Texas added more construction jobs than any other state between March 2025 and March 2026 — 21,600 positions, a 2.4% year-over-year gain. Every one of those buildings needs an HVAC system, and most of them need it to work reliably in 105-degree heat. The state's HVAC market is now valued at $11.4 billion, with 9,200-plus contractors competing for a workforce that cannot grow fast enough to meet demand.
If you're thinking about HVAC jobs in Texas — whether you're already in the state or considering a move — this guide covers what the market actually pays, what licensing requires, who's hiring, and what the job is like when the heat index pushes past 110.
Why Texas Is a Different Kind of HVAC Market
Texas is not the highest-paying HVAC market in the country. It's the highest-volume one.
The state's combination of extreme heat, explosive population growth, and a construction pace that has not slowed in a decade creates a demand floor that other markets don't have. In Harris County alone — the county that contains Houston — the population grew by more than 70,000 people in a single year. Each new subdivision, hospital wing, and warehouse complex needs HVAC work at installation, and then again on the service side for as long as it stands.
The numbers back that up. Texas employs roughly 31,900 HVAC technicians according to BLS occupational estimates — making it one of the top three states in the country by employment volume. The sector is projected to grow at roughly 17% through 2032, well above the national average.
Residential work dominates. Texas homes run their AC systems from roughly March through November, and in the Rio Grande Valley, year-round operation is the norm. The average residential unit in South Texas logs three to four times the annual runtime of a comparable unit in Ohio. That volume drives service call demand, equipment replacement cycles, and — when something goes wrong on a 100-degree afternoon — emergency calls that stretch technician schedules to the limit.
Commercial is the growth story. Data centers are the new driver. The Dallas-Fort Worth corridor and Abilene are adding hyperscale facilities at a pace that has changed labor demand for commercial HVAC specialists. The Stargate data center in Abilene alone required 6,400 construction workers. Yondr Group is building a 550 MW campus in Lancaster. Vantage Data Centers' Frontier development in Shackelford County represents a $25 billion investment spanning 1,200 acres. These facilities require precise, specialized HVAC work — and they pay accordingly.
HVAC Technician Salaries in Texas by Metro
The statewide median for HVAC technicians in Texas sits at approximately $57,760 per year based on BLS OEWS data, with the top 10% of earners clearing $81,860. Entry-level positions start around $38,100.
Metro pay varies meaningfully. Austin leads due to its tech-industry salary competition and high cost of labor across trades. El Paso comes in lowest, reflecting a smaller commercial sector and lower regional cost of living.
| Metro Area | Median Hourly | Median Annual | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austin | $27.16 | ~$56,500 | Tech industry pulls wages up across all trades |
| Dallas–Fort Worth | $25.95 | ~$54,000 | Largest market by job volume; strong commercial sector |
| Houston | $25.10 | ~$52,200 | High service call density; refineries add industrial work |
| San Antonio | $24.80 | ~$51,600 | Steady residential base; military installation work |
| El Paso | $22.90 | ~$47,600 | Smaller market; desert climate drives heavy AC season |
Source: TradeCareerPath via BLS/Indeed data, 2026. Metro figures are median estimates.
A few things push individual pay well above these medians. Commercial and industrial work pays 15–25% more than residential. Master-license holders earn 30–50% more than apprentice-level techs. Union positions — particularly in commercial construction — carry a 20–35% premium plus full benefits.
The Tax Advantage
Texas has no state income tax. That's not a minor footnote.
A technician earning $55,000 in Dallas takes home roughly $82 cents on every gross dollar after federal taxes and FICA — compared to around $75 cents for a tech earning the same wage in a state with a 5% income tax. Over a career, that difference is substantial. The caveat: Texas property taxes are high, and the state sales tax reaches 8.25% with local additions. Renters benefit most from the no-income-tax structure. Homeowners need to run the numbers for their specific situation.
Outside Austin, the cost of living remains moderate. Housing in San Antonio and the outer suburbs of Dallas and Houston is significantly cheaper than comparable markets in the Southwest and Southeast. A technician relocating from California or New York will notice the difference immediately.
Texas HVAC Licensing: What TDLR Requires
Texas manages HVAC licensing through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) under its Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (ACR) program. The structure has two tiers: technician registration for people working under a licensed contractor, and a contractor license for those running a business.
