How much do HVAC technicians make?

HVAC Technician salary 2026 · BLS occupation: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) · Updated October 28, 2026

Answer

HVAC technicians in the US earned a median of $61,010 a year ($29.33 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned $48,360 to $77,060.

Median annual pay: $61,010; Mean $64,780
Median hourly pay: $29.33; Mean $31.14
Typical range (10th–90th): $40.0K–$95.2K; $40,050 to $95,210
US jobs: 409,670; +10.9% projected, 2025–35

BLS OEWS, May 2025, released April 30, 2026. Wages include tips, commissions and production bonuses but not overtime premiums, shift differentials, other bonuses or benefits; self-employed workers are not included. Methodology

How to become an HVAC technician: steps, years and cost · Best-paying state after cost of living: North Dakota

HVAC Technician pay range

Annual wages, May 2025

10th percentile$40,050
25th percentile$48,360
Median$61,010
75th percentile$77,060
90th percentile$95,210

Half of all HVAC technicians earned more than $61,010 and half earned less. The lowest-paid 10% made under $40,050; the top 10% made over $95,210. The middle 50%, from the 25th to the 75th percentile, ran from $48,360 to $77,060.

These percentiles describe everyone in the occupation at one time. They are not pay steps by years of experience: they mix new and senior workers, different states, employers and hours. Pay generally rises with experience, credentials and specialization, but BLS does not publish pay by experience.

Percentile	Annual	Hourly	Monthly
10th	$40,050	$19.25	$3,338
25th	$48,360	$23.25	$4,030
Median (50th)	$61,010	$29.33	$5,084
75th	$77,060	$37.05	$6,422
90th	$95,210	$45.78	$7,934
Mean (average)	$64,780	$31.14	$5,398

HVAC Technician salary by state

Median annual pay; cost of living from BEA regional price parities 2024

Median annual pay for HVAC technicians by state. Darker tiles pay more.

Highest-paying states

1. District of Columbia $84,390
2. Alaska $77,430
3. Illinois $77,410
4. Massachusetts $77,300
5. Connecticut $76,610

Lowest-paying states

51. Arkansas $48,110
50. Alabama $48,370
49. Mississippi $48,680
48. West Virginia $48,850
47. New Mexico $50,270

Best after cost of living: North Dakota. Its median of $74,490 is worth about $83,735 at national-average prices, more than in District of Columbia once prices are counted.


