New Mexico is characterized by its year round desert-like, arid conditions with some portions of the state receiving less than 10 inches of rainfall per year. The state maintains an average temperature range of the low 20s during the winter to high 80s during the summers keeping professionals with a New Mexico HVAC license in high demand all throughout the year.
In order to work as an HVAC contractor in New Mexico HVAC professionals are required to obtain licensing as Conditioning Contractor as well as in Business and Law. HVAC technicians or HVAC professionals that do not work as contractors are required to obtain specific certification in their area of work.
New Mexico HVAC License Requirements
New Mexico has different options for HVAC certification and licensing. The Journeyman Certificate of Competence is offered by the New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department in the areas of Journeyman Gas Fitter, Journeyman Refrigeration, Journeyman Plumber and Natural Gas Fitter, and Journeyman Boiler Operator for either low pressure or both low and high pressure. Licensing as an HVAC contractor is also available in the form of MM-2: Natural Gas Fitting Contractor, MM-3: Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Contractor, MM-4: Heating, Cooling and Process Piping Contractor, and MM-98: Mechanical Contractor.
The Journeyman Gas Fitter, Refrigeration, Plumber and Natural Gas Fitter certifications all require HVAC professionals to have a minimum of 4,000 hours of work experience supervised by a licensed contractor and they must pass their respective exam. Both Journeyman Boiler Operator certifications requires HVAC professionals to have a minimum of 1,000 hours of work supervised by a licensed contractor and they must pass their respective exam.
All HVAC Contractor licenses require HVAC professionals to obtain a minimum of 8,000 hours of related work experience in order to sit for their specialty exam and they must also obtain a $10,000 surety bond.
New Mexico HVAC Education
There are several colleges and programs available in New Mexico for those looking to obtain HVAC education. Some of the more well-known options for HVAC schooling include Central New Mexico Community College, Clovis Community College, Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus, New Mexico State University-Carlsbad, New Mexico State University-Dona Ana, and Santa Fe Community College. Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell Campus is HVAC Excellence accredited and Central New Mexico Community College has both HVAC Excellence and PAHRA accreditation.
New Mexico HVAC Exam Overview
All HVAC contractors in New Mexico are required to take both the Heat, Air Conditioning Contractors License Exam and the New Mexico Business and Law Exam. The Heat, Air Conditioning Contractors License Exam is a 180 minute long exam that has 100 questions. A score of 75% is required to pass. The New Mexico Business and Law Exam is a 125 minute long exam that has 50 questions. A score of 75% is required to pass this exam as well.
New Mexico EPA Section 608 Certification
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires all HVAC technicians that work with refrigerants to be certified. In order to obtain EPA certification, HVAC technicians in New Mexico must take an exam which has 80 multiple choice questions that must be completed within 3 hours. A score of 70% is required to pass the exam and the exam fee is $120.
The three different EPA certification types that New Mexico HVAC technicians can acquire are Type I, II and III. Type I limits HVAC technicians to working on appliances which contain no more than five pounds of refrigerant. Type II permits HVAC technicians to perform work on high pressure appliances. Type III limits HVAC technicians to working on low-pressure appliances. This certification is transferable among all states and does not expire.
New Mexico HVAC Salary
HVAC professionals in New Mexico earn an average annual salary of over $40,000 per year with the most skilled professionals earning more than $60,000 annually. Cities in New Mexico that pay the highest rates for HVAC professionals include Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe with HVAC technicians earning well over $23 per hour and making up to as much as $66,000 per year.