- Nevada requires a C-21 Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning license from the Nevada State Contractors Board for HVAC work, with no small job exemption for heating or air conditioning.
- At least 4 years as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor in the classification, within the last 15 years. Up to 3 years can come from accredited college or equivalent training. Transferable military training or a master certification from a government agency can also count.
- Plan for two exams: the trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Pay runs from about $19.73 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of HVAC technicians to $43.15 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 14.8% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally.
The path in Nevada, step by step
Nevada licenses HVAC work at the state level through the Nevada State Contractors Board. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Pick C-21 or a subclassification like C-21b Air-Conditioning.
- Name a qualified individual with 4 years of HVAC experience in the last 15 years.
- Gather work experience certificates, a financial statement, and the background disclosure and fingerprint authorization form.
- Apply online with the $300 application fee.
- Pass the PSI trade exam and the Business and Law exam.
- After approval, post the bond, show workers comp, and pay the $600 license fee and any Residential Recovery Fund assessment.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: HVAC license in Nevada.
Finding an apprenticeship in Nevada
Nevada 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 Nevada 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 Nevada
The license to aim for: C-21 Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning.
Trade exam. Trade exam for C-21 or the subclassification, given by PSI.
Business exam. Business and Law exam (Construction Management Survey), given by PSI.
Keeping it. Every two years, with the $600 license fee.
Coming from another state. Licensure by endorsement: if you held an active license in a qualifying state for the past 4 years with the same qualified individual and no discipline, the board can waive the trade exam and the experience check. You still take the Nevada Business and Law exam.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| C-21a Refrigeration | Refrigeration units and rooms that hold air below 50 degrees F, with related insulation, ducts and controls. |
| C-21b Air-Conditioning | Install, repair and service heating and cooling equipment and ductwork that use evaporation, refrigeration, boilers or combustion. |
| C-21c Sheet Metal | Fabrication and installation of sheet metal, including ducts. |
| C-21d Maintenance | Repairing and replacing parts of existing air conditioning and refrigeration systems, without altering the system design. |
| C-21 (full) | All C-21 subclassifications. |
What the Nevada license costs
The fees the Nevada State Contractors Board lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | $300 |
| License fee, every two years | $600 |
| Late renewal fee, active license | $150 |
| Residential Recovery Fund assessment for residential work, monetary limit up to $1,000,000 | $200 |
| Residential Recovery Fund assessment for residential work, monetary limit over $1,000,000 but limited | $500 |
| Residential Recovery Fund assessment for residential work, unlimited license | $1,000 |
What HVAC technicians earn in Nevada
The median HVAC technician in Nevada earned $29.09 an hour in May 2025, 28th of 51 states, with 4,170 on payrolls. The national median was $29.33.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of HVAC technicians in Nevada earned under $23.26 an hour and a tenth under $19.73. At the top, a quarter earned over $36.82 and a tenth over $43.15.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.73 | $41,040 |
| 25th percentile | $23.26 | $48,390 |
| Median | $29.09 | $60,510 |
| 75th percentile | $36.82 | $76,590 |
| 90th percentile | $43.15 | $89,750 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: HVAC technician salary in Nevada.
Jobs ahead in Nevada
Nevada's labor market office projects jobs for HVAC technicians growing from 4,000 in 2022 to 4,590 in 2032, a change of 14.8%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 420 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 14.8% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally, ranking 14th 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 Nevada
To contract on your own in Nevada, the license is the C-21 Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning.
Insurance. Proof of workers comp coverage is required to get, keep and renew a license, unless you are exempt and sign an exemption affidavit.
Bond. A license bond set by the board at approval, from $1,000 to $500,000, based on license type, monetary limit, finances, experience and character.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Nevada median of $29.09 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $121.68 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 Nevada'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.
- NSCB general requirements FAQ (checked 2026-10-08)
- NSCB FAQ Central (handyman, fees, bonds) (checked 2026-10-08)
- NSCB contractor license application (checked 2026-10-08)
- NSCB licensure by endorsement (checked 2026-10-08)
- NAC Chapter 624, classifications and fees (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.