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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 / Illinois

How to become an HVAC technician in Illinois

Illinois has no state license for individual HVAC technicians; cities and counties license them. The state licenses HVAC contractors through the IDFPR Division of Professional Regulation.1

16registered apprenticeship programs$37.21median an hour in Illinois

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 IL
16 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 IL
31 schools with programs
Compare 31 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

    To bid and contract on your own you need a HVAC contractor license or registration.

    Issued by
    IDFPR Division of Professional Regulation - Roofing Contractor
    Illinois contractor license
Pay once you're working

$77,410

a year is the median for HVAC technicians in Illinois ($37.21 an hour, May 2025).4

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Peoria$37.84
  2. Chicago–Naperville$37.48
  3. Decatur$37.39
  4. Rockford$36.09
  5. Champaign–Urbana$36.00
Illinois median $37.21 an hour

Questions

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

Check the IDFPR Division of Professional Regulation before you bid work on your own.2

Are HVAC technicians in demand in Illinois?

Projections Central expects about 820 HVAC technician openings a year in Illinois through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

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

Find a program

More for HVAC technicians in Illinois

Sources

  1. No state agency (idfpr.illinois.gov, 2026-10-27)
  2. IDFPR Division of Professional Regulation - Roofing Contractor (idfpr.illinois.gov)
  3. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  4. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Illinois, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)