NATE Certification Guide: How to Get NATE Certified and Why It Pays Off

NATE-certified technicians earn roughly 12–20% more than their non-certified peers, depending on specialty and market. That gap tends to widen as you add more credentials and move into service roles. If you're working in HVAC and haven't looked seriously at NATE, this guide covers exactly what you need to know — what the credential is, how the exams work, what it costs, and how to prepare.

What NATE Is and Why It Matters

NATE stands for North American Technician Excellence. It's a non-profit certification body that has been testing and credentialing HVAC technicians since 1997. More than 100,000 technicians hold active NATE credentials today, and the organization is widely recognized as the industry's primary third-party certification standard.

Unlike the EPA 608 certification — which is a federal legal requirement for anyone handling refrigerants — NATE is voluntary. That distinction matters. The techs who hold it chose to pursue it. That signal carries real weight with employers who understand the industry.

Major HVAC manufacturers including Carrier, Trane, Lennox, and Rheem recognize NATE certification. Many HVAC contractors advertise that their service teams are NATE-certified because it gives customers a concrete quality signal. From the employer side, NATE certification means a technician has demonstrated competency on a standardized exam — not just put in years of time.

NATE Certification Levels

NATE organizes its credentials into a hierarchy, with different entry points depending on where you are in your career.

Ready-to-Work Certificate — Designed for technicians who are new to the trade or just starting training. The exam is 50 questions, costs $60, takes 90 minutes, and can be taken online without a proctor — meaning you can take it from home. It covers component identification, tool identification, and basic heat transfer. This credential is valid for 5 years. It's not the same as full NATE certification, but it demonstrates baseline readiness and is increasingly requested by contractors hiring apprentices.

HVAC Support Technician — An intermediate credential for technicians who assist with installation and service but aren't yet taking the lead on diagnostics. The exam costs around $97 and covers a broader set of fundamentals than the Ready-to-Work exam.

Professional NATE Certification — The credential most people mean when they say "NATE certified." This requires passing a Core exam and at least one Specialty exam. Employers advertising for certified technicians almost always mean this level.

NATE Certification Specialties

The professional certification is what separates NATE from most other credentials — instead of a one-size-fits-all test, you specialize. Each specialty has both an Installation track and a Service track, and they test different knowledge.

Installation exams focus on proper startup procedures, code compliance, equipment commissioning, and getting systems running correctly the first time. Service exams go deeper — diagnostics, troubleshooting, system performance analysis, and repair. Service certifications are generally harder to earn and command higher pay.

The available specialties:

• Air Conditioning (AC) — Cooling systems, refrigerant charging, airflow diagnostics. The most common specialty for residential techs.
• Air Distribution (AD) — Ductwork design, static pressure, airflow balancing. Pairs well with any other specialty.
• Heat Pumps (HP) — Reversing valves, defrost cycles, dual-fuel systems. Growing demand as heat pump installations increase.
• Gas Heating (GS) — Gas furnace service, combustion analysis, ignition systems, safety controls.
• Oil Heating (OL) — Oil furnace and boiler service. More regionally relevant in the Northeast.
• Hydronics Gas (HG) and Hydronics Oil (HO) — Hydronic heating systems using gas or oil.
• Light Commercial Refrigeration (LR) — Refrigeration systems in small commercial applications.
• Commercial Refrigeration (CR) — Larger commercial refrigeration, walk-in coolers, display cases.
• Senior HVAC Efficiency Analyst — An advanced credential focused on energy analysis and building performance. Costs $209 and requires existing NATE certification.

Most residential and light commercial technicians start with AC Service and add Gas Heating or Heat Pumps as their second specialty. The combination covers most of what residential employers need covered year-round.

Exam Format and What You're Actually Tested On

Traditional Pathway

The Traditional Pathway involves two separate exams:

Core Exam — 50 questions. Covers safety, electrical fundamentals, heat transfer theory, and tools and instrumentation. The Core exam isn't equipment-specific — it tests the foundational knowledge that applies across all HVAC work. Cost is approximately $136. Time allotment is about 75 minutes.

Specialty Exam — 100 questions. Specific to your chosen specialty and track (Installation or Service). You have roughly 2 hours and 10 minutes. The AC Service exam, for example, covers refrigeration cycle diagnostics, pressure-temperature relationships, superheat and subcooling measurements, leak detection, and electrical troubleshooting. Cost is approximately $146 per exam.

Passing threshold: 70% on both the Core and the Specialty exam. You need to pass both to earn certification. If you pass one and fail the other, you retake only the one you failed.

