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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 / Tennessee

How to become an HVAC technician in Tennessee

Tennessee has no state license for individual HVAC technicians; cities and counties license them. The state licenses HVAC contractors through the TN Board for Licensing Contractors (Commerce & Insurance).1

4registered apprenticeship programs$26.68median an hour in Tennessee

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 TN
4 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 TN
27 schools with programs
Compare 27 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

    Experience is required to support the monetary limit; the application instructions say the Board prefers 3 years. A reference letter from a past client, employer or code official is required.

    Issued by
    TN Board for Licensing Contractors (Commerce & Insurance)
    Tennessee contractor license
Pay once you're working

$55,490

a year is the median for HVAC technicians in Tennessee ($26.68 an hour, May 2025).4

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Nashville–Davidson$28.97
  2. Memphis$27.30
  3. Knoxville$27.30
  4. Jackson$26.03
  5. Chattanooga$24.49
Tennessee median $26.68 an hour

Questions

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

Yes. Tennessee licenses HVAC contractors through the TN Board for Licensing Contractors (Commerce & Insurance).2

Are HVAC technicians in demand in Tennessee?

Projections Central expects about 1,210 HVAC technician openings a year in Tennessee through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

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

Find a program

More for HVAC technicians in Tennessee

Sources

  1. Local city or county codes office (tn.gov, 2026-10-27)
  2. TN Board for Licensing Contractors (Commerce & Insurance) contractor licensing (tn.gov, 2026-10-27)
  3. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  4. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Tennessee, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)