Stop Fishing in the Same Pond: Cross-State Hiring for HVAC Contractors

This is a workforce story, not something that changes what you need to do to your house, but it helps explain why HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) work can be hard to schedule or pricier than expected in some areas. Industry data cited in the piece shows around 110,000 HVAC technician jobs have gone unfilled nationally, and that shortage is not spread evenly. States like Texas are seeing fast job growth, while other markets are oversaturated with technicians. That mismatch means some regions have long waits for service calls or installations simply because there aren't enough qualified people nearby, not because demand for your particular job is unusual.

To deal with this, larger HVAC companies are increasingly hiring technicians from other states rather than just their local area. That's harder than it sounds, because licensing rules and required certifications differ by state (only a federal refrigerant-handling certification, called EPA Section 608, is standard nationwide), so a technician qualified in one state may need to retest to work in another. Wages also vary a lot by state, from around $40,000 a year in lower-cost states to about $70,000 in places like California or Washington, which affects how easily companies can recruit outside talent.

For a homeowner, the takeaway is mostly background: if you're in a market with a tight technician supply, this kind of cross-state recruiting is one reason you might eventually see more availability, or it might explain current delays and cost differences in getting HVAC work done.