In Pennsylvania, the HVAC industry is one of the fast-growing industries, offering stable and well-paid jobs.
So if you want to work here, you must complete an HVAC education and field experience to obtain certification.
Here’s what you need to know about becoming an HVAC technician in Pennsylvania.
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HVAC Programs in Pennsylvania
Because the HVAC profession needs highly technical skills, education and training will be extensive.
You’ll learn topics covering…
- Installment, repair, and maintenance of HVAC/R systems
- Inspections of the HVAC/R elements and diagnosis of issues
- Relevant laws and building codes
- On-the-job training
So if you want to learn the trade, enroll in an approved HVAC school in Pennsylvania.
The table below lists some of those schools that you can check out.
65 HVAC Schools in Pennsylvania
| School Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Ashworth College | 6625 The Corners Pkwy NW #500, Norcross, GA 30092 |
| Admiral Peary Area Vo-Tech School | 948 Ben Franklin Hwy., Ebensburg, PA 15931 |
| All-State Career School | HVAC Training | 2 Locations in Pennsylvania | 2 Locations in Pennsylvania, Essington & Pittsburgh, PA 15122 |
| Beattie Technical School | 9600 Babcock Blvd., Allison Park, PA 15101 |
| Beaver County Area Vocational Technical School | 145 Poplar Drive, Monaca, PA 15061 |
| Berks Career & Technology Center - West Campus | 1057 County Road, Leesport, PA 19533 |
| Berks Career & Technology Center - East Campus | 3307 Friedensburg Road, Oley, PA 19547 |
| Bucks County Technical School | 610 Wistar Road, Fairless Hill, PA 19030 |
| Butler County Area Vocational Technical School | 210 Campus Lane, Butler, PA 16001 |
| Camden County Technical School/gloucester Township Campus | 343 Berlin Cross Keys Road, Sicklerville, NJ 08081 |
| Carbon County Area Vocational Tech School | 77th W. 13th Street, Jim Thorpe, PA 18229 |
| Career Institute of Technology | 5335 Kesslerville Road, Easton, PA 18040 |
| Career Technical Center of Lackawanna County | 3201 Rockwell Avenue, Scranton, PA 18508 |
| Center for Technical Studies | 821 Plymouth Road, Plymouth Meeting, PA 19401 |
| Central Pennsylvania Institute | 540 North Harrison Road, Pleasant Gap, PA 16823 |
| Central Westmorland Career & Technical Center | 240 Arona Road, New Stanton, PA 15672 |
| Chi Institute | Rt 320 and Lawrence Road, Broomall, PA 19008 |
| Columbia-Montour Area Vocational Technical School | 5050 Sweppenheiser Drive, Bloomsburg, PA 17815 |
| Community College of Allegheny County - South Campus | 1750 Clairton Road (Rt 885), West Mifflin, PA 15122 |
| Community College of Alleghney County - North Campus | 8701 Perry Hwy, Pittsburg, PA 15237 |
| Cumberland Perry Area Vocational School | 110 Old Willow Mill Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17050 |
| Dean Institute of Technology | 1501 West Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15226 |
| Delaware County Community College | Malin Road Center, Broomall, PA 19008 |
| Delaware County Technical School at Aston | 100 Crozerville Road, Aston, PA 19014 |
| Erie County Technical School | 8500 Oliver Road, Erie, PA 16509 |
| Everest Institute | 3050 Tillman Drive, Bensalem, PA 19020 |
| Fayette County Vocational Technical School | 175 Georges Fairchance Road, Uniontown, PA 15401 |
| Forbes Road Career & Technical Center | 607 Beatty Road, Monroeville, PA 15146 |
| Fortis Institute | 166 Slocum Street Forty Fort, PA 18704 |
| Franklin County Career and Tech Center | 2463 Loop Road, Chambersburg, PA 17201 |
| Gloucester County Vo-Tech School | 1360 Tanyard Road, Sewell, NJ 08080 |
| Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center | 1500 4th Avenue, Altoona, PA 16602 |
| Greater Johnstown Career and Tech | 445 Schoolhouse Road, Johnstown, PA 15904 |
| Harrisburg Area Community College - Wildwood Campus | One HACC Drive, Harrisburg, PA 17110 |
| Huntingdon County Career and Tech | PO Box E, Mill Creek, PA 17060 |
| hvacredu.net (Online Training) | P.O. Box 77, Heron, MT 59844 |
| Jefferson Co-Dubois Area Vocational Tech | 100 Jeff Tech Drive, Reynoldsville, PA 15851 |
| Lancaster County Career and Tech Center | Snyder & Metzler Roads, Brownstown, PA 17508 |
| Lebanon County Area Vocational Technical School | 833 Metro Drive, Lebanon, PA 17042 |
| LeHigh Career and Technical Institute | 4500 Education Park Drive, Schnecksville, PA 18078 |
| Lenape AVTS | 2215 Chaplin Avenue, Ford City, PA 16226 |
| Luzerne CCC | 1333 South Prospect Street, Nanticoke, PA 18634 |
| Middle Bucks Institute of Technology | 2740 Old York Road, Jamison, PA 18929 |
| Monroe Career & Technical Institute | P.O. Box 66, Laurel Lake Drive, PA 18321 |
| New Castle School of Trades | Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143 |
| North Montco Technical Career Center | 1265 Sumneytown Pike, Lansdale, PA 19446 |
| Northern Tier Career Center | RR #1, Box 157A , Towanda, PA 18848 |
| Orleans Technical Institute | 2770 Red Lion Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114 |
| Penn Commercial | 242 Oak Spring Road, Washington, PA 15301 |
| Pennco Tech | 8315 Otter Street, Bristol, PA 19007 |
| Pennsylvania College of Technology | Bush Campus Center, Williamsport, PA 17701 |
| Reading Area Community College | Ten South 2nd St., Reading, PA 19603 |
| Somerset County Technical Center | 281 Technology Drive, Somerset, PA 15501 |
| Steel Center Area Voc Tech School | 565 Lewis Run Road, Jefferson Hills, PA 15025 |
| Sun Area Career and Technical Center | 21st Century Drive, New Berlin, PA 16509 |
| Thaddeus Stevens School of Technology | 750 East King Street, Lancaster, PA 17602 |
| Triangle Tech | P.O. Box 551, Dubois, PA 15801 |
| Triangle Tech | 2000 Liberty Street, Erie, PA 16502 |
| Triangle Tech | 1940 Perrysville Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15214 |
| TruPower Inc., Training Svcs. | PO Box 3952, York, PA 17402 |
| Western Area Career and Technical Center | 688 Western Avenue, Canonsburg, PA 15317 |
| Western Center for Technical Studies | 77 Gratersford Road, Limerick, PA 19468 |
| Westmoreland County Community College | 400 Armburst Road, Youngwood, PA 15697 |
| Wilkes-Barre Vo-Tech | Juniper Road, Plains Township, PA 18705 |
| York Technical Institute | 1404 Williams Road, York, PA 17402 |
EPA Certification
Even if Pennsylvania doesn’t have a state-level license, you still have to obtain the EPA certification.
The EPA Section 608 Technician Certification is a mandatory national certification for technicians working with harmful refrigerants.
It has 4 types, and you can attain any one of these depending on the equipment you’ll work with the most.
For more information, check out our guide to the EPA certification.
Local-level Licensing
In Pennsylvania, the HVAC licensing requirements will fall under the jurisdiction of its localities.
For example, Pittsburgh requires aspiring contractors to obtain an HVAC contractor license before providing HVAC services.
So make sure to check with the local offices in the area where you’ll be working if they have special requirements.
Potential Salary
Like most professions, your salary will depend on factors like:
- Employer’s assessment
- Education and training
- Skills and experience
Per BLS, an HVAC technician in Pennsylvania can earn an average of $53,840 annually as of May 2021.
If you’re an entry-level, you expect a salary of less than $34,600, while experts can receive more than $76,750.
In the table below, you’ll find the salary offers in 10 of Pennsylvania’s cities.
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of HVAC Techs in Pennsylvania
| City Name | Salary |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia | $50,280 |
| Pittsburgh | $45,915 |
| Allentown | $46,588 |
| Erie | $43,163 |
| Upper Darby | $50,280 |
| Reading | $46,209 |
| Scranton | $43,130 |
| Bethlehem | $46,588 |
| Lower Merion | $50,280 |
| Bensalem | $52,772 |
Regional Salary
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | 1,070 | $64,980 | $31.24 | $87,160 | $45,990 |
| Altoona, PA | 110 | $54,540 | $26.22 | $69,060 | $37,040 |
| Chambersburg, PA | 210 | $61,900 | $29.76 | $78,260 | $45,580 |
| Erie, PA | 240 | $57,930 | $27.85 | $80,440 | $37,350 |
| Gettysburg, PA | 90 | $58,940 | $28.34 | $73,610 | $48,820 |
| Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA | 950 | $64,060 | $30.80 | $82,960 | $47,470 |
| Johnstown, PA | 150 | $51,190 | $24.61 | $66,460 | $33,860 |
| Lancaster, PA | 1,040 | $61,980 | $29.80 | $78,670 | $46,060 |
| Lebanon, PA | 170 | $62,050 | $29.83 | $78,150 | $47,840 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | 8,290 | $67,000 | $32.21 | $98,340 | $38,240 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 3,500 | $63,130 | $30.35 | $93,220 | $46,740 |
| Reading, PA | 540 | $62,570 | $30.08 | $78,910 | $46,860 |
| Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA | 580 | $58,720 | $28.23 | $74,370 | $44,940 |
| State College, PA | 250 | $57,540 | $27.66 | $70,830 | $41,410 |
| Williamsport, PA | 140 | $57,360 | $27.58 | $74,160 | $39,180 |
| York-Hanover, PA | 620 | $63,170 | $30.37 | $92,600 | $41,660 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
HVAC Schools by City
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