Alabama	$48,370	50	$54,457	51	$23.26	8,260	3.91
Alaska	$77,430	2	$75,646	5	$37.23	610	1.89
Arizona	$59,400	34	$59,001	43	$28.56	10,860	3.35
Arkansas	$48,110	51	$55,339	47	$23.13	4,960	3.80
California	$72,560	12	$65,535	22	$34.88	35,130	1.93
Colorado	$65,200	16	$63,269	30	$31.35	8,940	3.11
Connecticut	$76,610	5	$73,941	6	$36.83	3,800	2.24
Delaware	$62,320	21	$62,440	32	$29.96	1,730	3.57
District of Columbia	$84,390	1	$76,787	4	$40.57	400	0.57
Florida	$56,670	41	$54,799	48	$27.24	39,160	3.94
Georgia	$56,390	43	$58,561	45	$27.11	12,290	2.51
Hawaii	$65,450	15	$59,527	38	$31.47	1,300	2.07
Idaho	$56,240	44	$58,894	44	$27.04	4,550	5.31
Illinois	$77,410	3	$77,443	2	$37.21	9,740	1.60
Indiana	$60,430	30	$64,749	26	$29.05	8,530	2.67
Iowa	$60,680	27	$69,142	11	$29.17	3,840	2.46
Kansas	$60,460	29	$67,127	15	$29.07	3,770	2.62
Kentucky	$58,620	37	$65,018	25	$28.18	5,100	2.55
Louisiana	$58,650	36	$66,491	17	$28.20	5,380	2.78
Maine	$63,170	17	$65,090	24	$30.37	2,250	3.51
Maryland	$70,020	13	$66,712	16	$33.67	8,560	3.10
Massachusetts	$77,300	4	$73,092	7	$37.16	8,200	2.25
Michigan	$60,850	25	$63,242	31	$29.26	12,590	2.86
Minnesota	$76,350	6	$77,418	3	$36.71	4,200	1.42
Mississippi	$48,680	49	$55,984	46	$23.41	2,700	2.33
Missouri	$59,950	31	$66,012	19	$28.82	7,220	2.46
Montana	$60,850	26	$64,293	27	$29.26	1,230	2.41
Nebraska	$59,850	32	$66,424	18	$28.77	3,020	2.95
Nevada	$60,510	28	$60,523	35	$29.09	4,170	2.69
New Hampshire	$73,850	11	$70,897	8	$35.51	2,560	3.75
New Jersey	$74,450	9	$68,425	13	$35.79	10,330	2.41
New Mexico	$50,270	47	$54,516	50	$24.17	1,950	2.23
New York	$74,430	10	$68,967	12	$35.78	24,430	2.52
North Carolina	$57,260	40	$60,704	34	$27.53	15,230	3.08
North Dakota	$74,490	8	$83,735	1	$35.81	970	2.25
Ohio	$62,510	19	$67,379	14	$30.06	14,150	2.55
Oklahoma	$57,560	39	$65,526	23	$27.67	5,650	3.31
Oregon	$62,940	18	$60,893	33	$30.26	3,980	2.03
Pennsylvania	$62,400	20	$63,953	28	$30.00	15,880	2.62
Rhode Island	$67,370	14	$65,868	20	$32.39	1,450	2.89
South Carolina	$56,610	42	$60,385	37	$27.22	6,920	3.00
South Dakota	$61,390	24	$69,300	10	$29.51	1,610	3.52
Tennessee	$55,490	45	$60,401	36	$26.68	9,740	2.97
Texas	$57,760	38	$59,511	39	$27.77	34,730	2.47
Utah	$58,730	35	$59,405	40	$28.24	5,580	3.21
Vermont	$62,150	22	$63,446	29	$29.88	970	3.20
Virginia	$59,730	33	$59,078	41	$28.72	14,690	3.57
Washington	$75,660	7	$70,702	9	$36.38	7,370	2.07
West Virginia	$48,850	48	$54,583	49	$23.49	1,690	2.40
Wisconsin	$61,710	23	$65,583	21	$29.67	6,630	2.25
Wyoming	$54,700	46	$59,013	42	$26.30	690	2.46

BLS OEWS, May 2025, state estimates. Adjusted pay = median ÷ (state price level ÷ 100), using BEA regional price parities for 2024; it ignores taxes. Figures for states with few workers in the occupation have larger survey errors and can change sharply from one year to the next. “—” means BLS did not publish the figure. State names link to each state’s highest-paying jobs.

Best-paying metro areas for HVAC technicians

385 metro areas with published pay

Highest median pay
Metro area	Median	Adjusted	Jobs
Fairbanks-College, AK	$93,820	$90,904	90
Anchorage, AK	$85,620	$81,218	330
Napa, CA	$84,570	$75,137	70
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA	$82,050	$74,305	1,740
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA	$80,100	$72,076	3,940
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA	$79,510	$73,768	560
Peoria, IL	$78,710	$86,275	370
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA	$78,640	$72,281	260
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH	$78,530	$72,534	6,050
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA	$78,490	$67,890	3,980

Most jobs
Metro area	Jobs	Median	Adjusted
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ	21,820	$77,990	$69,286
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX	10,910	$59,560	$57,775
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA	10,720	$73,830	$65,011
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL	9,140	$58,040	$50,843
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV	8,730	$71,920	$66,052
Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD	8,610	$64,580	$62,972
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ	8,070	$61,170	$59,207
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX	7,680	$58,940	$59,759
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	7,210	$77,960	$75,255
Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA	7,060	$58,970	$58,936

BLS OEWS, May 2025, metropolitan statistical areas; adjusted with BEA metro price parities (2024).

What moves HVAC technician pay: employers and settings

Employer type makes a clear difference for HVAC technicians. Building equipment contractors, which employ 74.5% of them, pay a median of $60,070. Equipment wholesalers pay $75,490. Local government, outside schools and hospitals, pays $79,360 for techs who keep city and county buildings and facilities running. Commercial machinery repair shops pay $64,710 and fuel dealers pay $62,900. Federal government jobs pay a median of $75,770.

