Pay data / HVAC Technicians
HVAC Technician Pay
& Hiring
Install and service heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems. Nationally, hvac technicians earn a median of $57,300 a year, about $28 an hour, with most between $36,700 and $91,600.
Pay by experience
- Apprentice / Helper$35,500$17/hr
Assisting installs and learning the trade.
- Service Technician$57,300$28/hr
EPA-certified and running calls solo.
- Lead / Senior Tech$79,100$38/hr
Commercial, controls, and crew-lead work.
What moves hvac technician pay
- ·EPA 608 and NATE certification. Certified techs command higher rates.
- ·Commercial and refrigeration work. Rooftop units and cold storage pay more than residential.
- ·Seasonality and on-call. Peak summer and winter overtime lifts annual pay.
- ·Install vs service. Lead installers and service managers sit at the top of the range.
HVAC techs need a federal EPA Section 608 certification to handle refrigerant, and most states add their own license to install or service systems.
HVAC Technician pay by state
AlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming