HVAC Schools in Florida (Top Programs Listed)

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HVAC Schools in Florida

There are many reasons to want to become certified as an HVAC technician in Florida, such as a good field to work in and having a decent income.

Let’s learn more about this occupation and how to get licensed.

Job Overview

The demand for these technicians is expected to increase by 30% in the future, so now it’s a really good time to start your training.

Salary

In Florida, HVAC specialists earn on average $44,315 per year, versus the national average of $46,648 per year.

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The top 10% of these professionals earn as much as $50,215 per year, compared to the highest salary at a national level which is $46,648 per year.

Annual Salary Range:
$39K
$44K
$50K
10%
50%
90%
Annual Salary by Location:
Location Avg. Annual Salary
Jacksonville $44,026
Miami $45,411
Tampa $44,446
St. Petersburg $44,409
Hialeah $45,062
Orlando $44,376
Fort Lauderdale $45,300
Tallahassee $42,309
Hollywood $45,300
Pembroke Pines $45,006

Regional Salary in Florida

Region Employed Avg. Annual Salary Avg. Hourly Pay Top 10% Annual Salary Bottom 10% Annual Salary
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL1,210$49,010$23.56$63,600$31,780
Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL440$48,900$23.51$62,960$36,300
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL740$44,710$21.5$58,120$29,510
Gainesville, FL460$46,140$22.18$59,680$29,490
Homosassa Springs, FL170$43,290$20.81$57,430$31,040
Jacksonville, FL2,320$50,560$24.31$67,010$33,660
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL820$48,030$23.09$63,700$35,870
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL9,130$50,410$24.23$68,130$31,380
Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, FL760$52,980$25.47$86,920$31,470
North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL1,640$48,410$23.28$62,890$34,720
Ocala, FL390$44,420$21.36$58,250$30,960
Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL4,240$50,440$24.25$71,810$32,120
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL860$47,730$22.95$61,380$35,250
Panama City, FL570$51,570$24.79$76,780$32,910
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL840$47,900$23.03$61,520$34,320
Port St. Lucie, FL510$47,430$22.8$62,340$31,810
Punta Gorda, FL300$47,540$22.86$62,200$36,090
Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL300$47,580$22.88$63,100$31,150
Sebring, FL130$44,910$21.59$58,040$32,660
Tallahassee, FL520$44,570$21.43$58,940$30,580
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL5,830$49,170$23.64$62,310$36,700
The Villages, FL110$46,030$22.13$59,970$35,020
* Salary information based on the May 2022 Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) Survey for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, OCC Code 49-9021, BLS.
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.

HVAC Certification Programs

There are several ways to get a certification as an HVAC specialist in Florida.

Enrolling in a technical or public college is one of the easiest routes to enter this work field.

The length of the program depends on the institution, but it can last anywhere from 1 semester up to 4 years.

Possibly the best program would be one lasting about 2 years as they specifically prepare students for the licensing exam in Florida.

The certification programs for this occupation include:

  • Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Heating Systems Assistant Certificate
  • Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, and Heating Systems Technician Certificate
  • Associate in Applied Science in Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Heating Systems Technology
  • Associate in Science in Air Conditioning, Refrigeration and Systems Technologies

Let’s have a look at the types of licenses you can obtain, and remember that all of them are either certified by or registered with the State of Florida.

Certified ‘Class A’ Florida HVAC License

With this license, you can work anywhere within the State of Florida.

To qualify, you must meet the educational requirements – this includes training on the job, known as an apprenticeship.

You’ll then have to pass the exam for which you have to pay a fee of $355.

The license itself and its renewal cost $125 each.

Make sure to have workers compensation as well.

Registered ‘Class A’ Florida HVAC License

Holders of this license can work in certain areas where local requirements are met, regardless of unit size.

Local authorities have more details reading this option, and you’ll have to fill out an application.

Both the registration and the renewal fees are $100 each.

Certified ‘Class B’ HVAC License

There are several requirements to obtain this certification that allows you to work in any region of the state.

The limitation comes from the equipment you can service:

  • Up to 20 tons cooling systems
  • Up to 500,000 BTU heating systems

Requirements:

  • 18 years old
  • 4-year accredited degree
  • 1 year of experience (or 2000 hours)
  • Pass the exam
  • Have workers compensation

4 years of active experience is also accepted instead of the 4 year degree and 2000 hours of experience on the job.

You’ll have to pay $354 to take the exam.

Registered ‘Class B’ HVAC License

This license poses the most limitations, as it allows you to work only:

  • In areas where you meet the requirements
  • On up to 20 tons cooling systems
  • On up to 500,000 BTU heating systems

Local governments have more details regarding this license for which you must submit an application.

For this license, you have to pay the $100 registration fee and the $100 renewal fee.

Schools

Have a look at the list of schools in the table below.

