How do you become an HVAC technician in Washington?

Start as an electrical trainee with L&I and log supervised HVAC electrical hours. Finish the basic classroom hours for your specialty (48 for 06A, 24 for 06B). Apply to L&I for the specialty electrician exam, then schedule it with PSI. The rest of the steps are on this page.

Do you need an HVAC license in Washington?

Washington treats HVAC as a contractor specialty, so an HVAC business must register with L&I. Electrical work on HVAC systems also needs an L&I electrician certificate, such as the 06A or 06B HVAC/refrigeration specialty.

How much experience does Washington require?

For the 06A certificate: 4,000 hours of work experience and 48 hours of basic classroom instruction, supervised at least 75 percent of the time as a trainee. For the 06B: 2,000 hours and 24 hours of trainee classes, supervised 100 percent of the time until you pass.

How much do HVAC technicians make in Washington?

The median was $36.38 an hour, or $75,660 a year, in May 2025, from the BLS wage survey. The national median was $29.33.

Who runs apprenticeships in Washington?

Washington'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 Washington: Steps, License and Pay

The short version for Washington

Washington treats HVAC as a contractor specialty, so an HVAC business must register with L&I.
For the 06A certificate: 4,000 hours of work experience and 48 hours of basic classroom instruction, supervised at least 75 percent of the time as a trainee. For the 06B: 2,000 hours and 24 hours of trainee classes, supervised 100 percent of the time until you pass.
Plan for two exams: the trade exam and a business and law exam.
Pay runs from about $23.47 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of HVAC technicians to $57.86 for the top tenth.
Jobs are projected to grow 11% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally.

The path in Washington, step by step

Washington licenses some HVAC work at the state level and leaves the rest to cities or to no one.

Start as an electrical trainee with L&I and log supervised HVAC electrical hours.
Finish the basic classroom hours for your specialty (48 for 06A, 24 for 06B).
Apply to L&I for the specialty electrician exam, then schedule it with PSI.
Register the business with L&I as a specialty contractor, with a UBI number, insurance and the $15,000 bond.
Renew the contractor registration every two years and the certificate every three.

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

Finding an apprenticeship in Washington

Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington

The license to aim for: Contractor registration plus 06A HVAC/refrigeration specialty electrician certificate.

Trade exam. An electrical certification exam scheduled with PSI after L&I approves your application.

Business exam. L&I's contractor registration steps do not include a business and law exam.

Keeping it. Contractor registration every two years. The electrician certificate every three years, expiring on your birthdate, with 24 hours of continuing education, including 8 hours of code update and 4 hours of RCW/WAC.

License	What it covers
06A HVAC/refrigeration specialty electrician	Electrical work on HVAC and refrigeration systems.
06B HVAC/refrigeration, restricted	A narrower HVAC/refrigeration electrical specialty.
Specialty contractor registration	The business registration an HVAC company files with L&I.

What the Washington license costs

The fees the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.

Fee	Amount
Contractor registration fee	$150.20
Contractor renewal fee	$150.20

What HVAC technicians earn in Washington

The median HVAC technician in Washington earned $36.38 an hour in May 2025, 7th of 51 states, with 7,370 on payrolls. The national median was $29.33.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of HVAC technicians in Washington earned under $28.93 an hour and a tenth under $23.47. At the top, a quarter earned over $45.18 and a tenth over $57.86.

Pay level	Hourly	Yearly
10th percentile	$23.47	$48,810
25th percentile	$28.93	$60,170
Median	$36.38	$75,660
75th percentile	$45.18	$93,970
90th percentile	$57.86	$120,360

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

Jobs ahead in Washington

Washington's labor market office projects jobs for HVAC technicians growing from 8,940 in 2022 to 9,920 in 2032, a change of 11%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 990 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to grow 11% from 2022 to 2032, faster than the 5.5% projected nationally, ranking 23rd 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 Washington

To contract on your own in Washington, the license is the Contractor registration plus 06A HVAC/refrigeration specialty electrician certificate.

Insurance. General liability of $200,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage, or $250,000 combined single limit, for contractor registration.

Bond. $15,000 surety bond for a specialty contractor registration.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Washington median of $36.38 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $134.48 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 Washington'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 Washington