How Much Does a HVAC Technician Make? (2024)
HVAC · SOC Code 49-9021 · 4-year apprenticeship
The average hvac technician earns $62,556 per year ($30/hour) as of 2024, according to BLS data. Yearly income ranges from $50,010 to $77,600 depending on city, with entry-level workers earning about $50,110 and top earners making $121,350+.
Yes — top-decile hvac technicians clear $100K in 10 of 30 metros
The 90th-percentile hvac technician in Boston, MA earns $121,350 per year ($58/hour). Reaching that tier typically takes journeyman-to-master progression plus union membership, specialization, or running a small contracting business. Median hvac technician pay nationally is $62,556 — the $100K mark is the high-earner ceiling, not the middle.
National Salary Range
HVAC Technician salaries range from $50,010 to $77,600 median across cities, depending on location, union membership, and experience level.
HVAC Technician Salary by City
| City | Median | Range (10th-90th) | COL-Adjusted | Grade | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, MA | $77,600 | $50,110 – $121,350 | $51,053 | C | 5,760 |
| San Francisco, CA | $76,760 | $48,870 – $124,230 | $40,400 | D | 3,610 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $76,090 | $48,120 – $97,310 | $71,783 | B | 3,170 |
| Seattle, WA | $75,500 | $47,660 – $137,000 | $50,671 | C | 3,590 |
| Chicago, IL | $74,400 | $44,770 – $115,570 | $69,533 | C | 6,140 |
| New York, NY | $74,090 | $48,800 – $102,870 | $39,620 | D | 21,340 |
| Denver, CO | $64,990 | $47,830 – $104,210 | $50,773 | C | 4,580 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $64,820 | $46,510 – $106,270 | $39,048 | D | 9,420 |
| Portland, OR | $64,290 | $44,690 – $100,850 | $49,454 | C | 2,480 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $63,490 | $46,800 – $100,150 | $66,135 | C | 1,450 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $62,830 | $38,240 – $98,340 | $54,635 | C | 8,290 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $62,030 | $39,170 – $95,630 | $68,165 | C | 3,110 |
| Columbus, OH | $61,990 | $39,690 – $91,600 | $66,656 | C | 2,450 |
| St. Louis, MO | $61,880 | $41,250 – $101,090 | $68,756 | C | 3,640 |
| Detroit, MI | $61,140 | $41,110 – $84,150 | $68,697 | C | 5,750 |
| Kansas City, MO | $61,080 | $40,270 – $91,550 | $64,979 | C | 3,500 |
| Nashville, TN | $59,840 | $43,120 – $76,900 | $58,097 | C | 3,300 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $59,530 | $46,740 – $93,220 | $64,707 | C | 3,500 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $58,820 | $45,780 – $80,100 | $57,107 | C | 7,920 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $58,790 | $38,480 – $91,920 | $56,529 | C | 3,040 |
| Charlotte, NC | $57,950 | $40,980 – $78,830 | $59,133 | C | 3,160 |
| Houston, TX | $57,910 | $38,010 – $84,390 | $60,323 | C | 7,000 |
| New Orleans, LA | $57,780 | $36,700 – $79,950 | $60,821 | C | 1,080 |
| Dallas, TX | $57,670 | $38,220 – $89,250 | $56,539 | C | 9,980 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $57,110 | $35,490 – $82,830 | $54,913 | C | 2,620 |
| Atlanta, GA | $56,830 | $38,710 – $81,260 | $53,613 | C | 7,060 |
| Raleigh, NC | $54,180 | $39,050 – $77,020 | $54,180 | C | 2,570 |
| San Antonio, TX | $53,770 | $37,600 – $81,980 | $59,744 | C | 2,890 |
| Miami, FL | $53,510 | $38,270 – $77,600 | $43,861 | C | 9,200 |
| Tampa, FL | $50,010 | $38,520 – $71,180 | $49,515 | C | 5,640 |
About HVAC Technician Pay
HVAC Technicians earn a national median salary of $62,556 based on 2024 BLS occupational wage data. The highest-paying city for this trade is Boston at $77,600 median, while Tampa offers the lowest at $50,010.
Becoming a hvac technician typically requires a 4-year apprenticeship program. Entry-level workers (10th percentile) can expect around $50,110, while master-level tradespeople (90th percentile) earn $121,350 or more. With 6% wage growth over the past 5 years, this trade is growing at a steady pace.
See how this compares to other trades on our highest paying trades ranking, or browse the best cities for trade workers.
Thinking about becoming a hvac technician?
Step-by-step path: 4-year apprenticeship, certifications, state licensing, and apprentice-to-master pay timeline.
Related HVAC Trades
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — top-decile hvac technicians clear $100K in 10 of the 30 metros tracked. The 90th-percentile hvac technician in Boston earns $121,350, well above six figures. Reaching that tier typically takes journeyman-to-master progression, plus union membership, specialization (industrial, commercial, or licensed-master tier), or running a small contracting business.
For most workers, yes. HVAC Technicians earn a national median of $62,556 (Trade Pay Score grade C), wages have grown 6% over the past 5 years, and the BLS counts roughly 157,240 hvac technician jobs nationwide. The work is physically demanding and the apprenticeship is real, but the trade clears the bar for living-wage, debt-free career entry.
Realistically, no — even the 90th-percentile hvac technician in the highest-paying metro (Boston) tops out at $121,350, below $200K. National median hvac technician pay is $62,556. Outliers — overtime-heavy industrial work, union foremen, or contractor-owners — can reach those numbers, but they sit outside what the BLS wage survey captures for typical W-2 employment.
HVAC Technicians in Denver, CO earn a median of $64,990 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with top earners (90th percentile) reaching $104,210. Pay scales with experience, certifications, and whether the role is residential, commercial, or industrial.
The average hvac technician salary is $62,556 per year ($30/hour) based on 2024 BLS OEWS data. Average yearly income ranges from $50,010 to $77,600 depending on city, experience, and union status.
HVAC Technicians earn an average hourly wage of $30/hour based on a 2,080-hour work year. Entry-level (10th percentile) hourly pay is about $24/hour, while top earners (90th percentile) make $58/hour or more.
Boston offers the highest median pay for hvac technicians at $77,600. However, cost of living matters, the COL-adjusted pay may tell a different story. Check our city-by-city breakdown above.
With a Trade Pay Score of C and 6% wage growth over 5 years, hvac technician offers steady career prospects. There are approximately 157,240 jobs nationwide across 30 metro areas.
Becoming a hvac technician typically requires a 4-year apprenticeship program combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Entry-level pay starts around $50,110 (10th percentile).
Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024. Trade Pay Scores are a composite of median wage vs. metro income, wage growth, job demand, and COL-adjusted pay.
this entity is one of the data points covered by this site’s U.S. skilled-trade wage data dataset. The detail above comes directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the context that follows situates the headline numbers against the broader distribution across U.S. trades, cities, and states.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. trades, cities, and states. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.