
When it comes to carrying out work in conditioning, ventilation and cooling system repair, installation and maintenance, then requirements are different for each state.
Texas does not differ much from other states in terms of requirements.
However, in Texas, there is a clear distinction made between “environmental air conditioning” and the “commercial refrigeration and process cooling or heating.”
That is why there are two types of licensing.
You will need to complete a Texas HVAC certification program.
After that, you need to pass the state-administered exam and fill out certain forms.
One of them is a Texas ACR Contractor License Application.
Here is all you need to know!
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HVAC Licenses
There are two types of licenses in Texas.
They are Class A license or a Class B HVACR licenses.
A technician who holds a Class A license can work on a unit of any size.
On the other hand, a technician who has the Class B license can work on cooling systems that are 25 tons and under, and heating systems of 1.5 million BTUs/hour and under.
The license certifies that you can carry out work in air conditioning and refrigeration contracting for commercial refrigeration and process cooling or heating which fall within the scope of your license type.
There is an option to complete HVAC certification program online.
This will provide you with more flexibility in terms of your schedule.
This is especially good for you if you have a part-time job or if you are taking care of your family.
In order to prepare for your certification exam, and obtain your license be sure to go over all the requirements you need to meet in order to obtain the HVAC license.
License Requirements
To obtain the license you must be at least 18. In addition to that you need to supply proof that you have 36 months of hands-on experience.
All the information about taking this exam including various rules, laws and guidelines are available on the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation website.
The fee you will have to pay id $115. Once your application has been approved, the state will send a notification to the exam provider, who will in turn notify you to schedule your test.
The test can be taken as many times as you want in the time frame of one year from filing your application.
However, it is still obligatory that you pay the fee for each attempt.
When you pass the test, a license will be awarded to you.
This license will allow you both to provide HVAC services to the general public and to work as a contactor in the HVAC industry.
You will also need proper liability insurance to begin working on appropriate systems or equipment.
Therefore, you have to fulfill the following requirements:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Register as an ACR technician (no exam)
- Have at least 4 years of experience working with AC and refrigerators under the supervision of a licenses technician within the past 6 years.
- Apply for the ACR contractors certification exam
- Determine which license you want
- Take the ACR contractors certification exam
- Find a job
ACR Certification Exam
You need to meet the eligibility requirements discussed above in order to schedule and take this exam.
If your application is approved, you should contact the PSI to schedule the exam. You can contact them at 1-800-733-9267.
There are two types of exams depending on the Class of your license.
The tests for Class A and Class B are different in length and the time you have at your disposal.
Class A exam consists of 120 questions that you need to complete in 240 minutes.
Class B exam has 100 questions, and you will have 180 minutes to complete them.
The topics that are featured in the exam are: Absorption systems, basic refrigeration components, boilers, business and law, combustion air, controls, design and responsibility, equipment requirements, heat loads, HVAC systems, piping, pressure relief protection, refrigeration principles, service, testing, ventilation, and venting.
In case you want to take the environmental air exam, the topics are quite similar.
However, they are more specific in terms of the environmental impact the systems can have.
Salary
The job market for HVAC industry is constantly growing. It is estimated that there will be a 30% increase in the number of jobs.
Your salary will be dependent of many factors. Some of them are your licenses, certifications, experience, education, and employers.
As a beginner in San Antonio you can make an average salary of $37,730; and $38,790 in Austin.
Here is a table of salaries you can expect as a HVAC technician in the ten largest cities in the state of Texas:
Annual Salary Range:Average Salary of HVAC Techs in Texas
City Name | Salary |
---|---|
Houston | $47,896 |
Dallas | $46,416 |
San Antonio | $45,513 |
Austin | $46,027 |
El Paso | $40,872 |
Fort Worth | $45,532 |
Arlington | $45,458 |
Corpus Christi | $43,242 |
Plano | $46,216 |
Garland | $46,316 |
Schools
The best way you can prepare for your exams as well as for the job itself is to finish an official HVAC training program.
These programs will make you become a valuable asset to any company. You will get theoretical and practical knowledge.
