One of the factors you’ll consider before fully committing to a career is the salary.
And as an aspiring HVAC technician, you’re aware that working in the HVAC industry is potentially challenging and hazardous.
Fortunately, the effort and skills you invested in handling a client’s HVAC/R systems can be amply compensated.
What’s more, there aren’t enough skilled HVAC technicians in the local job market.
So employers are more than willing to offer higher salaries and other benefits for you to work for them.
On this page, you’ll have an overview of the average salary of HVAC technicians by state and by industry.
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Average Salary of HVAC Technicians by State
Where you work affects how much salary you’ll receive.
So, each state has varying salary offers for its HVAC technicians.
The table below shows the average salary by state as of May 2021 from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
| State | Low 10% | Mean | Top 10% |
| Alabama | $29,780 | $48,580 | $75,100 |
| Alaska | $37,280 | $70,100 | $100,280 |
| Arizona | $29,670 | $50,420 | $77,110 |
| Arkansas | $29,010 | $41,880 | $59,380 |
| California | $37,200 | $61,670 | $94,740 |
| Colorado | $36,910 | $57,490 | $79,020 |
| Connecticut | $38,740 | $64,540 | $93,340 |
| Delaware | $37,280 | $55,170 | $76,750 |
| District of Columbia | $47,630 | $70,130 | $94,740 |
| Florida | $29,740 | $46,850 | $62,250 |
| Georgia | $29,160 | $49,110 | $75,940 |
| Hawaii | $39,740 | $69,100 | $97,990 |
| Idaho | $30,000 | $46,250 | $61,010 |
| Illinois | $30,920 | $57,460 | $84,950 |
| Indiana | $29,830 | $52,470 | $76,220 |
| Iowa | $36,110 | $53,560 | $75,960 |
| Kansas | $30,730 | $51,270 | $76,010 |
| Kentucky | $29,780 | $50,470 | $74,340 |
| Louisiana | $29,810 | $51,100 | $75,410 |
| Maine | $37,500 | $52,050 | $62,000 |
| Maryland | $37,280 | $63,420 | $96,520 |
| Massachusetts | $37,820 | $65,460 | $96,940 |
| Michigan | $36,780 | $54,570 | $77,770 |
| Minnesota | $38,560 | $64,180 | $95,530 |
| Mississippi | $29,590 | $42,690 | $59,180 |
| Missouri | $35,240 | $52,920 | $77,590 |
| Montana | $29,890 | $52,250 | $75,840 |
| Nebraska | $31,000 | $50,790 | $75,220 |
| Nevada | $37,400 | $58,870 | $80,280 |
| New Hampshire | $37,670 | $59,960 | $78,620 |
| New Jersey | $37,560 | $68,460 | $98,580 |
| New Mexico | $29,880 | $48,060 | $75,400 |
| New York | $37,520 | $66,180 | $96,520 |
| North Carolina | $30,290 | $47,570 | $63,740 |
| North Dakota | $38,750 | $63,820 | $94,000 |
| Ohio | $31,440 | $52,710 | $76,040 |
| Oklahoma | $29,010 | $48,770 | $75,410 |
| Oregon | $37,120 | $56,550 | $78,430 |
| Pennsylvania | $34,600 | $53,840 | $76,750 |
| Rhode Island | $44,610 | $63,490 | $78,400 |
| South Carolina | $29,290 | $44,130 | $61,200 |
| South Dakota | $35,680 | $48,400 | $62,000 |
| Tennessee | $29,830 | $47,140 | $72,530 |
| Texas | $33,890 | $51,270 | $74,400 |
| Utah | $29,880 | $50,320 | $75,980 |
| Vermont | $38,250 | $55,220 | $72,220 |
| Virginia | $36,620 | $53,460 | $75,760 |
| Washington | $37,770 | $62,310 | $94,740 |
| West Virginia | $29,000 | $44,920 | $61,980 |
| Wisconsin | $37,710 | $59,130 | $94,110 |
| Wyoming | $36,950 | $53,920 | $76,220 |
Average Salary of HVAC Technicians by Industry
Like most careers, your salary will depend on the industry your employer belongs to.
The table below compares the average salary among the top paying industries for HVAC technicians per the BLS as of May 2021.
| Industry | Annual Mean Wage | Hourly Mean Wage | Hourly Median Wage |
| Scheduled air transportation | $89,180 | $42.87 | $46.05 |
| Natural gas distribution | $86,710 | $41.69 | $45.55 |
| Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution | $85,970 | $41.33 | $41.95 |
| Aerospace product and parts manufacturing | $85,680 | $41.19 | $45.19 |
| Deep sea, coastal, and great lakes water transportation | $81,050 | $38.96 | $37.71 |
| Facilities support services | $60,560 | $29.11 | $28.73 |
| Merchant wholesalers, durable goods (4232, 4233, 4235, 4236, 4237, and 4239 only) | $58,930 | $28.33 | $26.80 |
| Commercial and industrial machinery and equipment (except automotive and electronic) repair and maintenance | $58,610 | $28.18 | $28.73 |
| Colleges, universities, and professional schools | $56,740 | $27.28 | $28.45 |
| Direct selling establishments | $55,630 | $26.74 | $27.59 |
| Building equipment contractors | $53,660 | $25.80 | $23.16 |
| Personal and household goods repair and maintenance | $43,370 | $20.85 | $19.64 |
Get the Payment You Deserve
Here’s a brief account of what you can be making as an HVAC technician.
For instance, you work full-time for 30 years with regular weekends off and a two-week vacation every year, not including overtime.
That makes 60,300 hours of work in your life.
If you made only $2 per hour over the years, you would have an extra $120,600 by the time you retire.
It’s as if you had a house as a bonus for your retirement.
These numbers are just an honest outlook on what your labor can be worth.
Of course, you can negotiate your payment higher as you gain more expertise.
In the commercial area, unions dominate in many regions of the country to make sure you’re getting the money you deserve.
In such a case, the union reps can handle the negotiation for you.
If you are employed in a residential and light commercial service company, you’d have to negotiate yourself.
Some employers can be more easy-going in terms of salary negotiations, some are not.
But every decent boss knows the value of a good expert and won’t lose a skillful technician over a couple of bucks an hour.
So when you are ready to negotiate your salary, arm yourself with confidence and know your value.
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