How do you become an HVAC technician in Florida?

Build four years of trade experience, including one year as a foreman, or use a degree and experience mix. Register with Professional Testing Inc and pass the Business and Finance and trade exams. Get a credit report, fingerprints, liability insurance and workers compensation coverage or exemption. The rest of the steps are on this page.

Do you need an HVAC license in Florida?

Yes. Florida requires a contractor to be state certified, or locally registered, to do air conditioning or mechanical contracting. Licenses come through the Construction Industry Licensing Board at DBPR.

How much experience does Florida require?

Four years in the trade, with at least one year as a foreman, or a mix of college credit and experience. A four year construction related degree counts as three years when paired with one year of experience. Class C holders have a separate upgrade route.

How much do HVAC technicians make in Florida?

The median was $27.24 an hour, or $56,670 a year, in May 2025, from the BLS wage survey. The national median was $29.33.

Who runs apprenticeships in Florida?

Florida's State Apprenticeship Agency registers and oversees programs on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor. Programs themselves are sponsored by employers, unions and trade groups.

How to Become an HVAC Technician in Florida: Steps, License and Pay

The short version for Florida

Florida requires a contractor to be state certified, or locally registered, to do air conditioning or mechanical contracting.
Four years in the trade, with at least one year as a foreman, or a mix of college credit and experience. A four year construction related degree counts as three years when paired with one year of experience. Class C holders have a separate upgrade route.
Plan for two exams: the trade exam and a business and law exam.
Pay runs from about $18.45 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of HVAC technicians to $37.60 for the top tenth.
Jobs are projected to grow 16.9% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally.

The path in Florida, step by step

Florida licenses HVAC work at the state level through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing Board. These are the steps it lays out, in order.

Build four years of trade experience, including one year as a foreman, or use a degree and experience mix.
Register with Professional Testing Inc and pass the Business and Finance and trade exams.
Get a credit report, fingerprints, liability insurance and workers compensation coverage or exemption.
Apply to DBPR for certification and pay the $145 or $245 fee depending on the date.
Qualify your business on the application if you work under a company name.
Renew every two years with 14 hours of continuing education and the renewal fee.

The full license guide, with every fee and form: HVAC license in Florida.

Finding an apprenticeship in Florida

Florida 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 Florida State Apprenticeship Agency 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 Florida

The license to aim for: Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A or Class B.

Trade exam. Yes. A trade knowledge exam, registered through Professional Testing Inc (PTI). You need at least 70 percent to pass.

Business exam. Yes. A Business and Finance exam, scheduled at Pearson VUE after registering with Professional Testing Inc. Passing score is 70 percent.

Keeping it. Every two years, with 14 hours of continuing education covering workers compensation, business practices, workplace safety, and laws and rules.

License	What it covers
Class A Air Conditioning (CA)	Heating and cooling systems of any size.
Class B Air Conditioning (CA)	Systems up to 25 tons of cooling and 500,000 BTU of heating in any one system.
Class C Air Conditioning	Service of existing systems only, no new licenses since 1988.
Mechanical (CM)	All HVAC work plus wider piping such as gas lines and fuel systems.

What the Florida license costs

The fees the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Construction Industry Licensing Board lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.

Fee	Amount
Initial certification, May 1 of an even year to Aug 31 of an odd year	$245
Initial certification, Sept 1 of an odd year to Apr 30 of an even year	$145
Exam registration with Professional Testing Inc, all parts (card)	$215
Business and Finance exam seat fee to Pearson VUE	$80
Renewal fee, every two years	$205, plus $50 per qualified business

What HVAC technicians earn in Florida

The median HVAC technician in Florida earned $27.24 an hour in May 2025, 41st of 51 states, with 39,160 on payrolls. The national median was $29.33.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of HVAC technicians in Florida earned under $22.51 an hour and a tenth under $18.45. At the top, a quarter earned over $30.59 and a tenth over $37.60.

Pay level	Hourly	Yearly
10th percentile	$18.45	$38,370
25th percentile	$22.51	$46,830
Median	$27.24	$56,670
75th percentile	$30.59	$63,620
90th percentile	$37.60	$78,210

Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: HVAC technician salary in Florida.

Jobs ahead in Florida

Florida's labor market office projects jobs for HVAC technicians growing from 36,880 in 2022 to 43,120 in 2032, a change of 16.9%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 3,940 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to grow 16.9% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally, ranking 10th 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 Florida

To contract on your own in Florida, the license is the Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, Class A or Class B.

Insurance. General liability of at least $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage, plus workers compensation or an exemption.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Florida median of $27.24 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $118.43 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 Florida'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.

Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become an HVAC technician.

How to become an HVAC technician in Florida