The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes wage estimates for HVAC technicians through its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. This guide uses BLS's May 2025 estimates, the newest set listed on BLS's OEWS tables page as of October 2026. BLS files the work under occupation code 49-9021, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers. This guide shortens that title to HVAC mechanics and installers. The figures cover the United States and the BLS metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) that include Phoenix, Seattle, Austin, Jacksonville and Columbus, Ohio. We did not pull BLS's state-level file, so this guide does not give pay by state.
The OEWS numbers leave out self-employed workers. BLS's field definition describes its employment estimate as "Estimated total employment rounded to the nearest 10 (excludes self-employed)." Its Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) says its pay data do not cover self-employed workers because the OEWS survey does not collect those data.
HVAC technician pay in the U.S., May 2025
According to BLS's May 2025 national OEWS file, U.S. employment of HVAC mechanics and installers was 409,670 in May 2025, not counting the self-employed. The median wage was $29.33 an hour, or $61,010 a year. BLS defines the median as the 50th percentile. Its handbook page on the occupation explains, "The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less."
| Wage measure, May 2025 | Hourly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.25 | $40,050 |
| 25th percentile | $23.25 | $48,360 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $29.33 | $61,010 |
| 75th percentile | $37.05 | $77,060 |
| 90th percentile | $45.78 | $95,210 |
| Mean | $31.14 | $64,780 |
BLS OEWS national estimates, May 2025, occupation 49-9021; excludes the self-employed.
In the handbook's words, "The lowest 10 percent earned less than $40,050, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $95,210." For comparison, the May 2025 U.S. median for all occupations was $24.51 an hour ($50,980 a year). The handbook gives a May 2025 median of $59,620 a year for installation, maintenance, and repair occupations as a group.
HVAC technician pay in Phoenix, Seattle, Austin, Jacksonville and Columbus
BLS's May 2025 metropolitan area file gives OEWS estimates for each MSA in the table below, listed under BLS's exact area names. The last column is the median for all occupations in the same area, included for context.
| Area (BLS name) | Median hourly, May 2025 | Median annual, May 2025 | 10th percentile annual, May 2025 | 90th percentile annual, May 2025 | All-occupations median annual, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $29.33 | $61,010 | $40,050 | $95,210 | $50,980 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $29.41 | $61,170 | $38,210 | $83,180 | $51,380 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $38.51 | $80,100 | $51,380 | $129,390 | $72,610 |
| Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX | $29.24 | $60,820 | $44,030 | $92,180 | $56,950 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $28.17 | $58,590 | $37,920 | $79,910 | $48,830 |
| Columbus, OH | $30.98 | $64,440 | $40,680 | $100,590 | $51,340 |
BLS OEWS estimates, May 2025, occupation 49-9021; excludes the self-employed.
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue had the highest HVAC median of these areas in May 2025, at $38.51 an hour ($80,100 a year). Jacksonville had the lowest, at $28.17 an hour ($58,590 a year). Medians in the Phoenix, Austin and Columbus areas ranged from $29.24 to $30.98 an hour. In every area in the table, the HVAC median was higher than the area's median for all occupations.
At the 90th percentile, May 2025 annual wages ranged from $79,910 in Jacksonville to $129,390 in Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue. This guide does not try to explain why pay differs between areas.
Median annual wage, HVAC mechanics and installers, May 2025
- United States$61,010
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ$61,170
- Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,100
- Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX$60,820
- Jacksonville, FL$58,590
- Columbus, OH$64,440
HVAC technician pay by industry
The handbook lists May 2025 median annual wages for HVAC mechanics and installers "in some of the top industries in which they worked":
- Wholesale trade: $71,190
- Retail trade: $62,830
- Educational services; state, local, and private: $62,520
- Plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors: $60,030
Our HVAC job outlook guide lists some of the largest employers of HVAC technicians and BLS's 2025–35 projections.
Overtime, on-call work and gaps in the wage data
The handbook says HVAC technicians "may be on call for emergencies and sometimes work overtime or irregular schedules during peak heating and cooling seasons." We found no overtime pay figure on that page.
We found no BLS pay figures for this occupation by experience level, union status or commission, and we did not check other sources for them. Self-employed business owners are outside the OEWS figures. We found no BLS wage figure in this research that covers HVAC business owners.
For the credentials that lead into the trade, see our guides to HVAC licensing in Arizona, Washington, Texas, Florida and Ohio and the A2L refrigerant transition for contractors. Homeowners can use our guide to checking an HVAC contractor's license.