CHP-5 Pathway

The Certified HVAC Professional-5 (CHP-5) is a newer format designed for technicians who prefer a different structure. Instead of a Core plus a single 100-question Specialty exam, you take five shorter exams of 30 questions each, covering: HVAC Fundamentals, Electrical and Controls, Comfort and Airflow, Installation, and Service.

You can take the five exams in any order, with up to six months between each one. Some techs prefer this because it distributes the preparation load over time. Others find the Traditional Pathway more straightforward. The end result — Professional NATE Certification — is equivalent either way.

Eligibility and Prerequisites

There's no experience minimum to take the Ready-to-Work or Support Technician exams. For the Professional certification, NATE recommends at least two years of hands-on HVAC experience, but this isn't a hard requirement — it's a practical warning. The Specialty exams, particularly on the Service track, assume you've worked on real equipment. Someone who has only read about troubleshooting will struggle with questions that require practical pattern recognition.

No specific education credential is required. Techs with trade school backgrounds, apprenticeship completion, military HVAC training, and self-taught experience all sit for the same exam.

How to Register

Registration goes through NATE's website at natex.org. The process:

1. Create an account at myNATE.org
2. Select your exam or exams (Core and/or Specialty)
3. Pay the exam fee
4. Schedule your testing session — available through NATE's network of proctored testing centers or via live online proctoring

Online proctoring has become the standard for most technicians. You'll need a working webcam, a reliable internet connection, and a clean desk. The proctor monitors the session remotely. You can't use notes, and you can't have your phone nearby.

In-person testing is available at NATE-approved testing centers around the country. If you prefer a physical testing environment or don't have reliable internet at home, this is the route to take.

Exam Costs in 2026

Retakes cost the same as the original exam. If you fail the Core and pass the Specialty, you pay the Core fee again to retake it. This is another reason to prepare before you schedule — you're paying per attempt.

Studying for NATE: What Actually Works

NATE publishes a candidate handbook for each specialty that outlines the competency areas and subtopics on the exam. Download it first. Don't guess at what's covered.

Start with a practice exam. Take a baseline test before you open a study guide. You'll learn more about your actual weak areas in 30 minutes of practice questions than in two hours of reading.

For the Core exam, focus on:

• Electrical theory and basic circuits (this trips up more techs than anything else)
• Heat transfer — conduction, convection, radiation, and how each applies in HVAC systems
• Safety procedures and tool identification
• Refrigeration cycle fundamentals

For Specialty exams (AC Service example), focus on:

• Superheat and subcooling — knowing the calculation cold and what abnormal readings indicate
• Pressure-temperature relationships for common refrigerants (R-410A, R-22, R-32, R-454B)
• Electrical diagnostic sequences — how to work through a no-cooling call systematically
• Airflow diagnostics — static pressure readings, filter restriction, duct leakage

Resources worth using:

NATE's own study guides — Available when you purchase your exam. Use them. They're written specifically around what NATE tests.

Interplay Learning — Online platform with scenario-based HVAC training that maps well to NATE exam content. Better for visual learners than reading-only prep.

SkillCat — Mobile app with NATE-aligned practice questions. Useful for drilling practice on your phone during downtime.

HVAC School podcast and YouTube channel — Run by Bryan Orr. Not specifically NATE prep, but the fundamentals content is excellent. The episodes on refrigerant charging, superheat/subcooling, and psychrometrics are directly relevant to the AC Service exam.

Trade school instructors and shop mentors — If you have access to an experienced tech who's willing to walk through real call scenarios with you, that's worth more than any prep course for the Service track. The questions are built around practical situations.

Plan for 15–25 hours of preparation for each specialty exam. The Core exam is a separate prep effort — budget another 8–12 hours specifically for Core content, even if you've been in the trade for years. The electrical theory section in particular tests specific knowledge that's easy to assume you know and then miss on the exam.

How NATE Certification Affects Your Salary

The numbers are consistent across multiple data sources. NATE-certified technicians earn 12–20% more than non-certified peers doing similar work.

Glassdoor data puts the average salary for a NATE-certified HVAC technician at $73,613 annually. The broader HVAC technician median sits around $55,000–$60,000 nationally. That's a meaningful gap.

The mechanism is straightforward: employers who advertise specifically for NATE-certified techs are typically companies that have made a business decision to differentiate on quality. Those companies — often larger contractors, manufacturers' authorized dealers, and commercial service firms — tend to run at higher margins and pay accordingly. The certification doesn't just signal competency; it filters for the category of employer who values competency enough to pay for it.

Adding specialties compounds the effect. A tech with AC Service and Gas Heating certifications is more valuable to a year-round residential contractor than one with a single specialty, because they can handle both peak seasons without the company needing to sub out work.

See how NATE certification stacks up against other credentials in the HVAC salary guide, which breaks down pay by specialty, market, and experience level.