ACR Technician Registration
If you're working as a tech under a licensed contractor, you need to register with TDLR before you touch equipment. This is not optional, and it is not a formality.
Requirements:
- Minimum age 16
- $20 non-refundable application fee
- Annual renewal
- Criminal history disclosure (TDLR reviews convictions on a case-by-case basis; complex history can add 1–6 weeks to processing)
The registration doesn't require an exam or documented experience hours. It's a background check and a fee. Apply online through the TDLR portal or submit a PDF form. For most incoming technicians, this is the first step taken on the first week of employment.
ACR Contractor License
The contractor license is what you need to run a business or pull permits independently. TDLR offers two classes:
Class A — unrestricted scope, any unit size. Requires $300,000 per occurrence in commercial general liability insurance.
Class B — limited to units up to 25 tons cooling capacity and 1.5 million BTUs/hour heating. Requires $100,000 per occurrence insurance.
To qualify for either:
- At least 48 months of supervised practical experience within the past 72 months, OR
- 12 months as a TDLR-registered Certified Technician plus 36 months of supervised experience within the past 48 months
- Pass the TDLR licensing exam (70% passing score required; covers technical knowledge, codes and standards, safety, and business requirements)
- $115 application fee
- Proof of commercial general liability insurance
- Age minimum: 18
Experience must be documented on TDLR's verification form, completed by your supervising contractor — not self-reported.
For the full current requirements, the TDLR ACR program pages at tdlr.texas.gov are the authoritative source. Requirements do change, and anything more than a year old may be out of date.
Who's Hiring in Texas
The Texas HVAC employer landscape breaks into three categories:
Large regional and national service companies — companies like Daikin Applied, ARS/Rescue Rooter, and Comfort Systems USA operate across multiple Texas metros and hire continuously. They offer structured training programs and defined career paths, which makes them good entry points for techs building toward their contractor license hours.
Established local contractors — operators like Berkeys (DFW), Frymire Services (Dallas, founded 1950), Houk Air Conditioning (Arlington, founded 1962), and Texas AirSystems (headquartered in Irving) represent the traditional backbone of the market. These companies often pay more than national chains for experienced techs and provide steadier schedules.
Commercial and industrial specialists — with the data center build-out and ongoing industrial expansion along the Gulf Coast, commercial-focused contractors are actively recruiting techs with chiller experience, building automation systems knowledge, and EPA Section 608 certification. These positions typically pay at the upper end of the metro ranges listed above.
The job market in DFW and Houston is deep enough that experienced technicians with their own tools and a clean driving record can typically find a new position within two weeks if they're actively looking. Browse current HVAC openings in Texas to see what's posted across all metros.
The Seasonal Reality
Texas has a long cooling season and a short heating season. In most of the state, that means:
- March through November: AC season. Service call volume is high from late spring through early fall, with June through August representing the peak. During heat waves — which now arrive earlier and last longer than they did 15 years ago — it's not unusual for dispatch queues to run 48 to 72 hours out.
- November through February: Heating season in North Texas and the Panhandle. San Antonio and southward rarely see sustained freezing temperatures, though Winter Storm Uri in 2021 exposed how unprepared the region's housing stock is for prolonged cold snaps. That event drove a spike in heat pump installs and weatherization work that has held into the current market.
- Rio Grande Valley: Effectively a year-round AC market. McAllen and Brownsville have mild winters and summers that exceed 100 degrees for months at a stretch.
What Working Through Texas Summers Actually Means
This is the part that job boards don't tell you.
Attic temperatures in Texas homes regularly hit 130 to 150 degrees in July. Working a residential service call in those conditions means you're doing it with a headlamp, crawling through fiberglass insulation, in temperatures that are immediately dangerous without proper precautions. Experienced Texas techs develop their own systems — early morning starts, ice vests, scheduled hydration breaks, refusal to work certain conditions without a helper. The heat exposure is real, and it causes injuries and heat illness in the industry every summer.
The summer workload is also relentless. Callbacks, emergency calls after hours, and the pressure to clear a packed dispatch board are standard from June through August. Techs who thrive in this market tend to be people who want the overtime and don't mind the grind. Techs who struggle tend to underestimate what sustained summer demand actually feels like at the end of a six-day week in August.
