- Alabama requires a state certification from the Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors to install, service or repair heating, air conditioning or commercial refrigeration systems.
- One of these to sit for the exam: two or more calendar years as a board-registered apprentice, two years of work in the trade within the last five years backed by employer affidavits, 3,000 hours of coursework or experience, or graduating from an approved HVAC or refrigeration program.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $17.56 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of HVAC technicians to $31.58 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 9.8% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally.
The path in Alabama, step by step
Alabama licenses HVAC work at the state level through the Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Qualify through apprenticeship, documented experience, 3,000 training hours, or an approved school program.
- Submit the online exam application to the board and pay the $175 exam fee.
- Pass the Heating and Air Conditioning exam, the Refrigeration exam, or both, within one year of approval.
- Choose active status, post the $20,000 performance bond and pay the $220 license fee.
- Put your certification number on your vehicles, ads and paperwork.
- Complete four hours of continuing education and renew by December 31 each year.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: HVAC license in Alabama.
Finding an apprenticeship in Alabama
Alabama runs Registered Apprenticeship through its own State Apprenticeship Agency, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor to register and oversee programs there. Its staff are state employees, and it may use the federal paperwork or forms of its own. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Alabama Office of Apprenticeship as the contact.
Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.
Across the country. Some technicians train through an apprenticeship, which usually lasts several years. Each year mixes paid on-the-job training with some classroom work on safety, blueprint reading, and heating and cooling systems.
License levels and exams in Alabama
The license to aim for: Certified Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor.
Trade exam. Yes. An open-book exam for Heating and Air Conditioning or for Refrigeration.
Keeping it. Every year by December 31. Four hours of approved continuing education each year.
Coming from another state. Available if you passed an equivalent exam with a score of at least 70 percent and hold a current license from a reciprocal board in Mississippi, Tennessee, Ohio, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia or Louisiana.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor | Install, service and repair heating and air conditioning systems. |
| Refrigeration Contractor | Install, service and repair commercial refrigeration equipment. |
| Inactive status | Holds the certification but does not do the work. |
What the Alabama license costs
The fees the Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Exam fee (per exam) | $175 |
| Active certification, yearly | $220 |
| Inactive certification, yearly | $110 |
| Reciprocity processing | $220 |
What HVAC technicians earn in Alabama
The median HVAC technician in Alabama earned $23.26 an hour in May 2025, 50th of 51 states, with 8,260 on payrolls. The national median was $29.33.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of HVAC technicians in Alabama earned under $19.39 an hour and a tenth under $17.56. At the top, a quarter earned over $28.86 and a tenth over $31.58.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.56 | $36,510 |
| 25th percentile | $19.39 | $40,340 |
| Median | $23.26 | $48,370 |
| 75th percentile | $28.86 | $60,020 |
| 90th percentile | $31.58 | $65,690 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: HVAC technician salary in Alabama.
Jobs ahead in Alabama
Alabama's labor market office projects jobs for HVAC technicians growing from 6,620 in 2022 to 7,270 in 2032, a change of 9.8%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 640 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 9.8% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally, ranking 25th of the 50 states in the file.
These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers.
Starting your own HVAC technician business in Alabama
To contract on your own in Alabama, the license is the Certified Heating and Air Conditioning Contractor.
Bond. A $20,000 performance bond naming the board is required for active status.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Alabama median of $23.26 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $111.44 per billable hour. Try your own in the HVAC technician labor rate calculator.
The full checklist is in how to start an HVAC business. The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.
Where this comes from
The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is Alabama's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.
- HACR board home (checked 2026-10-08)
- HACR how to get licensed (checked 2026-10-08)
- HACR frequently asked questions (checked 2026-10-08)
- HACR online exam application (eligibility and exam format) (checked 2026-10-08)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 49-9021
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship System (Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agencies) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Offices (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (checked 2026-10-09)
Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become an HVAC technician.