Location is the other big factor. The District of Columbia has the highest median at $84,390, followed by Alaska at $77,430, Illinois at $77,410, Massachusetts at $77,300, and Connecticut at $76,610. The lowest medians are Mississippi at $48,680, Alabama at $48,370, and Arkansas at $48,110. After adjusting for living costs, North Dakota comes out best at $83,735 adjusted.

The overall range runs from $40,050, the 10th percentile, to $95,210, the 90th. Skills in commercial refrigeration and controls, a state or local license and overtime during heat waves and cold snaps all help push earnings up.

Where HVAC technicians work
Industry	Share of jobs	Median pay
Building Equipment Contractors	74.5%	$60,070
Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only)	3%	$75,490
Fuel Dealers	2.1%	$62,900
Local Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals	1.7%	$79,360
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance	1.7%	$64,710
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	1.3%	$62,390

Private employers and government
Employer type	Jobs	Median pay
Private employers	387,700	$60,720
Federal government (incl. Postal Service)	3,570	$75,770
State government (incl. schools and hospitals)	5,330	$61,480
Local government (incl. schools and hospitals)	13,070	$70,730

BLS OEWS, May 2025, national industry-specific and ownership estimates (4-digit NAICS).

HVAC Technician pay over time

Median annual pay, 2015–2025

$61.0K $45.1K

2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025

Nominal median (dollars of each year)In May 2025 dollars (adjusted with CPI-U)

The median rose from $45,110 in 2015 to $61,010 in 2025, up 35% in nominal dollars. After inflation, the 2015 median is worth $60,980 in May 2025 dollars, so real pay was about flat over the period.

BLS OEWS, May 2025 and earlier May releases; inflation from the CPI-U, US city average, May of each year.

What HVAC technicians do

An HVAC technician installs, maintains and repairs the equipment that heats, cools and ventilates buildings: furnaces, boilers, heat pumps, central air conditioners, ductwork, and in many cases commercial refrigeration such as walk-in coolers. The official BLS title is heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic and installer, and people also say HVAC tech, HVAC mechanic or HVAC installer.

Three-quarters of HVAC techs in our data work for building equipment contractors, the companies that install and service systems in homes and businesses. Others work for equipment wholesalers, fuel dealers, local governments, colleges and repair shops. A service tech usually drives a company van from call to call, diagnosing a no-heat or no-cool problem and fixing it on the spot. Installers spend longer on one site, setting new units and running refrigerant lines and wiring. The work happens in attics, crawl spaces, basements and on rooftops, in summer heat and winter cold, and busy seasons bring overtime and on-call shifts.

A typical day

Talk with the customer about the problem, then check thermostats, breakers and airflow
Test circuits, capacitors and motors with a multimeter to find failed parts
Recover, charge and leak-test refrigerant using gauges and recovery equipment
Braze copper line sets and connect condensers, coils and furnaces on new installs
Wire thermostats and controls to the equipment following the wiring diagram
Clean coils and burners, change filters and run seasonal tune-ups on maintenance contracts
Write up the work order, price parts and explain repair or replacement options

Also called: hvac tech, hvac, hvac mechanic, hvac installer, hvac techs, ac mechanic (air conditioner mechanic), ac tech (air conditioning technician), hvac control tech (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning control technician).

How to become an HVAC technician

Full guide

Most HVAC technicians finish a 6-month to 2-year HVAC certificate or associate program, pass the EPA Section 608 refrigerant exam, and then build skills on the job; others learn through a multi-year apprenticeship. Some states and cities also require a license.

Typical time: 2-5 years to work independently; Fastest: About 6 months plus on-the-job training
Minimum education: High school diploma or equivalent; most employers prefer a postsecondary HVAC certificate
License: EPA Section 608 certification required nationwide; state or local license required in some places
Typical training cost: $4.5K–$9.2K; See the guide for what it includes

Read the step-by-step guide to becoming an HVAC technician: each step with its time and cost, education options, exams, licensing and advancement.

