Information (retrieved 2026-09-16) · NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors: FAQ (retrieved 2026-09-23) · 21 NCAC 50 .1102: license fees (retrieved 2026-10-03). Requirements change; confirm with North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors 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 North Carolina?
North Carolina 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; heating and HVAC contracting is state-licensed by the NC Board through its H-1/H-2/H-3 heating classes.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina?
NC Heating (HVAC) Contractor, H-1/H-2/H-3 takes 4,000 hours of experience (up to half of which may be academic or technical training) over at least 2 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 North Carolina?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in North Carolina earned a median $57,260 a year in May 2025, $27.53 an hour. That median is 6% below the national figure of $61,010, and North Carolina ranks 40 of 51 by pay for this trade.
What HVAC technicians earn in North Carolina
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in North Carolina earned a median $57,260 a year in May 2025, $27.53 an hour. 15,230 people held the job, 3.1 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 6% below the national figure of $61,010, and North Carolina ranks 40 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in North Carolina
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.16 | $37,780 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.52 | $46,830 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $27.53 | $57,260 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $30.92 | $64,310 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $37.10 | $77,160 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $27.60 | $57,400 | 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 North Carolina
Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC employs the most HVAC technicians of the 15 metro areas based in North Carolina that BLS publishes, 3,860, at a median $59,840 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 3,860 | $59,840 | $40,110 | $79,210 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | 2,550 | $58,900 | $39,160 | $77,830 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | 1,170 | $58,520 | $38,010 | $76,380 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | 750 | $59,180 | $39,560 | $77,360 |
| Wilmington, NC | 710 | $49,860 | $37,080 | $73,270 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | 700 | $55,360 | $37,770 | $74,610 |
| Asheville, NC | 660 | $58,120 | $43,520 | $75,980 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 490 | $56,220 | $36,810 | $72,810 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | 300 | $50,300 | $36,880 | $73,240 |
| Burlington, NC | 280 | $52,450 | $37,490 | $73,940 |
| Greenville, NC | 220 | $53,160 | $36,830 | $72,630 |
| Jacksonville, NC | 210 | $48,570 | $34,760 | $71,480 |
| Goldsboro, NC | 160 | $51,540 | $35,860 | $70,970 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | 160 | $52,580 | $36,460 | $63,610 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 150 | $55,690 | $37,940 | $70,980 |
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 North Carolina: Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC.
North Carolina against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Kentucky | $58,620 | 5,100 |
| 38 | Texas | $57,760 | 34,730 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $57,560 | 5,650 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $57,260 | 15,230 |
| 41 | Florida | $56,670 | 39,160 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $56,610 | 6,920 |
| 43 | Georgia | $56,390 | 12,290 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $57,260 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $27.53 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $37,780 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $77,160 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 15,230 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in North Carolina
U.S. Department of Labor records list 22 registered apprentices active in North Carolina 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, 6 apprentices started; 5 have a starting wage DOL counts, fewer than the 50 a median needs here. Of those who completed that year, 1 has 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 North Carolina
Electricians ($56,800) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($57,080) · Welders ($50,590) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($51,530) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($77,270) · Elevator installers ($107,700) · Ironworkers ($48,740) · Sheet metal workers ($50,730) · Carpenters ($49,100) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($49,940) · Auto service technicians ($48,200) · Diesel mechanics ($57,490) · Heavy equipment operators ($49,310) · Machinists ($55,230)
See all 15 ranked by pay in North Carolina.
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.