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How to become an HVAC technician in Oregon
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. Oregon's HVAC business licenses include the restricted energy contractor license, created for persons engaged in HVAC (thermostat and associated control wiring), whose employees may do wiring within its scope without a Class B limited energy technician license, and the limited maintenance specialty contractor-HVAC/R license for commercial and industrial equipment; the pages read do not say whether every HVAC technician needs a state license. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Oregon earned a median $62,940 a year in May 2025 ($30.26 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Oregon
The licensing authority is Oregon Building Codes Division (electrical licensing). 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 |
| Class B Limited Energy Technician (LEB) | A limited maintenance specialty contractor-HVAC/R may do thermostat or control wiring of 100 volt-amperes or less beyond the equipment, other than in a one- or two-family dwelling, only when it employs a general journeyman or supervising electrician or a Class A or Class B limited energy technician. Employees of a licensed restricted energy contractor may do the electrical wiring within that contractor's license scope without this license. HVAC work on Class II and III systems in one and two family dwellings regulated under the Low-Rise Residential Dwelling Code is exempt from the licensing provisions of ORS 479.510 to 479.945 when done by a residential contractor holding a current Construction Contractors Board license and proper endorsement. For the Class B license: complete an approved apprenticeship in Oregon; or verify 4,000 hours of work experience equivalent to a board-approved apprenticeship, by work category, and complete a board-approved 32-hour training program (which may be taken after the application is approved); or verify 8,000 hours of lawfully obtained work experience by work category. All applicants must test, at a test location chosen on the application. The license fee is $50. An LEB performs limited energy electrical work that does not include protective signaling and must be licensed as an electrical contractor or work for an electrical contractor, a limited energy contractor or one employer in an industrial plant. | 4,000 hrs (≈ 2 yrs) | Oregon Class B limited energy technician exam | $50 |
| Restricted Energy Contractor (CRE, business license) | The restricted energy contractor license is created for persons engaged in HVAC, meaning thermostat and associated control wiring of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems. The licensee and its employees may install, alter, maintain, replace or repair electrical wiring and electrical products within the license's scope, and the employees do not need a Class B limited energy technician license for that work. The scope may never exceed that of a Class B limited energy technician. The business keeps an active Construction Contractors Board license, designates a signing supervisor (a general supervising or journeyman electrician, a Class A or Class B limited energy technician, or a qualified person who verifies two years (4,000 hours) of experience related to HVAC work), keeps a current list of its employees with the board and issues each employee an identification card. Application fee $375. | — | — | $375 |
| Limited Maintenance Specialty Contractor-HVAC/R (LHR, business license) | The business designates a signing supervisor: a general supervising or journeyman electrician, a Class A or Class B limited energy technician, or a qualified person. The rule for this license requires proof of at least two years (4,000 hours) of experience in installation, including set-up and testing, plus approved specialized training from a manufacturer, distributor, school or apprenticeship program, or lawful on-the-job training, in electrical repair, service, maintenance, installation or replacement of commercial or industrial heating, ventilation, air conditioning, dehumidifying, filtering or refrigeration equipment; the division's application verifies those hours for a qualified person serving as signing supervisor. The business keeps an active Construction Contractors Board license and registers its name with the Secretary of State. The business must submit a list of employees and keep an electrical training record for each employee who does the electrical work. Application fee $75. The license lets the business maintain, service, repair or replace commercial and industrial electrical products that use fuel or other forms of energy to produce heat, power, refrigeration or air conditioning. | — | — | $75 |
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Oregon Building Codes Division: contractor and business licenses (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Oregon Building Codes Division: contractor/business license application (Form 440-2888) (retrieved 2026-10-03) · Oregon Building Codes Division: electrical license application and instructions (Form 440-2570) (retrieved 2026-10-03) · OAR 918-282-0040 (limited maintenance specialty contractor-HVAC/R license), Oregon Secretary of State (retrieved 2026-10-03) · ORS chapter 479 (electrical safety law), Oregon Legislature (retrieved 2026-10-03). Requirements change; confirm with Oregon Building Codes Division (electrical licensing) 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 Oregon?
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. Oregon's HVAC business licenses include the restricted energy contractor license, created for persons engaged in HVAC (thermostat and associated control wiring), whose employees may do wiring within its scope without a Class B limited energy technician license, and the limited maintenance specialty contractor-HVAC/R license for commercial and industrial equipment; the pages read do not say whether every HVAC technician needs a state license.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Oregon?
The published fees in the table above run from $50 to $375 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 Oregon?
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 Oregon?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Oregon earned a median $62,940 a year in May 2025, $30.26 an hour. That median is 3% above the national figure of $61,010, and Oregon ranks 18 of 51 by pay for this trade.
What HVAC technicians earn in Oregon
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Oregon earned a median $62,940 a year in May 2025, $30.26 an hour. 3,980 people held the job, 2.0 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 3% above the national figure of $61,010, and Oregon ranks 18 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Oregon
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.59 | $46,990 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $27.09 | $56,340 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $30.26 | $62,940 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $37.93 | $78,890 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $45.44 | $94,520 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $32.90 | $68,430 | 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 Oregon
Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA employs the most HVAC technicians of the 8 metro areas based in Oregon that BLS publishes, 2,580, at a median $65,260 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | 2,580 | $65,260 | $48,650 | $98,810 |
| Eugene-Springfield, OR | 370 | $60,050 | $44,760 | $82,590 |
| Salem, OR | 350 | $65,050 | $46,810 | $91,330 |
| Bend, OR | 340 | $61,150 | $47,270 | $89,980 |
| Medford, OR | 200 | $59,750 | $45,310 | $84,460 |
| Albany, OR | 130 | $58,890 | $45,130 | $84,600 |
| Grants Pass, OR | 80 | $48,190 | $38,420 | $78,020 |
| Corvallis, OR | 40 | $63,720 | $49,280 | $80,040 |
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.
Oregon against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Hawaii | $65,450 | 1,300 |
| 16 | Colorado | $65,200 | 8,940 |
| 17 | Maine | $63,170 | 2,250 |
| 18 | Oregon | $62,940 | 3,980 |
| 19 | Ohio | $62,510 | 14,150 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $62,400 | 15,880 |
| 21 | Delaware | $62,320 | 1,730 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Oregon | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $62,940 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $30.26 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $46,990 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $94,520 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 3,980 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Oregon
U.S. Department of Labor records list 2 registered apprentices active in Oregon 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, no apprentice started under these titles. No apprentice who completed that year has an exit wage DOL counts.
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 Oregon
Electricians ($101,310) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($97,050) · Welders ($59,450) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($61,980) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($131,090) · Elevator installers ($138,600) · Ironworkers ($96,050) · Sheet metal workers ($73,750) · Carpenters ($62,870) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($79,450) · Auto service technicians ($58,520) · Diesel mechanics ($63,970) · Heavy equipment operators ($73,430) · Machinists ($63,820)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Oregon.
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.