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State files updated Oct 27, 2026
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Two workers in hard hats fitting a rectangular duct between floor framing, seen from above

Home / HVAC Technicians / California

How to become an HVAC technician in California

California does not license individual HVAC technicians. You learn on the job or in school, and the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) licenses HVAC contractors who run their own business.1

44registered apprenticeship programs$34.88median an hour in California

Pick your way in

Apprenticeship

Earn while you learn

A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.

Pay
From day one
In CA
44 registered programs
Find a program near you
Trade school

Classroom first

Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.

Pay
You pay tuition
In CA
46 schools with programs
Compare 46 schools
Helper

Start on a crew

Get hired as a helper by a licensed HVAC contractor and log hours on the job.

Pay
Paid on the job
Start
No experience needed
How to get started

The license steps

  1. Get hired or start training

    Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.

    Compare the ways in
  2. Run your own shop

    Age 18+. 4 full years journey-level/foreman/supervisor/contractor experience in the class, within last 10 years.

    Issued by
    Contractors State License Board (CSLB)
    California contractor license
Pay once you're working

$72,560

a year is the median for HVAC technicians in California ($34.88 an hour, May 2025).4

Pay by city and percentile
  1. San Jose–Sunnyvale$39.45
  2. Santa Rosa–Petaluma$38.23
  3. San Francisco–Oakland$37.73
  4. San Diego–Chula Vista$36.00
  5. Los Angeles–Long Beach$35.49
California median $34.88 an hour

Questions

Do you need a license to work on your own as an HVAC technician in California?

Yes. California licenses HVAC contractors through the Contractors State License Board (CSLB).2

Are HVAC technicians in demand in California?

Projections Central expects about 3,770 HVAC technician openings a year in California through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

44 registered programs in California. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.

Find a program

More for HVAC technicians in California

Sources

  1. Contractors State License Board (cslb.ca.gov, 2026-10-27)
  2. Contractors State License Board (CSLB) contractor licensing (cslb.ca.gov)
  3. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  4. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, California, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)