Recertification: What Happens After Two Years

Professional NATE certification is valid for two years. This catches people off guard if they're used to EPA 608, which never expires.

Two years from your certification date, you have two options:

Option 1 — Continuing Education Hours (CEH): Complete 16 CEH in your specialty area during the certification period and pay the renewal fee — $30 for your first specialty, $5 for each additional specialty. The 16-hour requirement sounds like a lot until you realize that most manufacturer training events, trade association workshops, and online courses offered through providers like RSES, Green Training USA, and Lennox Learning Solutions are NATE-recognized. If you're attending any structured training during your two-year period, you're likely accumulating hours.

Option 2 — Retake the Specialty Exam: Take the Specialty exam again before your certification expires. This is the less common route unless your CEH tracking has lapsed.

Don't let your certification expire before starting the renewal process. NATE requires you to initiate recertification while you're within one year of expiration. If the credential lapses, you're starting over.

The two-year recertification cycle is actually one of NATE's stronger features from an employer perspective. It means that a tech whose badge is current has actively maintained their credential — not just passed an exam years ago and coasted.

NATE vs. EPA 608: Which Do You Need?

Short answer: both, and they're not substitutes for each other.

EPA 608 is a federal legal requirement. If you handle refrigerants in containers larger than 2 lbs, you must hold it — no exceptions. The law doesn't care whether you're NATE certified. See our complete EPA 608 certification guide for the full breakdown.

NATE is the industry's voluntary competency credential. It has no legal mandate, but it has market weight. Employers use it to screen applications. Homeowners increasingly ask for it. It directly affects what you earn.

Most serious technicians carry both. The order doesn't matter much — many techs get EPA 608 first because it's legally required before they can handle refrigerant, and then pursue NATE once they have some field experience to back up the exam preparation.

If your goal is getting your first HVAC job, EPA 608 Universal is the more urgent credential. If your goal is moving up in pay and working for contractors who differentiate on quality, NATE Professional certification is the next major milestone.

Finding Employers Who Value NATE

Not every employer weights NATE equally. Large residential contractors doing high-volume new construction often don't care much about it — they're optimizing for speed and price. Service-first contractors, manufacturers' authorized dealers, and commercial HVAC companies are the ones who actively recruit certified technicians and pay accordingly.

When you're evaluating job listings, job descriptions that specifically mention NATE certification are a useful filter. They tell you the employer understands the difference between certified and uncertified work, and they're hiring accordingly.

Browse NATE-certified HVAC jobs by city to see open roles where employers are specifically recruiting for that credential. Every listing on HVACJobs.IO includes the salary range, so you can see exactly what employers in your market are paying for NATE-certified experience right now, not survey data from two years ago.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NATE certification for HVAC?

NATE (North American Technician Excellence) is the HVAC industry's primary voluntary certification program. Professional NATE certification requires passing a Core exam and at least one Specialty exam with a score of 70% or higher on each. Specialties include Air Conditioning, Heat Pumps, Gas Heating, Air Distribution, Commercial Refrigeration, and others.

How much does NATE certification cost?

The Core exam is approximately $136 and each Specialty exam is approximately $146, both via online proctoring. The entry-level Ready-to-Work certificate costs $60. Recertification using continuing education hours costs $30 for the first specialty and $5 for each additional specialty.

How long does it take to get NATE certified?

The time from registration to certification depends on your preparation schedule. Most technicians budget 2–4 weeks of preparation for each exam (Core and Specialty separately). You can schedule both exams in the same testing period or take them separately.

How many questions are on the NATE certification exam?

The Core exam is 50 questions (approximately 75 minutes). The Specialty exam is 100 questions (approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes). Both require a passing score of 70%.

What NATE specialty should I get first?

For residential HVAC, Air Conditioning Service is the most common starting point. Add Gas Heating (Air) as a second specialty to cover year-round service work. For technicians focused on commercial work, Commercial Refrigeration or the Heat Pump specialty may be more relevant.

Does NATE certification expire?

Yes. Professional NATE certification is valid for two years. To renew, you must either complete 16 Continuing Education Hours (CEH) in your specialty and pay the renewal fee, or retake the Specialty exam before your certification expires.

What is the difference between NATE certification and EPA 608?

EPA 608 is a federal legal requirement for anyone who purchases or handles regulated refrigerants. You must have it to work legally in HVAC. NATE certification is a voluntary industry credential that demonstrates competency beyond the minimum legal standard. Most working technicians carry both.

Do employers require NATE certification?

Many do, particularly service-focused contractors, manufacturers' authorized dealers, and commercial HVAC companies. Job listings that specify NATE certification tend to come from employers who pay higher wages and run quality-differentiated businesses. Employers doing high-volume new construction installations may not require it.