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HVAC technicians in Illinois: what they earn
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Illinois earned a median $77,410 a year in May 2025, $37.21 an hour. 9,740 people held the job, 1.6 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 27% above the national figure of $61,010, and Illinois ranks 3 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How to become an HVAC technician in Illinois — license tiers, required hours, exam and fees, sourced from No statewide Illinois HVAC license; refrigerant handling is federal (EPA Section 608). ↓
The full wage spread in Illinois
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.45 | $46,690 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $28.94 | $60,200 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $37.21 | $77,410 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $46.17 | $96,030 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $56.51 | $117,550 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $37.29 | $77,570 | 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.
Illinois against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $84,390 | 400 |
| 2 | Alaska | $77,430 | 610 |
| 3 | Illinois | $77,410 | 9,740 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $77,300 | 8,200 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $76,610 | 3,800 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $76,350 | 4,200 |
The complete ranking is on the HVAC technicians page.
Against the national figure
| Illinois | United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $77,410 | $61,010 |
| Median hourly | $37.21 | $29.33 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $46,690 | $40,050 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $117,550 | $95,210 |
| Employed | 9,740 | 409,670 |
Other trades in Illinois
Electricians ($99,560) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($99,950) · Welders ($51,320) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($60,320)
See all five ranked by pay in Illinois.
How to become an HVAC technician in Illinois
Illinois has no statewide HVAC technician license — HVAC does not appear on the IDFPR list of state-regulated professions and is regulated locally — so the one mandatory credential is the federal EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification.
| License | What it takes | Experience | Exam | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA Section 608 Certification (federal) | Required nationwide to handle refrigerants: Type I (small appliances), Type II (high-pressure), 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) | — |
Renewal. The EPA 608 credential does not expire; Illinois has no statewide HVAC license.
Licensing sources: EPA Section 608 Technician Certification (retrieved 2026-09-16) · Professions regulated by IDFPR (no HVAC license) (retrieved 2026-09-16). Requirements change — confirm with No statewide Illinois HVAC license; refrigerant handling is federal (EPA Section 608) before you act.
Compare the time and cost to get licensed across trades and states →
Common questions
Do you need a license to work as an HVAC technician in Illinois?
Illinois has no statewide HVAC technician license — HVAC does not appear on the IDFPR list of state-regulated professions and is regulated locally — so the one mandatory credential is the federal EPA Section 608 refrigerant certification.
What does it cost to get licensed as an HVAC technician in Illinois?
Fees are set by the issuing authority; each tier's fee, where published, is in the table above.
How long does it take to become an HVAC technician in Illinois?
It depends on which credential you need and the training and testing each step takes — the full path is in the table above.
The pay and employment figures above are the May 2025 BLS estimates; the licensing detail is sourced separately from the state authority and dated inline. See how the numbers are built.