How to become an HVAC technician in Maryland

6,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.² Maryland licenses HVAC technicians through the Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors.¹

6,000hours of work before the exam

Pick your way in

Every route ends at the same place: 6,000 logged hours and the state exam.

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

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

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

Journeyman license from the Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors.

Start as an apprentice or trainee$12 registration
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
Issued by
Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors
Cost
$12 registration
Compare the ways in
Log 6,000 hours6,000 hrs
About 3 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
6,000 hrs
What counts as hours
Pass the journeyman exam
Apply to the Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors with your hours, then book the exam with PSI Examination Services.
Issued by
Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors
Exam, fees and code book
Keep it currentEvery 2 years
Renew every 2 years. None; the board states it does not require continuing education credits
Issued by
Maryland Board of HVACR Contractors
Time
Every 2 years
Renewal and continuing education
Run your own shop
Master: 3 years licensed journeyman + 1,875 hours prior year; Limited: 2 years + 1,000 hours
Issued by
Board of HVACR Contractors
Maryland contractor license

Already logging hours?

Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Maryland journeyman license.

Pay once you're working

$70,020

a year is the median for HVAC technicians in Maryland ($33.67 an hour, May 2025).⁴

Maryland median $33.67 an hour

About 3 years of full-time work: the journeyman license requires 6,000 hours of supervised experience.²

Yes. Maryland licenses HVAC contractors through the Board of HVACR Contractors.²

Projections Central expects about 880 HVAC technician openings a year in Maryland through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.³

Next step

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