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HVAC Technician apprenticeships in Colorado
Colorado has 17 registered HVAC technician apprenticeship programs: 1 union and 16 open shop.1 Apprentices are hired and paid while they learn.
Find a program near you
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17 programs
Adams County Plumbing & Heating Co
Evergreen
Aim High HVAC, Inc
Littleton · Douglas County
Befort Plumbing & Heating, Inc.
Englewood · Arapahoe County
Bell Plumbing & Heating
Centennial · Arapahoe County
Bernie's Plumbing and Heating, Co.
Boulder · Boulder County
Braconier Plumbing & Heating
Denver · Denver County
Colorado HVAC Services
Denver · Denver County
Colorado Statewide Sheet Metal Workers JATC
Denver · Denver County
Cooleys Heating and Cooling
Hotchkiss · Delta County
Coolings Heating & Air Conditioning
Montrose · Montrose County
Elite Refrigeration
Arvada · Jefferson County
Flow Right Plumbing. Heating and Irrigation
Pueblo · Pueblo County
HB Refrigeration
Wallingford
Lunsford Manufacturing And Sheet Metal LLC
Grand Junction · Mesa County
Omni Elite Sheet Metal
Denver · Denver County
Peak Plumbing and Heating LLC
Gypsum · Garfield County
Vision Air HVAC Inc
Pueblo · Pueblo County
No programs match. Clear the county or type filter, or try a nearby ZIP.
Union locals and training centers in Colorado
Call the local or its training center for the next application date.
SMART union locals
Sheet metal training centers
- Colorado Springs Sheet Metal JATC4003 N. Weber St., Colorado Springs(719) 822-2036
- Denver Sheet Metal Workers Training Institute1515 W 47th Ave., Denver(720) 855-0305
- Grand Junction Sheet Metal Workers Training Institute2980 Gunnison Avenue, Grand Junction(970) 623-5463
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of Colorado7173 S Havana St, Suite 600-113, Centennial(303) 758-9616
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Colorado.
Union or open shop?
Union
Run by a joint committee of the SMART sheet metal local or the UA pipefitters local and union contractors. You apply to the committee, take an aptitude test and an interview, and wait on a ranked list. The committee sends you to its contractors.
Pay is a set share of the union journey-level rate and steps up on a schedule. Classes are nights or week-long blocks, usually paid for by the program.
Open shop
Run by ACCA or PHCC chapters, ABC or a single HVAC contractor. You usually get hired by a member contractor first, and the contractor enrolls you.
Your employer sets the pay and the raises. Classes are nights or weekends, and some programs charge tuition.
What do programs ask for?
Age
Usually 18. Some programs take applications at 17.
High school diploma or GED
Most programs ask for one. Bring a transcript.
Algebra
Electrical and sheet metal programs usually want one year of high school algebra with a passing grade.
Aptitude test or interview
Union programs give an aptitude test (math and reading) and an interview, then rank applicants. Open-shop programs usually start with a job offer.
Driver's license and drug screen
Many programs ask for both, since apprentices drive between job sites.
Applying this month
Get your papers together1 week
High school transcript or GED, a photo ID, and your birth certificate or proof of age. Programs that ask for algebra want the transcript that shows it.
- Time
- 1 week
Practice for the aptitude test2 to 4 weeks
Union programs test algebra and reading. A few evenings with a practice test helps your ranking.
- Time
- 2 to 4 weeks
Pick three programs and check their dates1 evening
Union programs take applications in set windows, some once a year. Open-shop programs and employer programs often take them year-round.
- Time
- 1 evening
Apply, then keep working
Apply to all three. While you wait, a helper or trainee job with a licensed contractor gives you hours and a reference.
Can't get in yet?
Pre-apprenticeship
Short programs, often free, that teach the basics and help with the application. Ask the programs above which ones they take graduates from.
Start on a crew
Licensed contractors hire helpers with no experience. Keep a log of your hours and employers; many programs and license boards count them. If you'd rather learn the basics first, 7 schools in Colorado have HVAC technician programs.
The license steps in ColoradoHow do you get into an HVAC technician apprenticeship in Colorado?
Pick programs near you, check each one's website for its application dates, and apply to more than one. Union programs test and interview, then rank applicants; open-shop programs usually start once a member contractor hires you.
How much do HVAC technician apprentices make in Colorado?
Programs set their own scales, usually a share of journey-level pay that rises every year. For a floor, the lowest-paid tenth of all HVAC technicians in Colorado earned $23.18 an hour or less in May 2025.
HVAC Technician pay in ColoradoOther routes in Colorado
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Colorado, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)