Last reviewed: September 2026 · By the HVAC Brief Editorial Team · Our sourcing and editorial standards
The national median wage for HVAC mechanics and installers was $29.33 an hour, or $61,010 a year, in May 2025. Across the fifteen largest states we pulled, medians run from $23.26 in Alabama to $37.21 in Illinois.
The states with the most HVAC jobs are not the best paid. Florida employs the most technicians of any state we examined, at 39,160, but its median of $27.24 sits near the bottom of the range.
All figures are Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025, occupation code SOC 49-9021, heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers. These are wages for the people who install and repair equipment, not for everyone employed by an HVAC business.
Median wage by state
| State | Employment | Median hourly | vs national median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 9,740 | $37.21 | +26.9% |
| Massachusetts | 8,200 | $37.16 | +26.7% |
| Washington | 7,370 | $36.38 | +24.0% |
| New York | 24,430 | $35.78 | +22.0% |
| California | 35,130 | $34.88 | +18.9% |
| Colorado | 8,940 | $31.35 | +6.9% |
| Ohio | 14,150 | $30.06 | +2.5% |
| Pennsylvania | 15,880 | $30.00 | +2.3% |
| Michigan | 12,590 | $29.26 | -0.2% |
| Arizona | 10,860 | $28.56 | -2.6% |
| Texas | 34,730 | $27.77 | -5.3% |
| North Carolina | 15,230 | $27.53 | -6.1% |
| Florida | 39,160 | $27.24 | -7.1% |
| Georgia | 12,290 | $27.11 | -7.6% |
| Alabama | 8,260 | $23.26 | -20.7% |
The spread between the highest and lowest state median in this set is $13.95 an hour, about 60%. That is a wide band for the same occupation code and the same certification requirements.
Where the jobs are versus where the pay is
Florida, Texas and California hold the largest technician populations in this set. Two of those three sit below the national median wage. The northern and coastal states with smaller workforces, Illinois and Massachusetts among them, pay the most.
Cooling-dominated states with long seasons and heavy residential construction employ the most technicians, and also have the deepest supply of them. Pay tracks local labour markets and cost of living rather than demand for cooling. A technician comparing offers across states should weigh the wage against local costs rather than treating the highest number as the best deal.
National context
Nationally, 409,670 people work in SOC 49-9021 at a median of $29.33 an hour. The mean is higher at $31.14, which indicates the distribution is pulled upward by higher earners rather than being symmetrical.
Across all payroll staff at plumbing, heating and air conditioning contractors, a broader group including office and supervisory roles, average hourly earnings were $42.61 as of July 2026. Our analysis of contractor pay growth compares that trajectory against construction overall and the wider private economy.
Frequently asked questions
How much do HVAC technicians make?
The national median for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers was $29.33 an hour, or $61,010 a year, in the BLS May 2025 release. The mean was $31.14 hourly and $64,780 annually, with 409,670 people employed in the occupation.
Which state pays HVAC technicians the most?
Of the fifteen large states examined, Illinois had the highest median at $37.21 an hour, followed closely by Massachusetts and Washington. The lowest in the set was Alabama at $23.26. All figures are BLS OEWS May 2025 for SOC 49-9021.
Which state has the most HVAC jobs?
Florida employed 39,160 HVAC mechanics and installers, the largest of the states examined, ahead of California and Texas. Its median wage of $27.24 is below the national median, so the largest job markets are not the highest paying ones.
Is HVAC a well paid trade?
The national median of $29.33 an hour sits above the median for all occupations, and pay in the trade has grown faster than the wider private economy since 2019. State medians in this set range from $23.26 to $37.21, so local market matters as much as the trade itself.
Methodology and limitations
Figures are BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release, occupation SOC 49-9021, retrieved via the BLS Public Data API using state-level OEWS series. We pulled fifteen large states rather than all fifty; this is a sample of major markets, not a complete ranking.
- OEWS covers wage and salary employees. It excludes self-employed contractors and business owners.
- SOC 49-9021 covers mechanics and installers, a narrower group than everyone employed by an HVAC business.
- State medians conceal wide metro variation within each state.
- These are nominal wages, not adjusted for cost of living, which materially affects the state comparison.
Sources
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 49-9021, national and state estimates, via the BLS Public Data API v2.
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Employment Statistics, NAICS 238220, series CEU2023822003.
The HVAC Brief is an independent trade publication. We do not sell equipment, take manufacturer advertising, or accept payment for placement in our research. Corrections welcome.
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