Home / HVAC Technicians / Wisconsin / Apprenticeships
Home / HVAC Technicians / Wisconsin / Apprenticeships
HVAC Technician apprenticeships in Wisconsin
Wisconsin has 12 registered HVAC technician apprenticeship programs: 12 union and 0 open shop.1 Apprentices are hired and paid while they learn. The hours count toward the hvac qualifier certification (1,000 hours).2
Find a program near you
Enter your ZIP to sort by distance.
12 programs
East Central WI Area Sheet Metal JAC
Sheboygan · Sheboygan County
ELW Area Sheet Metal JAC
Cadott · Chippewa County
Fox Valley Area Sheet Metal JAC
Neenah · Winnebago County
Madison Area Sheet Metal JAC
Sun Prairie · Dane County
Milwaukee Area Sheet Metal JAC
Waukesha · Waukesha County
Smart Interpreting Services
Greenfield · Milwaukee County
Smart Style #11754
Appleton · Calumet County
Smart Style #11757
Fond Du Lac · Fond du Lac County
Smart Style #11762
West Bend · Washington County
Smart Style-11759
Chilton · Calumet County
Smart Tools
Milwaukee · Milwaukee County
Southeastern WI Area Sheet Metal JAC
Kenosha · Kenosha County
No programs match. Clear the county or type filter, or try a nearby ZIP.
Union locals and training centers in Wisconsin
Call the local or its training center for the next application date.
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 18Waukesha(262) 798-1818
- SMART Local 565Madison(608) 257-5757
Sheet metal training centers
- EL & W Training Center650 Tower Drive, Cadott(715) 498-1926
- Fox Valley Sheet Metal JATC1981 American Drive, Neenah(920) 215-6278
- Southeastern Wisconsin Sheet Metal JAC1840 Sycamore Ave. Room 5, Racine(262) 933-1006
- East Central Wisconsin JATC1104 Wisconsin Ave., Sheboygan(920) 458-8491
- Madison Area JATC150 Communications Drive, Sun Prairie(608) 220-4546
- Milwaukee Sheet Metal Workers JATC2201 Springdale Road, Waukesha(262) 798-1812
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of WisconsinPO Box 833, Germantown(888) 782-6815
- Plumbing Contractors Association of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc.PO Box 833, Germantown
- Madison Association of Plumbing Contractors5940 Seminole Centre Ct Ste 102, Madison(608) 288-1414
- Associated Master Plumbers of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.PO Box 206, Menasha(920) 858-4088
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Wisconsin.
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, 12 schools in Wisconsin have HVAC technician programs.
The license steps in WisconsinHow do you get into an HVAC technician apprenticeship in Wisconsin?
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 long is an HVAC technician apprenticeship in Wisconsin?
About 1 years. The hvac qualifier certification requires 1,000 hours of supervised work.
How much do HVAC technician apprentices make in Wisconsin?
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 Wisconsin earned $22.08 an hour or less in May 2025.
HVAC Technician pay in WisconsinOther routes in Wisconsin
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- Wisconsin HVAC technician license requirements (docs.legis.wisconsin.gov, 2026-10-27)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Wisconsin, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)