HVAC Salary by State & Role
BLS OEWS May 2025 (released May 15, 2026) · BLS occupation: SOC 49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Mechanics & Installers
All HVAC mechanics and installers, wage-and-salary workers; excludes overtime and the self-employed.
Annual figures are BLS hourly wages × 2,080 hours; they cover wage-and-salary workers only and leave out overtime, shift differentials and sign-on or holiday bonuses.
How pay spreads across Heating
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $40,050 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $48,360 | $23.25 |
| 50th (median) | $61,010 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $77,060 | $37.05 |
| 90th | $95,210 | $45.77 |
SOC 49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers: 409,670 wage-and-salary jobs.
BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (released Aug 27, 2026): employment projected to change 10.9% from 2025 to 2035 (all-occupation average 3.5%), about 40,600 openings a year.
HVAC Salary by State
Median annual wage for SOC 49-9021 in each state and DC, BLS OEWS May 2025 (released May 15, 2026).
States are listed alphabetically; the statistic is the median throughout.
The price-adjusted column is our arithmetic using BEA 2024 Regional Price Parities, not a BLS figure.
| State | Median | 10th–90th | Jobs | Adj. for 2024 prices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $48,370 | $36,510–$65,690 | 8,260 | $54,457 |
| Alaska | $77,430 | $48,580–$105,140 | 610 | $75,646 |
| Arizona | $59,400 | $37,950–$80,160 | 10,860 | $59,001 |
| Arkansas | $48,110 | $37,040–$69,290 | 4,960 | $55,339 |
| California | $72,560 | $46,950–$109,060 | 35,130 | $65,535 |
| Colorado | $65,200 | $48,220–$103,640 | 8,940 | $63,269 |
| Connecticut | $76,610 | $45,280–$100,160 | 3,800 | $73,941 |
| Delaware | $62,320 | $45,000–$97,600 | 1,730 | $62,440 |
| District of Columbia | $84,390 | $49,940–$108,240 | 400 | $76,787 |
| Florida | $56,670 | $38,370–$78,210 | 39,160 | $54,799 |
| Georgia | $56,390 | $36,990–$79,130 | 12,290 | $58,561 |
| Hawaii | $65,450 | $43,120–$99,430 | 1,300 | $59,527 |
| Idaho | $56,240 | $38,660–$80,780 | 4,550 | $58,894 |
| Illinois | $77,410 | $46,690–$117,550 | 9,740 | $77,443 |
| Indiana | $60,430 | $40,460–$97,800 | 8,530 | $64,749 |
| Iowa | $60,680 | $43,040–$86,280 | 3,840 | $69,142 |
| Kansas | $60,460 | $43,660–$83,500 | 3,770 | $67,127 |
| Kentucky | $58,620 | $38,790–$80,020 | 5,100 | $65,018 |
| Louisiana | $58,650 | $36,950–$78,210 | 5,380 | $66,491 |
| Maine | $63,170 | $47,090–$82,090 | 2,250 | $65,090 |
| Maryland | $70,020 | $46,180–$106,740 | 8,560 | $66,712 |
| Massachusetts | $77,300 | $50,820–$102,410 | 8,200 | $73,092 |
| Michigan | $60,850 | $40,210–$95,290 | 12,590 | $63,242 |
| Minnesota | $76,350 | $48,220–$100,030 | 4,200 | $77,418 |
| Mississippi | $48,680 | $36,160–$76,240 | 2,700 | $55,984 |
| Missouri | $59,950 | $39,180–$88,760 | 7,220 | $66,012 |
| Montana | $60,850 | $41,900–$81,230 | 1,230 | $64,293 |
| Nebraska | $59,850 | $43,540–$81,110 | 3,020 | $66,424 |
| Nevada | $60,510 | $41,040–$89,750 | 4,170 | $60,523 |
| New Hampshire | $73,850 | $47,520–$97,140 | 2,560 | $70,897 |
| New Jersey | $74,450 | $48,020–$116,550 | 10,330 | $68,425 |
| New Mexico | $50,270 | $37,380–$75,770 | 1,950 | $54,516 |
| New York | $74,430 | $48,560–$100,680 | 24,430 | $68,967 |
| North Carolina | $57,260 | $37,780–$77,160 | 15,230 | $60,704 |
| North Dakota | $74,490 | $46,610–$94,060 | 970 | $83,735 |
| Ohio | $62,510 | $38,630–$98,310 | 14,150 | $67,379 |
| Oklahoma | $57,560 | $36,050–$79,660 | 5,650 | $65,526 |
| Oregon | $62,940 | $46,990–$94,520 | 3,980 | $60,893 |
| Pennsylvania | $62,400 | $45,970–$89,440 | 15,880 | $63,953 |
| Rhode Island | $67,370 | $38,100–$104,080 | 1,450 | $65,868 |
| South Carolina | $56,610 | $39,170–$75,530 | 6,920 | $60,385 |
