Side-by-side license comparison
| Metric | HVAC Technician | Professional Engineer (PE) |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Trades | Engineering |
| Median Salary | $57,790 | $100,640 |
| Avg Initial Fee | $208 | $340 |
| Difficulty | Medium | Very High |
| Education | Certificate/Apprenticeship + EPA 608 | BS Engineering + 4 years experience |
| Exam | EPA 608 + State (varies) | FE + PE Exam |
| Time to License | 2-4 years | 8 years |
| Renewal Period | Every 3 yr | Every 2 yr |
| CE Hours / Cycle | 16 hrs | 30 hrs |
| States Requiring | 37 of 53 | 53 of 53 |
Professional Engineer (PE) earns $42,850 more per year on average. Over a 10-year career span, that adds up to approximately $428,500 in additional earnings.
The LicenseWize editorial team aggregates and verifies licenses data from Bureau of Labor Statistics & State Licensing Boards. Every statistic on this site is cross-referenced against the official source before publication, with quarterly re-verification cycles.
Read our full methodology or contact us with corrections.