Home / HVAC Technicians / Idaho
Home / HVAC Technicians / Idaho
How to become an HVAC technician in Idaho
8,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.2 Idaho licenses HVAC technicians through the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, HVAC Board.1
Pick your way in
Every route ends at the same place: 8,000 logged hours and the state exam.
Earn while you learn
A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.
- Pay
- From day one
- In ID
- 21 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In ID
- 4 schools with programs
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
The license steps
Journeyman license from the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, HVAC Board.
Start as an apprentice or trainee$10 registration
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, HVAC Board
- Cost
- $10 registration
Log 8,000 hours8,000 hrs
About 4 years of full-time work under a licensed HVAC technician. Keep your own log of hours and pay stubs.
- Issued by
- Your employer signs off
- Time
- 8,000 hrs
Pass the journeyman exam$35 application
Apply to the Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, HVAC Board with your hours, then book the exam with PSI.
- Issued by
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, HVAC Board
- Cost
- $35 application
Keep it currentEvery year$75 renewal
Renew every year. The HVAC board may set continuing education by rule (Idaho Code 54-5010); the current HVAC rules list no continuing education requirement
- Issued by
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, HVAC Board
- Time
- Every year
- Cost
- $75 renewal
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need a HVAC contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- DOPL - Electrical / Plumbing / HVAC boards
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Idaho journeyman license.
$56,240
a year is the median for HVAC technicians in Idaho ($27.04 an hour, May 2025).5
Pay by city and percentile- Coeur d'Alene$28.27
- Boise City$27.53
- Twin Falls$24.56
- Pocatello$24.49
- Lewiston$23.98
Questions
How long does it take to become an HVAC technician in Idaho?
About 4 years of full-time work: the journeyman license requires 8,000 hours of supervised experience.2
How much does an HVAC technician license cost in Idaho?
State fees to get licensed: $45, not counting school or tools.1
Do you need a license to work on your own as an HVAC technician in Idaho?
Check DOPL before you bid work on your own.3
Are HVAC technicians in demand in Idaho?
Projections Central expects about 1,040 HVAC technician openings a year in Idaho through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.4
Find an apprenticeship near you
21 registered programs in Idaho. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for HVAC technicians in Idaho
Sources
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, HVAC Board (dopl.idaho.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, HVAC Board: experience requirements (adminrules.idaho.gov, 2026-10-27)
- DOPL - Electrical / Plumbing / HVAC boards (dopl.idaho.gov)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Idaho, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)