- Residential HVAC contractors are licensed by the Residential Builders Commission, and commercial mechanical contractors by the Contractor's Licensing Board, both under SC LLR.
- Residential: one year of hands on residential HVAC work under a licensed contractor, within the last five years. Commercial: two years in the classification within the last five years.
- Plan for two exams: the trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Pay runs from about $18.83 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of HVAC technicians to $36.31 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 7.7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally.
The path in South Carolina, step by step
South Carolina licenses HVAC work at the state level through the South Carolina LLR, Residential Builders Commission. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Get one year of residential HVAC work under a licensed contractor and keep W2s or 1099s.
- Send the residential HVAC application to the Residential Builders Commission with the $100 fee and a full credit report.
- Your supervisor returns the experience affidavit to the Commission.
- After approval, schedule and pass the Residential HVAC and Business Management and Law exams with PSI.
- Send your PSI results, the $160 license fee and a $10,000 bond if you will take jobs over $5,000.
- For commercial work over $10,000, apply separately to the Contractor's Licensing Board for a mechanical license.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: HVAC license in South Carolina.
Finding an apprenticeship in South Carolina
South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina
The license to aim for: Residential HVAC license (Residential Builders Commission), or Mechanical Contractor license for commercial work.
Trade exam. Yes. Residential HVAC exam through PSI. Commercial mechanical classifications have PSI technical exams.
Business exam. Yes. The SC Business Management and Law exam through PSI, for both residential and commercial.
Keeping it. Residential HVAC license renews every two years by June 30 of odd years. Commercial mechanical licenses expire October 31 of odd years.
Coming from another state. Residential: the Commission has exam waiver agreements for the HVAC technical exam (its FAQ lists Alabama, North Carolina and Mississippi), and you still take the SC business and law exam. Commercial: exam waivers for listed reciprocating states, and current MASC or CAGC master mechanical certificates for the Air Conditioning and Heating classifications.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Residential HVAC (heating and air conditioning installer and repairer) | HVAC work on homes up to three floors and 16 units. |
| Mechanical Contractor: Air Conditioning, Heating, Packaged Equipment, Refrigeration | Commercial mechanical work over $10,000, through the Contractor's Licensing Board. |
| Mechanical license Groups 1 to 5 | Job size limits from $35,000 (Group 1) to unlimited (Group 5) |
What the South Carolina license costs
The fees the South Carolina LLR, Residential Builders Commission lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Residential HVAC application | $100 |
| Residential HVAC license (issued more than 12 months before renewal) | $160 |
| Residential HVAC license (issued less than 12 months before renewal) | $80 |
| Commercial mechanical initial license | $350 |
| Commercial mechanical renewal (every two years, on time) | $135 |
What HVAC technicians earn in South Carolina
The median HVAC technician in South Carolina earned $27.22 an hour in May 2025, 42nd of 51 states, with 6,920 on payrolls. The national median was $29.33.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of HVAC technicians in South Carolina earned under $22.39 an hour and a tenth under $18.83. At the top, a quarter earned over $30.28 and a tenth over $36.31.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.83 | $39,170 |
| 25th percentile | $22.39 | $46,560 |
| Median | $27.22 | $56,610 |
| 75th percentile | $30.28 | $62,990 |
| 90th percentile | $36.31 | $75,530 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: HVAC technician salary in South Carolina.
Jobs ahead in South Carolina
South Carolina's labor market office projects jobs for HVAC technicians growing from 6,010 in 2022 to 6,470 in 2032, a change of 7.7%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 560 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 7.7% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally, ranking 36th 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 South Carolina
To contract on your own in South Carolina, the license is the Residential HVAC license (Residential Builders Commission), or Mechanical Contractor license for commercial work.
Bond. Residential: $10,000 surety bond if you take jobs over $5,000 in labor and materials. Commercial: net worth proof or a surety bond by group, from $7,000 (Group 1) to $300,000 (Group 5).
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the South Carolina median of $27.22 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $118.39 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 South Carolina'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.
- SC Residential Builders Commission (checked 2026-10-08)
- Residential HVAC FAQ (PDF) (checked 2026-10-08)
- Contractor's Licensing Board licensure (checked 2026-10-08)
- Contractor's Licensing Board fees (checked 2026-10-08)
- SC Code chapter 11 (40-11-30 threshold) (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.