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Home / HVAC Technicians / North Carolina / Apprenticeships

HVAC Technician apprenticeships in North Carolina

Apprenticeship.gov lists no union, association or school HVAC technician apprenticeship programs in North Carolina, and 12 companies with their own registered apprenticeship.1 Programs in a neighboring state, a trade school, or a helper job with a licensed contractor are the other ways in.

Companies with their own registered apprenticeship

You apply to these companies for a job. Their program covers your training and wage steps.

Companies

12 companies

  • Apex Plumbing and Heating, IncApex
  • Berico Heating & CoolingGreensboro
  • Central Carolina Air ConditioningGreensboro
  • Comfort First Heating & CoolingSanford
  • E2 Mechanical & Industrial Refrigeration, LLC.Charlotte
  • Eanes Heating and Air ConditioningHigh Point
  • Energywise HVAC Solutions, LLCRolesville
  • Gastonia Sheet Metal ServicesGastonia
  • Horne Heating and Air ConditioningCharlotte
  • Jd Plumbing, Heating & Air ConditioningDurham
  • Johns Plumbing, Heating & Air ConditioningGreensboro
  • Morris Heating & Cooling, LLCMarion

Union locals and training centers in North Carolina

Call the local or its training center for the next application date.

SMART union locals

No SMART local has its office in North Carolina. Search the SMART local union directory.

Sheet metal training centers

  • Sheet Metal Workers Union Training of North Carolina1446 Bethel Drive, High Point(336) 882-3167

PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)

  • PHCC of North CarolinaPO Box 489, Fuquay Varina(919) 532-0522
  • PHCC of South Carolinac/o PHCC of North Carolina, PO Box 489, Fuquay Varina(919) 532-0522
  • Charlotte PHCC of North CarolinaCharlotte PHCC of North Carolina, PO Box 489, Fuquay Varina(919) 530-9404
  • Triangle PHCC of North CarolinaPO Box 489, Fuquay Varina(919) 530-9404
  • WNC Chapter of PHCC of North CarolinaPO Box 489, Fuquay Varina(919) 530-9404
  • Wilmington PHCC of North CarolinaPO Box 489, Fuquay Varina(919) 530-9404
  • Greater Charlotte Chapter of PHCC of NCPO Box 1296, Matthews

ACCA member contractors near you

Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in North Carolina.

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?

Applying this month

  1. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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
    Back to the program list
  4. 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.

    The license steps

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, 38 schools in North Carolina have HVAC technician programs.

The license steps in North Carolina

How do you get into an HVAC technician apprenticeship in North Carolina?

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 North Carolina?

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 North Carolina earned $18.16 an hour or less in May 2025.

HVAC Technician pay in North Carolina

Other routes in North Carolina

Sources

  1. U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
  2. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, North Carolina, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)