College-bound? Hardhat-bound.
The free roadmap from where you are now to a licensed trade job — built on your state’s actual rules, not guesswork.
Get my free roadmap90 seconds. No account needed.
$61,010
Median US pay for HVAC techs ($29.33/hr)
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
$30,990
What one year at a public four-year college costs in-state, all in.
Source: College Board, Trends in College Pricing 2025-26
$0
What a registered apprenticeship costs. They pay you from day one.
Source: apprenticeship.gov
How it works
1. Take the 90-second quiz
Your state, your stage, where you want to get to.
2. Follow your roadmap
Every step with real costs, real timelines, and a link to the official page it came from.
3. Get certified, then get discovered
Study for your EPA 608 in the app. When you are ready, let employers find you.
- Step 1: Lock in the basics
- Step 2: Get your EPA 608 certificationYOU ARE HERE
- Step 3: Pick your training route
Employers pay. You don’t.
Your roadmap, your exam prep and your record are free, and they stay free. We don’t sell you courses and we don’t take a cut of your pay. When you’re ready for work, employers pay us to find people like you. That’s the whole business model.
Questions
Is this legit?
Check us. Every requirement, fee and deadline on your roadmap links to the official state page it came from. If we can't source it, we don't say it.
Does it cost anything?
No. The roadmap, the exam prep and your profile are free, and there is no paid tier. Employers pay us, not you.
What is EPA 608?
A federal certification. In all fifty states it's illegal to work on refrigerant without it, so it's the first real step into HVAC. It's four exams and you need 18 out of 25 on each one. Once you pass, it never expires.
Do I need to go to college?
No. Plenty of routes pay you from day one — registered apprenticeships cost $0 and come with a wage. Our Programs page lists the real ones with honest prices, and what a predatory program looks like.
What if my state isn't listed?
We cover Texas, Florida, Arizona and Georgia in full detail right now. If you're somewhere else, you still get the steps that work in all fifty states: get your EPA 608, then pick an apprenticeship or a training program. We add new states based on where people are signing up from, so taking the quiz is what moves yours up the list.
Can employers see me?
Only if you turn it on, and it's off until you do. When you switch it on, employers can see what you filled in — your name, your area, your certification — and how you've been studying. Turn it off whenever you want and you disappear from their view.
I'm under 18. Can I use this?
Yes, from 13. You can take the quiz, follow your roadmap and start studying straight away. To be discoverable by employers you need a parent or guardian's email and their consent first — that is built into the account and cannot be skipped.
Who runs this?
HardhatBound is independently built and small — not a big company, and not a school. That is exactly why every fact is sourced to an official page rather than to us. Questions: hello@hardhatbound.com
Find out what your state actually requires.
Get my free roadmap