Home › Trades › HVAC technicians › Texas
HVAC technicians in Texas: what they earn
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.
How to become an HVAC technician in Texas — license tiers, required hours, exam and fees, sourced from Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program. ↓
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.
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
| 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 |
Other trades in Texas
Electricians ($58,570) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($59,840) · Welders ($53,340) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($56,290)
See all five ranked by pay in Texas.
How to become an HVAC technician in Texas
Handling refrigerant requires the federal EPA Section 608 certification; Texas also registers HVAC technicians and licenses air-conditioning and refrigeration contractors (Class A/B) through TDLR. The licensing authority is Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program.
| 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) | — |
| Technician Registration (TDLR) | Anyone assisting a licensed ACR contractor must register. A Certified Technician proves 24 months of ACR work under a licensed contractor ($50 fee); otherwise register as a Registered Technician ($20 fee). | — | — | $20 |
| ACR Contractor License — Class A / Class B (TDLR) | Class A works any size unit; Class B up to 25 tons cooling. Needs 48 months of practical ACR experience under a licensed contractor within the past 72 months (or a technician certification plus 36 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 2026-09-16) · TDLR ACR Contractor application (retrieved 2026-09-16) · TDLR ACR Technician registration (retrieved 2026-09-16). Requirements change — confirm with Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), Air Conditioning and Refrigeration program 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 Texas?
Handling refrigerant requires the federal EPA Section 608 certification; 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?
Application and license fees run from about $20 to $115 depending on the tier, with separate exam fees in some cases — see the table above.
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.
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.