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Home / HVAC Technicians / Wisconsin

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Home / HVAC Technicians / Wisconsin

How to become an HVAC technician in Wisconsin

1,000 hours of supervised work, then the state exam.1 Wisconsin licenses HVAC technicians through DSPS.1

1,000hours of work before the exam
$29.67median an hour in Wisconsin

Pick your way in

Every route ends at the same place: 1,000 logged hours and the state exam.

Apprenticeship

Earn while you learn

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

Pay
From day one
In WI
12 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 WI
12 schools with programs
Compare 12 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

Journeyman license from DSPS.

  1. Start as an apprentice or trainee

    Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.

    Issued by
    Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)
    Compare the ways in
  2. Log 1,000 hours1,000 hrs

    About 1 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
    1,000 hrs
    What counts as hours
  3. Pass the journeyman exam

    Apply to DSPS with your hours, then book the exam.

    Issued by
    Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)
    Exam, fees and code book
  4. Keep it currentEvery 4 years

    Renew every 4 years. None.

    Issued by
    Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS)
    Time
    Every 4 years
    Renewal and continuing education
  5. Run your own shop

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

    Issued by
    DSPS - Electrical / Plumbing / HVAC
    Wisconsin contractor license
Already logging hours?

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

Wisconsin HVAC technician license
Pay once you're working

$61,710

a year is the median for HVAC technicians in Wisconsin ($29.67 an hour, May 2025).4

Pay by city and percentile
  1. Madison$30.36
  2. Milwaukee–Waukesha$30.25
  3. La Crosse–Onalaska$30.00
  4. Racine–Mount Pleasant$29.68
  5. Appleton$29.62
Wisconsin median $29.67 an hour

Questions

How long does it take to become an HVAC technician in Wisconsin?

About 1 years of full-time work: the journeyman license requires 1,000 hours of supervised experience.1

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

Check DSPS before you bid work on your own.2

Are HVAC technicians in demand in Wisconsin?

Projections Central expects about 640 HVAC technician openings a year in Wisconsin through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3

Next step

Find an apprenticeship near you

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

Find a program

More for HVAC technicians in Wisconsin

Sources

  1. Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, 2026-10-27)
  2. DSPS - Electrical / Plumbing / HVAC (dsps.wi.gov)
  3. Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
  4. BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Wisconsin, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)