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HVAC Technician apprenticeships in Texas
Texas has 22 registered HVAC technician apprenticeship programs: 6 union and 16 open shop.1 Apprentices are hired and paid while they learn.
Find a program near you
Enter your ZIP to sort by distance.
22 programs
A&A Plumbing, Heating, & Cooling
Schertz · Bexar County
Associated Plumbing Heating & Cooling Contractors
Buda · Hays County
Association of Plumbing Heating and Cooling Contractors of El Paso
El Paso · El Paso County
Austin Sheet Metal Workers JATC
Austin · Travis County
biggerbettersmarter.orgBig Country Sheet Metal, INC
Abilene · Taylor County
Border Air Conditioning and Heating
Donna · Hidalgo County
Dallas-Ft Worth Sheet Metal JATC
Euless · Tarrant County
Daniel Heating and Air
Amarillo · Potter County
Dynamic Flow Ac & Heating, LLC
Houston · Harris County
Gillette Air Conditioning
San Antonio · Bexar County
Grant Sheet Metal
Spring · Harris County
Houston Area Sheet Metal JATC
Waller · Waller County
Lennoxpros - HVAC Learning Solutions
Richardson · Dallas County
lennoxpros.comMMM Plumbing, Heating & Cooling
Amarillo · Potter County
Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors of SA
San Antonio · Bexar County
Roberson Air Conditioning
Wharton · Wharton County
S.A. Sheet Metal J.A.T.C.
San Antonio · Bexar County
Sabine Area Sheet Metal
Orange · Orange County
Sheet Metal Workers LU 67 JATC - Austin
Austin · Travis County
Tex All Sheet Metal
Tomball · Harris County
Vertex Refrigeration
Mansfield · Tarrant County
Wichita Falls Sheet Metal Workers JATC
Wichita Falls · Wichita County
No programs match. Clear the county or type filter, or try a nearby ZIP.
Union locals and training centers in Texas
Call the local or its training center for the next application date.
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 210San Antonio
- SMART Local 1458Silsbee
Sheet metal training centers
- Sheet Metal Workers Local 67 Austin Area JATC813 Airport Blvd., Austin(512) 389-2338
- Dallas/Ft Worth Sheet Metal JATC1020 S. Industrial Blvd., Euless(817) 267-3379
- Wichita Falls Sheet Metal Workers JATC1020 S. Industrial Blvd, Euless(940) 631-8417
- Sabine Area Joint Sheet Metal Apprentice School Inc.8397 Old Highway 90, Orange(409) 745-2581
- Sheet Metal Workers Local 67 San Antonio Area JATC11 Burwood, San Antonio(210) 349-3350
- Houston Area Sheet Metal JATC20213 Binford Road, Waller(713) 869-5843
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of Texas145 Trademark ST, Buda(512) 523-8094
- PHCC of Amarillo TXPO Box 3160, Amarillo(806) 355-5697
- PHCC - Capital Area of TX3575 Far West Blvd #26361, Austin(919) 599-9800
- PHCC of North Texas3408 Vine Ridge, Bedford(817) 554-2314
- PHCC of Waco TXc/o Boen Plumbing, PO BOX 21803, Copperas Cove
- PHCC of El Paso TXPO Box 3260, El Paso(915) 478-7517
- PHCC of Gulf Coast TX10011 West Gulf Bank Rd., Suite B, Houston(281) 702-2955
- PHCC of San Antonio12830 Cogburn Avenue, Suite 111, San Antonio(210) 824-7422
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Texas.
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?
Age
Usually 18. Some programs take applications at 17.
High school diploma or GED
Most programs ask for one. Bring a transcript.
Algebra
Electrical and sheet metal programs usually want one year of high school algebra with a passing grade.
Aptitude test or interview
Union programs give an aptitude test (math and reading) and an interview, then rank applicants. Open-shop programs usually start with a job offer.
Driver's license and drug screen
Many programs ask for both, since apprentices drive between job sites.
Applying this month
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
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
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
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.
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, 42 schools in Texas have HVAC technician programs.
The license steps in TexasHow do you get into an HVAC technician apprenticeship in Texas?
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 Texas?
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 Texas earned $18.32 an hour or less in May 2025.
HVAC Technician pay in TexasOther routes in Texas
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Texas, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)