HVAC technician careers

We build practice exams for the EPA Section 608 certification, which is the credential that gates most refrigerant work. This section covers the job on the other side of that exam: what it pays, where, and how the trade is growing.

What the job pays

The national median for HVACR mechanics and installers is $29.33 an hour, or $61,010 a year, across 409,670 technicians in the May 2025 BLS release. Local pay varies a great deal: metro medians run from $44,600 to $93,820.

See pay in all 383 metro areas, with the full wage distribution, or jump to one of the 383 markets with a detailed page:

New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY · Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX · Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC · Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA · Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ · Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL · Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA · Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA

Is the trade growing?

BLS projects employment to rise 8% between 2024 to 2034, from 425,200 to 459,700 jobs, which it describes as much faster than average. It expects around 40,100 openings a year over the decade, mostly from technicians retiring or moving into other work. Source.

The certification you will need

Technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of appliances that could release refrigerant generally must hold EPA Section 608 certification. There are four types, it is a one-time credential with no renewal, and the exam is administered by EPA-approved certifying organizations rather than by EPA itself.

Start with the free 100-question practice exam, or read what score you actually need to pass.