- Arkansas requires a state HVACR license from the HVACR Licensing Board for anyone who installs, services or repairs HVACR systems.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $17.81 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of HVAC technicians to $33.31 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 9.5% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally.
The path in Arkansas, step by step
Arkansas licenses HVAC work at the state level through the Arkansas HVACR Licensing Board (Department of Labor and Licensing). These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Read the HVACR rules and meet the board requirements for your class. You must be at least 18.
- Mail a notarized HVACR contractor application to the Department of Labor and Licensing for exam approval.
- Pass the Prov exam for your class.
- Apply for the license and pay the license fee.
- Complete four hours of continuing education each calendar year and renew every year.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: HVAC license in Arkansas.
Finding an apprenticeship in Arkansas
Arkansas has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, so the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers and oversees programs there through a state field office. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Arkansas Apprenticeship Office 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 Arkansas
The license to aim for: HVACR Class A or Class B license.
Trade exam. Yes. Contractor exams are given by Prov after board approval.
Keeping it. Every year (licenses expire one year after issue). Four hours of approved continuing education each calendar year, two of them on the mechanical code.
Coming from another state. None. The HVACR board says it has no reciprocal licensing agreements with other states at this time.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Class A | HVACR work with no limit on BTUH or horsepower. |
| Class B | Air conditioning up to 25 tons per unit, heating up to 1,000,000 BTUH input per unit, refrigeration 15 hp or less per unit. |
| Class D | Sheet metal ductwork only, no equipment sales, installs or service. |
| Class E | Refrigeration only, no comfort heating or air conditioning. |
| Class L | Lifetime license for licensees 65 or older in good standing. |
| Registration | Workers who do HVACR work under a Class A, B, D or E licensee. |
What the Arkansas license costs
The fees the Arkansas HVACR Licensing Board (Department of Labor and Licensing) lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Class A license (statutory amount) | $200 |
| Class B, D or E license (statutory amount) | $150 |
| Registration (statutory amount) | $25 |
| Class L lifetime license | No charge |
What HVAC technicians earn in Arkansas
The median HVAC technician in Arkansas earned $23.13 an hour in May 2025, the lowest median of 51 states, with 4,960 on payrolls. The national median was $29.33.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of HVAC technicians in Arkansas earned under $20.59 an hour and a tenth under $17.81. At the top, a quarter earned over $28.73 and a tenth over $33.31.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.81 | $37,040 |
| 25th percentile | $20.59 | $42,830 |
| Median | $23.13 | $48,110 |
| 75th percentile | $28.73 | $59,760 |
| 90th percentile | $33.31 | $69,290 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: HVAC technician salary in Arkansas.
Jobs ahead in Arkansas
Arkansas's labor market office projects jobs for HVAC technicians growing from 4,020 in 2022 to 4,400 in 2032, a change of 9.5%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 390 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 9.5% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally, ranking 28th 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 Arkansas
To contract on your own in Arkansas, the license is the HVACR Class A or Class B license.
Insurance. The board may set a minimum general liability insurance level by rule for license classes. Check with the board for the amount.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Arkansas median of $23.13 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $111.21 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 Arkansas'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.
- Arkansas HVACR Licensing Board (checked 2026-10-08)
- Arkansas HVACR law (PDF) (checked 2026-10-08)
- HVACR continuing education rule (PDF) (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.