- Michigan requires a state mechanical contractor license from LARA for installing, altering or servicing HVAC, ductwork, refrigeration and heating systems covered by the state construction code.
- Three years or 6,000 hours of experience in the work classification, backed by statements from employers. A two year HVAC program can count for up to one year or 2,000 hours.
- Plan for a trade exam.
- Pay runs from about $19.33 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of HVAC technicians to $45.81 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 4.6% from 2022 to 2032, about the same as the 5.5% projected nationally.
The path in Michigan, step by step
Michigan licenses HVAC work at the state level through the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Choose the work classifications you need, such as HVAC equipment and ductwork.
- Build three years or 6,000 hours of experience in each classification, or use a two year HVAC program for up to one year of it.
- Collect signed experience statements from your employers.
- Apply to LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes for exam approval.
- Pay PSI and pass the exam for each classification.
- Get your mechanical contractor license, then pull permits for each job and renew every three years.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: HVAC license in Michigan.
Finding an apprenticeship in Michigan
Michigan 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 Michigan 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 Michigan
The license to aim for: Mechanical Contractor license.
Trade exam. Yes. You must pass an exam for each work classification you want. Exams are given by PSI and can include questions on the Skilled Trades Regulation Act and the state construction code.
Keeping it. Every three years by August 31. No code update courses are required to renew. A license expired more than three years means applying and testing again.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Hydronic heating and cooling and process piping | Systems that move heated or cooled fluids through pipes. |
| HVAC equipment | Heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment. |
| Ductwork | Supply, return and exhaust ducts, including flues, vents and chimneys. |
| Refrigeration | Refrigeration other than comfort cooling, such as supermarket and industrial systems. |
| Limited heating service | Service of smaller gas, oil and electric heating equipment within set size limits. |
| Limited refrigeration and air conditioning service | Service of refrigeration and AC systems using group 1 refrigerants. |
| Unlimited heating service / Unlimited refrigeration and air conditioning service | Service with no limits on size or fuel or refrigerant type. |
What the Michigan license costs
The fees the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), Bureau of Construction Codes lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Exam fee per work classification (paid to PSI) | $100 or less |
| License fee, initial, per year of the cycle | $100 |
| Renewal (three year license) | $300 |
| Late renewal fee | $100 |
What HVAC technicians earn in Michigan
The median HVAC technician in Michigan earned $29.26 an hour in May 2025, 25th of 51 states, with 12,590 on payrolls. The national median was $29.33.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of HVAC technicians in Michigan earned under $23.09 an hour and a tenth under $19.33. At the top, a quarter earned over $37.40 and a tenth over $45.81.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.33 | $40,210 |
| 25th percentile | $23.09 | $48,040 |
| Median | $29.26 | $60,850 |
| 75th percentile | $37.40 | $77,780 |
| 90th percentile | $45.81 | $95,290 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: HVAC technician salary in Michigan.
Jobs ahead in Michigan
Michigan's labor market office projects jobs for HVAC technicians growing from 10,260 in 2022 to 10,730 in 2032, a change of 4.6%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 920 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 4.6% from 2022 to 2032, about the same as the 5.5% projected nationally, ranking 49th 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 Michigan
To contract on your own in Michigan, the license is the Mechanical Contractor license.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Michigan median of $29.26 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $121.97 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 Michigan'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.
- LARA Bureau of Construction Codes (checked 2026-10-08)
- LARA mechanical licensing information (checked 2026-10-08)
- LARA license renewals (checked 2026-10-08)
- MCL 339.5807, mechanical contractor license (checked 2026-10-08)
- MCL 339.5809, license required (checked 2026-10-08)
- MCL 339.5813, fees and term (checked 2026-10-08)
- MCL 339.5801, definitions (checked 2026-10-08)
- MCL 339.5803, definitions (checked 2026-10-08)
- MCL 339.5811, local licensing (checked 2026-10-08)
- MCL 339.2403, builder license exemptions (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.