HVAC Technician Salary Statistics 2026: Pay, Openings, and Injury Rates
Key takeaways (copy these)
- HVAC mechanics and installers had a $61,010 median annual wage ($29.33 an hour), with 409,670 employed in May 2025. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm
- HVAC pay ran from $40,050 at the 10th percentile to $95,210 at the 90th. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm
- The middle half of HVAC workers earned between $48,360 (25th percentile) and $77,060 (75th). BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm
- The District of Columbia had the highest HVAC state median, $84,390. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm
- Fairbanks-College, AK led metros at $93,820, with 90 HVAC jobs reported. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm
- Anchorage, AK ($85,620) and Napa, CA ($84,570) were next among metros. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm
- HVAC employment is projected to grow 8.1% from 2024 to 2034, versus 3.1% for all occupations. BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
- BLS projected 40,100 HVAC openings a year over 2024-2034. BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
- Projected HVAC employment rises from 425,200 jobs in 2024 to 459,700 in 2034. BLS Employment Projections, 2024-2034. https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables/occupational-projections-and-characteristics.htm
- Electricians had a $63,190 median, $2,180 above HVAC, with 757,220 employed. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472111.htm
- HVAC technicians had a DART injury rate of 330.3 cases per 10,000 FTE workers, more than double electricians at 146.9. BLS SOII, 2023-2024. https://www.bls.gov/iif/nonfatal-injuries-and-illnesses-tables.htm
- The HVAC mean wage was $64,780, $3,770 above the median, which means the average is pulled up by the top of the scale. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm
- Arkansas had the lowest HVAC state median among published states, $48,110. BLS OEWS, May 2025. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm
These figures are occupation medians for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021), not starting pay and not a promise of what any graduate earns. Outcomes vary by location, overtime, union scale, and the local job market. Compiled by the TradeCareerPath editorial team.
What is the HVAC technician median salary?
The national median is the number most writers want. The mean sits above it because the top of the scale pulls the average up. Premium vs all occupations uses the same OEWS May 2025 all-occupations median ($50,980), not the Employment Projections 2024 wage column.
How that pay is earned is on how to become an HVAC technician. National cuts that mix HVAC with other trades are on skilled trade salary statistics 2026. City and state tables are on HVAC salary by metro.
What is the HVAC pay range?
Percentiles describe the occupation, not a school. The 10th percentile is a floor for the lower end of the distribution, not an apprentice starting wage. The 90th is the upper tail, often including overtime, industrial work, or high-cost metros.
Which state and metro pay HVAC technicians the most?
State ranks use the May 2025 state file. The District of Columbia led at $84,390 with 400 jobs. Alaska was next at $77,430. Illinois had the largest high-pay workforce in the top five, 9,740 jobs at $77,410.
| State | Median wage | Employment | State guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $84,390 | 400 | DC HVAC |
| Alaska | $77,430 | 610 | Alaska HVAC |
| Illinois | $77,410 | 9,740 | Illinois HVAC |
| Massachusetts | $77,300 | 8,200 | Massachusetts HVAC |
| Connecticut | $76,610 | 3,800 | Connecticut HVAC |
Metro ranks use OMB metropolitan statistical areas. Fairbanks-College reported 90 HVAC jobs, so treat that dollar ranking as a small-sample lead. Anchorage (330 jobs) and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (1,740 jobs) are larger markets on the same list. For programs see HVAC schools near you.
Is HVAC growing?
Percent change and openings come from Employment Projections 2024-2034. Openings include growth plus replacement. HVAC is the fastest of the three common licensed trades on the national hub (electrician, plumber, HVAC).
How does HVAC compare with electricians on pay and injuries?
Pay is close. Injury reporting is not. DART is cases per 10,000 full-time-equivalent workers that involved days away, restricted duty, or a job transfer (BLS SOII, 2023-2024). A higher rate means more reported cases per worker, not that any one jobsite is unsafe. The electrician cut is electrician salary statistics 2026.
EPA 608 is the refrigerant credential most HVAC programs prepare for. See EPA 608 certification. Arkansas had the lowest HVAC state median among published states, $48,110.
How do I train as an HVAC technician?
Most technicians complete a postsecondary certificate or associate program, then EPA 608 and, in many states, a license. The path is on how to become an HVAC technician. Compare programs on HVAC schools near you.
How to cite these figures
Copy a takeaway line and keep the agency, survey, and date. Example: HVAC mechanics and installers, median annual wage $61,010, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm.
Charts on this page are free to republish with the embed code under each figure. Method notes are on data sources.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 national, state, and MSA files.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2024-2034.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023-2024, table R98.
| Data | Provider | Vintage |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | May 2025 |
| Employment Projections | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | 2024-2034 |
| Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System | National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS) | 2024 |
| College Scorecard (school-level outcomes) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release |
| College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings) | U.S. Department of Education | latest release (updated 2026-06-12) |
| Occupational licensing requirements | CareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2026-02-22) |
| Registered apprenticeship programs | CareerOneStop / Apprenticeship.gov (U.S. Department of Labor) | latest release (updated 2025-10-25) |
| CPI inflation & JOLTS labor turnover | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics | latest release (updated 2026-06-14) |
| Fair Market Rents (rent by county/metro) | U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development | FY2025 (updated 2026-06-14) |
| O*NET occupation profiles (skills, tasks, tools, job zones) | U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET / Employment & Training Admin.) | O*NET 29.1 (updated 2026-06-13) |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the HVAC technician median salary?
HVAC mechanics and installers had a $61,010 median annual wage ($29.33 an hour) in May 2025, with 409,670 employed (BLS OEWS). That median was 20% above the $50,980 median for all U.S. occupations.
What is the HVAC pay range?
May 2025 HVAC pay ran from $40,050 at the 10th percentile to $95,210 at the 90th. The middle half earned between $48,360 and $77,060 (BLS OEWS).
Which state and metro pay HVAC technicians the most?
The District of Columbia had the highest HVAC state median, $84,390. Fairbanks-College, AK led metros at $93,820, with 90 jobs reported (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Is HVAC growing?
BLS Employment Projections put HVAC growth at 8.1% from 2024 to 2034, versus 3.1% for all occupations, with 40,100 openings a year. Projected employment rises from 425,200 jobs in 2024 to 459,700 in 2034.
How does HVAC pay compare with electricians?
Electricians had a $63,190 median, $2,180 above HVAC, with 757,220 employed (BLS OEWS, May 2025). HVAC's DART injury rate was 330.3 cases per 10,000 FTE workers, more than double electricians at 146.9 (BLS SOII, 2023-2024).
Which state has the lowest HVAC median?
Arkansas had the lowest HVAC state median among published states, $48,110 (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
How do I train as an HVAC technician?
Most HVAC technicians complete a postsecondary certificate or associate program, then EPA 608 and, in many states, a license. See how to become an HVAC technician and HVAC schools near you.
About this guide: Researched and written by the TradeCareerPath Editorial Team. Our editorial team researches and sources every trade school and career guide using federal labor and education data, including BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, DOL apprenticeship records, IPEDS, College Scorecard, and state licensing boards. We follow the editorial standards documented at /editorial-policy/.