Here is a table of schools that offer approved HVAC training programs in Texas:
55 HVAC Schools in Texas
School Name | Address |
---|---|
Ashworth College | 6625 The Corners Pkwy NW #500, Norcross, GA 30092 |
Anthem College - Houston | 70 FM 1960 West, Houston, TX 77090 |
Lincoln College of Technology | 2501 East Arkansas Lane, Grand Prairie, TX 75052 |
Amarillo College-Industrial Maintenance Technology Angelina Community College | 1502 B. Avenue, Amarillo, TX 79111 PO Box 1768, Lufkin, TX 75902 |
Austin Community College | 5930 Middle Fiskville, Austin, TX 78752 |
Brazosport College | 500 College Drive, Lake Jackson, TX 77566 |
Capital City Trade & Tech | 205 E. Riverside Drive, Austin, TX 78704 |
Career Centers of TX-Brownsville | 1900 N. Expressway, Brownsville, TX 78521 |
Central Texas College | PO Box 1800, Killeen, TX 76540 |
Cisco Junior College | 717 E Industrial Blvd., Abilene, TX 79602 |
Coastal Bend College | 1411 Bensdale, Pleasanton, TX 78102 |
College of the Mainland | 1200 Amburn, Texas City, TX 77591 |
Construction Education Foundation | 1401-A Royal Lane, DFW Airport, TX 75261 |
Del Mar College | 401 Old Brownsville Road, Corpus Christi, TX 78404 |
Eastfield College/DCCCD | 3737 Motley Drive, Mesquite, TX 75150 |
El Paso Community College | PO Box 20500, El Paso, TX 79998 |
Everest College | Train to be an HVAC Technician | 300 Six Flags Dr #100, Arlington (Mid-Cities), Austin, Houston and San Antonio, TX 76011 |
Fortis Institute | HVAC Training | 450 N. Sam Houston Parkway E, Suite 200, Houston, TX 77060 |
Frank Phillips College | 1301 W. Roosevelt, Broger, TX 79008 |
Galveston College-HVAC | 4102 Avenue Q, Galveston, TX 77550 |
Grayson County College-West Campus | 6101 Grayson Drive, Denison, TX 75020 |
Hill College | PO Box 1899, Cleburne, TX 76033 |
Houston Community College-Central College | 1300 Holman, Houston, TX 77004 |
HVAC Career Training Center | Multiple Locations in Texas, Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, TX 75201 |
HVAC Training Center | 15424 Mound, Hockley, TX 77447 |
hvacredu.net (Online Training) | P.O. Box 77, Heron, MT 59844 |
Kilgore College | 1100 Broadway, Longview, TX 75662 |
Lamar Institute of Technology | 855 East Lavaca, Beaumont, TX 77705 |
Lamar State College/PA | 1500 Procter Street, Port Arthur, TX 77640 |
Laredo Community College | West End Washington St., Laredo, TX 78040 |
Lee College | PO Box 818, Baytown, TX 77522 |
Lindsey-Cooper Refrigeration School | 815 S. Beltline Road, Irving, TX 75060 |
Midland College | 3600 North Garfield, Midland, TX 79705 |
National Institute of Technology | 9100 US Hwy 290 East, Bldg 1 #100, Austin, TX 78754 |
National Institute of Technology | 6550 First Park Ten Blvd., San Antonio, TX 78213 |
North Central Texas College | 1525 W. California Street, Gainesville, TX 76240 |
North Harris County College | 2700 W Thorne Road, Houston, TX 77073 |
North Lake College-DCCCD | 201 W. University, Odessa, TX 79764 |
Paris Junior College | 2400 Clarksville Street, Paris, TX 75460 |
Professional Career Training Institute | 227 W. Airtex Drive, Houston, TX 77090 |
San Antonio College of Medical & Dental Assistants | 7142 San Pedro Avenue #100, San Antonio, TX 78216 |
San Jacinto College | 13735 Beamer Road, Houston, TX 77346 |
South Plains College | 1401 College Avenue, Levelland, TX 79336 |
South Texas College | PO Box 9701, McAllen, TX 78502 |
Southwest Texas Junior College | 2401 Garner Field Road, Uvalde, TX 78801 |
St. Phillips College-Southwest Campus | 800 Quintana Road, San Antonio, TX 78211 |
Tarrant County College-South Campus | 5301 Campus Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76119 |
Texas State Technical College | 300 College Drive, Sweetwater, TX 79556 |
Texas State Technical College/Waco | 3801 Campus Drive, Waco, TX 76705 |
Trinity Valley Community College | 100 Cardinal Drive, Palestine, TX 75801 |
Tyler Junior College | 1327 S. Baxter Street, Tyler, TX 75701 |
Vernon College-Skills Training Center | 2813 Central Expressway E, Wichita Falls, TX 76302 |
Victoria College | 2200 E. Red River, Victoria, TX 77901 |
Western Technical Institute | 1000 Texas Avenue, El Paso, TX 79901 |
Wharton County Junior College | 911 Boling Hwy, Wharton, TX 77488 |
Conclusion
If you were waiting for the perfect timing to start your HVAC career, this is it.
The job market is excellent and the number of jobs is only expected to grow.
The jobs pay more than the national average.
The only thing you should do to be a top-earning technician is to invest a bit of hard work, money and time.