| South Dakota | $61,390 | $48,420–$75,190 | 1,610 | $69,300 |
| Tennessee | $55,490 | $38,540–$81,590 | 9,740 | $60,401 |
| Texas | $57,760 | $38,100–$81,860 | 34,730 | $59,511 |
| Utah | $58,730 | $37,570–$80,500 | 5,580 | $59,405 |
| Vermont | $62,150 | $50,280–$93,110 | 970 | $63,446 |
| Virginia | $59,730 | $39,760–$83,420 | 14,690 | $59,078 |
| Washington | $75,660 | $48,810–$120,360 | 7,370 | $70,702 |
| West Virginia | $48,850 | $36,160–$72,640 | 1,690 | $54,583 |
| Wisconsin | $61,710 | $45,930–$98,070 | 6,630 | $65,583 |
| Wyoming | $54,700 | $37,840–$79,050 | 690 | $59,013 |
Pay by HVAC & Plumbing Role
BLS publishes wages by occupation, not by job title, so most roles below show the occupation they sit inside.
The basis column says which benchmark each number is; compare figures with the same basis only.
| Role | Median | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC Technician | $61,010 | BLS occupation (SOC 49-9021) |
| HVAC Apprentice | Not published by BLS | Entry-level proxy (SOC 49-9021) |
| HVAC Helper | $39,630 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 49-9098) |
| HVAC Installer | $61,010 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 49-9021) |
| HVAC Service Technician | $61,010 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 49-9021) |
| Refrigeration Technician | $61,010 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 49-9021) |
| Commercial HVAC Technician | $61,010 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 49-9021) |
| HVAC Controls Technician | $61,010 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 49-9021) |
| Boiler Technician | $61,010 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 49-9021) |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $61,800 | BLS occupation (SOC 47-2211) |
| HVAC Sales (Comfort Advisor) | $79,530 | At plumbing & HVAC contractors (SOC 41-3091) |
| HVAC Dispatcher | $47,480 | At plumbing & HVAC contractors (SOC 43-5032) |
| HVAC Service Manager | $81,800 | At plumbing & HVAC contractors (SOC 49-1011) |
| HVAC Estimator | $81,820 | At plumbing & HVAC contractors (SOC 13-1051) |
| HVAC Project Manager | $109,150 | At plumbing & HVAC contractors (SOC 11-9021) |
| Plumber | $63,800 | BLS occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Plumbing Apprentice | Not published by BLS | Entry-level proxy (SOC 47-2152) |
| Journeyman Plumber | $63,800 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Master Plumber | $63,800 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Service Plumber | $63,800 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Drain Technician | $63,800 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Pipefitter | $63,800 | BLS occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Pipe Welder | $53,750 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 51-4121) |
| Steamfitter | $63,800 | BLS occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Sprinkler Fitter | $63,800 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Gas Fitter | $63,800 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Backflow Tester | $63,800 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 47-2152) |
| Plumbing Estimator | $81,820 | At plumbing & HVAC contractors (SOC 13-1051) |
| Plumbing Inspector | $74,690 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 47-4011) |
Union vs. Non-Union Pay
These are BLS figures for the whole installation, maintenance and repair occupation group, the group that contains HVAC mechanics.
BLS does not publish a union rate or union pay figure for HVAC technicians alone.
The gap is a raw comparison of medians, not a controlled union premium: it does not account for differences in location, experience or type of work.
Local union scales are set by each local's agreement.