How to become an HVAC technician in Idaho

The path in Idaho, step by step

Idaho licenses HVAC work at the state level through the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, HVAC Board. These are the steps it lays out, in order.

1. Register as an HVAC apprentice with DOPL and work under journeyman supervision.
2. Finish 8,000 hours plus 576 hours of approved classroom training, or document 16,000 hours of HVAC work.
3. Schedule and pass the journeyman exam through PSI, then apply for the journeyman license with DOPL.
4. When ready to run your own business, pass the HVAC contractor exam through PSI.
5. Get a $2,000 compliance bond and apply for the HVAC contractor license with DOPL.
6. Renew your license before the term ends. Terms move to two years starting October 30, 2026.

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

Finding an apprenticeship in Idaho

Idaho 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 Idaho 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 Idaho

The license to aim for: HVAC Contractor.

Trade exam. Board-designated exams, given through PSI. Journeyman and contractor each have their own exam.

Keeping it. Contractor and journeyman licenses run on a three-year term today. DOPL says the HVAC Board moves to two-year (biennial) licensing on October 30, 2026. Check with the board on continuing education.

What the Idaho license costs

The fees the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, HVAC Board lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.

What HVAC technicians earn in Idaho

The median HVAC technician in Idaho earned $27.04 an hour in May 2025, 44th of 51 states, with 4,550 on payrolls. The national median was $29.33.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of HVAC technicians in Idaho earned under $22.71 an hour and a tenth under $18.59. At the top, a quarter earned over $32.23 and a tenth over $38.84.

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

Jobs ahead in Idaho

Idaho's labor market office projects jobs for HVAC technicians growing from 3,750 in 2022 to 4,760 in 2032, a change of 26.9%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 450 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to grow 26.9% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally, ranking 2nd 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 Idaho

To contract on your own in Idaho, the license is the HVAC Contractor.

Bond. $2,000 compliance bond for HVAC contractors and specialty contractors, kept in force for the whole license period.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Idaho median of $27.04 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $118.08 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.