School Name Address
Apex Training Center Inc 12490 NE 7th Ave #216, North Miami, FL 33161
Atlantic Technical College 4700 Coconut Creek Parkway Coconut Creek, FL 33063-3902
Brevard Community College 1519 Clearlake Rd Cocoa, Florida 32922
CHOICE High School and Technical Center 1976 Lewis Turner Blvd Fort Walton Beach, Florida 32547
College of Business and Technology-Flagler 8230 W Flagler St. Miami, FL 33144
College of Business and Technology-Hialeah 935 West 49 Street # 203 Hialeah, FL 33012
D G Erwin Technical Center 2010 E Hillsborough Ave Tampa, Florida 33610
Deliver My AC Unit HVAC School 15224 E Colonial Dr #5101, Orlando, FL 32826
Everest University 111 NW 183rd St, Ste 200 Miami, Florida 33169
First Coast Technical College 2980 Collins Ave Saint Augustine, Florida 32084
Flagler Technical Institute 1 Corporate Drive Suite 2-J Palm Coast, Florida 32137
Florida Career College-Miami 1321 SW 107 Ave Ste 201B Miami, FL 33174
Florida Academy HVAC 4387 Colonial Blvd Suite 105, Fort Myers, FL 33966
Florida Air Condition Apprent 4420 Georgia Ave, West Palm Beach, FL 33405
Florida Technical College 12900 Challenger Parkway Orlando, Florida 32826
Fort Myers Institute of Technology 3800 Michigan Ave Fort Myers, Florida 33916
Fortis Institute 5995-2 University Blvd West Jacksonville, Florida 32216
George Stone Technical Center 2400 Longleaf Dr Pensacola, FL 32526-8922
HVAC Training Solutions 4475 U.S. 1 South #607, St. Augustine, FL 32086
Indian River State College 3209 Virginia Ave Fort Pierce, FL 34981-5596
Jack Rase HVAC Technical Training 8720 Exposition Dr, Tampa, FL 33626
Lindsey Hopkins Technical Education Center 750 NW 20 Street Miami, Florida 33127
Lively Technical Center 500 N Appleyard Dr Tallahassee, Florida 32304
M-DCPS The English Center 3501 SW 28 St. Miami, Florida 33133
Manatee Technical Institute 6305 State Rd 70 East Bradenton, Florida 34203
Marchman Technical Education Center 7825 Campus Dr. New Port Richey, Florida 34653
Miami Lakes Educational Center 5780 NW 158th St Miami Lakes, Florida 33014
Mid Florida Tech 2900 West Oak Ridge Road Orlando, Florida 32809
Pinellas Technical College-St. Petersburg 901 34th St S Saint Petersburg, FL 33711-2209
Radford M Locklin Technical Center 5330 Berryhill Rd Milton, Florida 32570
Ridge Career Center 7700 State Rd 544 Winter Haven, Florida 33881
Robert Morgan Educational Center 18180 SW 122nd Ave Miami, Florida 33177
Sheridan Technical Center 5400 Sheridan St Hollywood, Florida 33021
South Florida Academy of AC 3343 W Commercial Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309
South Florida Institute of Technology 720 NW 27th Avenue, 2nd Floor Miami, FL 33125
Southern Technical College 2910 S. Orlando Drive Sanford, Florida 32773
Technical Education Center-Osceola 501 Simpson Rd Kissimmee, Florida 34744
Tom P Haney Technical Center 3016 Hwy 77 Panama City, Florida 32405
Traviss Career Center 3225 Winter Lake Rd Lakeland, Florida 33803
Tulsa Welding School - Jacksonville 3500 Southside Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32216
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The EPA Certification

Those who want to work with refrigerants that are ozone-depleting need to get the additional EPA license.

You can get this license either from one of these organizations: HVAC Excellence or the North American Technician Excellence (or shortly, NATE).

There are additionally a few other certifications you can get, they’re recommended if you want to prove you really know your profession.

The more licenses you have, the more valuable you can be when it comes to searching for a job.

Contractor License

Florida has different types of contractor licenses, and these have some common requirements:

  • Being over the age of 18.
  • Get a credit report and a financial statement from current year
  • Net worth between $2,500 – $20,000
  • General liability insurances:
    1. $100,000 for bodily injury
    2. $25,000 for property damage

For the mechanical contractor license you need minimum 4 years of experience.

For the A + B Air conditioning contractor license, you need to take 2 exams:

  1. In business/finance
  2. For the desired trade

These 2 exams are not for electrical contractors as they need to sit through other state-regulated examinations.

There are 2 different fees that must be paid as follows:

  • $249 From May 1st of an even year through August 31st of an odd year
  • $309 From September 1st of an odd year through April 30th of an even year

Exam Process

As you already know, you have to sit through a test for each license you want to obtain.

Mechanical Contractor’s License Exam:

  • The exam is taken in two sections lasting each 4.5 hour, with one taken in the morning and the other at night
  • You need to score at least 70% to pass
  • The exam fee is $135
  • The test is taken onsite at the date and location selected on your application

A + B Air Conditioning Contractor’s License:

  • The requirements are the same as above
  • You will need 14 hours of continued education to acquire and maintain this license

NATE Exam:

  • Choose your technician type: installation or service.
  • Identify which specialty exam you would like to take in addition to the core exam
  • Register for a testing session in your area
  • It costs $95 to maintain a 5-year certification

Extra Considerations

A successful HVAC career is possible with classroom education along with workshops apprenticeships, followed by obtaining a license.

This field allows for further specialization, however specific certification is also needed, but the process can mean you have less competition in your field and a higher chance of finding a better position.

USA HVAC Schools by City


USA HVAC Schools by State


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