Is it worth it? Training cost against pay

Compare careers

Training time: 2-5 years to work independently; Typical path in our guide
Training cost: $4.5K–$9.2K; Tuition and exam fees, before aid
Median pay: $61,010; $10,030 above the all-jobs median ($50,980)
Cost vs. one year's pay: 7–15%; Training cost as a share of a year at the median

Once qualified, the pay difference over the typical US job at the median ($10,030 a year before tax) would repay the training cost in less than a year after training ends (2-5 years to work independently in our guide). This is a rough guide: it ignores taxes, financial aid, interest, earnings given up while training and how pay changes over a career. How we calculate ROI.

Job outlook for HVAC technicians

BLS Employment Projections 2025–35

Projected growth: +10.9%; All occupations +3.5%
Jobs in 2025: 440,900; 489,100 projected for 2035
Openings each year: 40,600; New jobs plus replacements
Self-employed: 6.3%; Not in the pay figures above

BLS projects HVAC technician jobs to grow 10.9% from 2025 to 2035, from 440,900 to 489,100. That is roughly three times the 3.5% projected for all occupations. About 40,600 openings are expected each year, mostly to replace techs who retire or switch careers.

New commercial buildings, including data centers, and new homes will need systems installed. Climate-control equipment is also getting more complex, and older systems must be retrofitted or replaced, which keeps service and replacement work steady even when construction slows.

Related careers and their pay

Plumber$63,800
Mechanical Engineer$104,110
Auto Mechanic$50,620
Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators$78,620
Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door$74,340

Related occupations from O*NET 31.0; median annual pay from BLS OEWS, May 2025.

HVAC Technician salary FAQ

How much do HVAC technicians make an hour?

The median hourly wage for HVAC technicians was $29.33 in May 2025. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $19.25 an hour and the highest-paid 10% more than $45.78. Hourly figures are BLS estimates for all workers in the occupation, full-time and part-time.

Which state pays HVAC technicians the most?

District of Columbia has the highest median pay for HVAC technicians, $84,390 a year, followed by Alaska ($77,430) and Illinois ($77,410). After adjusting for each state's price level, North Dakota comes out ahead at about $83,735 in national-average dollars.

Do HVAC technicians make six figures?

Few do: based on the BLS percentiles, fewer than 10% of HVAC technicians earn more than $100,000 a year. The median is $61,010, and the top 10% earn more than $95,210. Pay generally rises with experience, specialization and location.

Which states have the most HVAC jobs?

Florida has the most HVAC technicians, with 39,160, followed by California with 35,130, Texas with 34,730, New York with 24,430 and Pennsylvania with 15,880. Hot climates and large populations drive demand for cooling service. Pay is highest elsewhere, though: the District of Columbia, Alaska, Illinois and Massachusetts have the top medians in our data.

Has HVAC technician pay kept up with inflation?

Only just. The median rose from $45,110 in 2015 to $61,010 in 2025. Adjusted to 2025 dollars, the 2015 median was $60,980 and so, after inflation the typical tech earns about what they did a decade ago. Overtime, on-call pay and commissions on sales are not always reflected in these wage figures.

Do HVAC technicians work long hours?

Often, in peak season. BLS notes that most HVAC techs work full time, and schedules can include evenings and weekends. Many companies rotate techs through on-call shifts for no-heat and no-cool emergencies, and overtime is common in the hottest and coldest months. Spring and fall are usually quieter, with more maintenance work.

Sources

Data updated October 28, 2026 · Text checked against its sources October 28, 2026

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released April 30, 2026, SOC 49-9021
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–2035, released September 2026
O*NET 31.0 Database (49-9021.00), U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0; tasks rewritten by Careers and Salaries
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities by state and metro area, 2024
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U), US city average, May values
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study and institution data, most recent cohorts, released 2026-10-15
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, Occupational Outlook Handbook, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · checked October 28, 2026
Section 608 Technician Certification Requirements, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · checked October 28, 2026
Recertification FAQs and Policies and Fees, North American Technician Excellence (NATE) · checked October 28, 2026
Construction Industry Apprenticeships, Apprenticeship.gov, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
License Finder, CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor · checked October 28, 2026
Refrigerant Sales Restriction, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · checked October 28, 2026
NATE Certification Pathways, North American Technician Excellence (NATE) · checked October 28, 2026

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