Home › Trades › HVAC technicians › Texas
How to become an HVAC technician in Texas
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; Texas also registers HVAC technicians and licenses air-conditioning and refrigeration contractors (Class A/B) through TDLR. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Texas earned a median $57,760 a year in May 2025 ($27.77 an hour).
HVAC technician licensing in Texas
The licensing authority is Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program. 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 |
| Technician Registration (TDLR) | Anyone who assists a licensed ACR contractor in maintenance or repair work must register as a certified or a registered technician, apart from the persons and equipment TDLR exempts. Certified Technician is the voluntary higher designation: 24 months of ACR work under a licensed contractor, or a TDLR-approved certification program of 2,000 hours of combined instruction and practical experience, applied for within 48 months of completing it; then the licensing examination. The certified technician application fee is $50. Otherwise register as a Registered Technician ($20 fee). | — | — | $20 |
| ACR Contractor License, Class A or Class B (TDLR) | Class A works any size unit; Class B up to 25 tons of cooling and 1.5 million BTUs an hour of heating. Needs 48 months of practical ACR experience under a licensed contractor within the past 72 months (or a technician certification held for the past 12 months plus 36 months within the past 48 months), and a passing exam. | — | TDLR ACR contractor exam (by class and endorsement) | $115 |
Reciprocity. TDLR has ACR contractor reciprocity with Georgia and South Carolina only, and the applicant must have held the out-of-state license at least one year.
Renewal. Annual (the TDLR contractor license; the EPA 608 credential does not expire), with 8 hours of continuing education.
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-24) · TDLR ACR Contractor application (retrieved 2026-09-24) · TDLR ACR Technician registration (retrieved 2026-09-16) · TDLR ACR Certified Technician application (retrieved 2026-09-24). Requirements change; confirm with Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program 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 Texas?
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; Texas also registers HVAC technicians and licenses air-conditioning and refrigeration contractors (Class A/B) through TDLR.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Texas?
The published fees in the table above run from $20 to $115 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 Texas?
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 Texas?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Texas earned a median $57,760 a year in May 2025, $27.77 an hour. That median is 5% below the national figure of $61,010, and Texas ranks 38 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Texas?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Texas under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, 169 apprentices started, at a median $18.20 an hour across the 116 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 42 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 Texas
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Texas earned a median $57,760 a year in May 2025, $27.77 an hour. 34,730 people held the job, 2.5 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 5% below the national figure of $61,010, and Texas ranks 38 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Texas
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.32 | $38,100 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $22.50 | $46,800 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $27.77 | $57,760 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $33.59 | $69,860 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $39.36 | $81,860 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $28.43 | $59,130 | 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 Texas
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX employs the most HVAC technicians of the 25 metro areas based in Texas that BLS publishes, 10,910, at a median $59,560 a year. The best-paid is Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX at $60,820.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | 10,910 | $59,560 | $40,290 | $84,880 |
| Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX | 7,680 | $58,940 | $38,780 | $83,120 |
| San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX | 3,160 | $58,590 | $37,960 | $82,400 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | 3,140 | $60,820 | $44,030 | $92,180 |
| El Paso, TX | 790 | $47,270 | $28,130 | $72,600 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 640 | $51,760 | $37,350 | $79,420 |
| McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, TX | 530 | $47,170 | $36,060 | $73,010 |
| Waco, TX | 440 | $55,860 | $38,440 | $74,010 |
| Lubbock, TX | 420 | $49,850 | $37,430 | $74,100 |
| Killeen-Temple, TX | 410 | $49,630 | $33,430 | $75,180 |
| Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | 390 | $56,720 | $37,000 | $79,490 |
| Amarillo, TX | 350 | $49,840 | $37,420 | $77,020 |
| Longview, TX | 350 | $55,050 | $36,990 | $75,370 |
| Tyler, TX | 290 | $49,300 | $36,120 | $82,570 |
| College Station-Bryan, TX | 270 | $48,530 | $37,790 | $69,220 |
| Abilene, TX | 260 | $54,330 | $34,970 | $75,920 |
| Brownsville-Harlingen, TX | 260 | $47,910 | $35,810 | $71,380 |
| Midland, TX | 260 | $57,800 | $37,640 | $81,630 |
| Laredo, TX | 180 | $48,450 | $36,260 | $69,740 |
| Sherman-Denison, TX | 170 | $56,330 | $34,950 | $83,260 |
| Odessa, TX | 160 | $58,580 | $33,280 | $79,130 |
| Wichita Falls, TX | 160 | $49,240 | $34,200 | $71,100 |
| San Angelo, TX | 130 | $49,330 | $36,070 | $71,290 |
| Texarkana, TX-AR | 130 | $47,760 | $37,150 | $71,570 |
| Victoria, TX | 100 | $48,550 | $37,700 | $75,780 |
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.
Texas against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | Utah | $58,730 | 5,580 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $58,650 | 5,380 |
| 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 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Texas | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $57,760 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $27.77 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $38,100 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $81,860 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 34,730 | 409,670 |
Apprenticeships in Texas
U.S. Department of Labor records list 374 registered apprentices active in Texas 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, 169 apprentices started, at a median $18.20 an hour across the 116 whose starting wage DOL counts. Of those who completed that year, 42 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 Texas
Electricians ($58,570) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($59,840) · Welders ($53,340) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($56,290) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($78,940) · Elevator installers ($102,140) · Ironworkers ($52,240) · Sheet metal workers ($54,240) · Carpenters ($48,900) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($56,410) · Auto service technicians ($48,310) · Diesel mechanics ($58,810) · Heavy equipment operators ($50,460) · Machinists ($59,180)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Texas.
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.