That's not a reason to avoid Texas. It's a reason to go in with clear eyes about the work.
What's Driving Long-Term Growth
Three forces are keeping Texas HVAC demand structurally strong:
Population growth. Houston added more people last year than almost any metro in the country. The DFW area has been adding over 100,000 residents annually for the better part of a decade. Every new household is a future service customer, and many of them are coming from climates where they've never owned an AC system that runs ten months a year.
New construction. Texas leads the nation in commercial construction spending at approximately $90 billion annually. Industrial, logistics, healthcare, and multifamily projects are all active. Each building requires initial HVAC installation, which drives commercial service demand for the life of the asset.
Data centers. This is the variable that caught most contractors off guard. The hyperscale data center build-out requires precision cooling systems at a scale that Texas contractors hadn't historically worked with. It's creating demand for techs with building automation, chiller systems, and controls experience — skills that command higher pay and are currently in short supply.
Is Texas Right for You?
For technicians who want volume, overtime opportunity, and a market where experienced techs are in genuine demand, Texas delivers. The salaries aren't the highest in the country — the Pacific Northwest and New England both pay more — but the combination of no state income tax, moderate cost of living outside the Austin core, and a job market where your skills are genuinely needed makes the total compensation picture competitive.
The tradeoff is the summers. If you've worked HVAC in a mild climate and you're relocating for the opportunity, spend some time thinking about whether the seasonal intensity is something you want.
If you're already in Texas and working toward your contractor license, the path is straightforward: get your TDLR technician registration on day one, log your supervised hours, and build toward the 48 months you need for the Class A. The market for independent contractors — particularly in commercial and data center work — is strong enough that the investment in getting there is worth making.
For specific salary ranges in your metro and current job postings, the Texas HVAC salary page has up-to-date data, and the Texas licensing guide covers the TDLR steps in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a license to work HVAC in Texas?
Yes. Anyone assisting a licensed contractor with HVAC maintenance or repair must hold a TDLR ACR technician registration. The registration costs $20 and renews annually. You cannot legally work HVAC in Texas without it, even as a helper.
What is the TDLR ACR license?
ACR stands for Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) administers the ACR program, which covers both technician registration (for techs working under a contractor) and contractor licenses (Class A and Class B) for those operating independently or pulling permits.
How much do HVAC technicians make in Dallas-Fort Worth?
The median for HVAC technicians in the DFW metro is approximately $25.95/hour or $54,000 annually. Experienced commercial techs and master-license holders can earn $70,000–$80,000+. Union commercial positions tend to pay at the top of that range.
How much do HVAC technicians make in Houston?
Houston's median sits at approximately $25.10/hour or $52,200 annually. The market is large and the work is diverse — residential service, light commercial, and industrial work along the Gulf Coast refinery corridor all pay at different rates. Industrial and process cooling work at refineries and petrochemical facilities pays significantly above the residential median.
Does Texas have state income tax for HVAC technicians?
No. Texas has no state income tax. HVAC technicians pay federal income tax and FICA (Social Security and Medicare) but nothing at the state level. On a $55,000 salary, that's roughly $2,500–$3,500 more in take-home pay per year compared to states with a 5–6% income tax.
What is the difference between Class A and Class B ACR contractor licenses in Texas?
A Class A license authorizes work on HVAC systems of any size. A Class B license is limited to units up to 25 tons cooling capacity and 1.5 million BTUs/hour heating. Both require 48 months of supervised experience, but Class A carries a higher commercial general liability insurance requirement ($300,000 per occurrence vs. $100,000 for Class B).
When is peak HVAC season in Texas?
AC season runs from roughly March through November in most of Texas, with June through August representing the highest call volume. In South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley, the season is effectively year-round. The heating season is short — primarily December through February in North Texas, and much shorter or nonexistent in South Texas.
Are HVAC jobs in Texas projected to grow?
Yes. BLS projections put HVAC employment growth in Texas at approximately 17% through 2032, well above the national average. The combination of population growth, new construction, and the ongoing data center build-out is keeping demand ahead of supply in most Texas metros.