If you’re looking for a job in the HVAC industry, or even looking to bring on new talent for your current HVAC company, you’re probably wondering what you can expect the average HVAC technician to get paid.
We were curious too, so to answer this we’ve analyzed a variety of careers in HVAC to truly understand what current employees are earning, where there is likely to be growth, and other various statistics that can be important when deciding on a career in this field. This will not only help job seekers, but also techs, owners, and operators alike to better understand what you can expect to pay when planning to hire a new team member.
*This data was compiled in collaboration with Housecall Pro, with research gathered from Indeed.com.
Hourly wage and salary by state
How much does an HVAC technician make?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, HVAC Technicians have an average salary of $48,730 per year, which equates to $23.43 per hour. Also keep in mind that HVAC positions include a wide range of jobs from apprentice, up to senior service specialists, and their wages reflect that range. With that being said, take a look at the average hourly wage data.
HVAC hourly wage data breakdown: Connecticut has the highest average salary at $52.93 per hour Idaho has the lowest average salary at $22.22 per hour Eight of the top ten states with the highest average salary are on the east coast The bottom ten states in terms of average hourly rate vary by less than $3/hour, while the top ten states have a range spanning more than $9/hour Iowa claims the median average salary for HVAC, coming in at $28.85/hour Anything catch your eye? Where does your state sit on this list? This data was compiled from Indeed.com and intentionally represents a wide range of positions and pay rates, as stated earlier. Now, what does the salary range look like? Take a look.
Average HVAC salary by state
Salary range insights at a glance: While Louisiana has the highest individual salary at $111.54/hr, the average salary of $27.57/hr ranks in the bottom third of the country Connecticut is in the top four states in terms of highest individual salary ($75/hr) and average salary ($52.93) Maryland has the lowest individual salary of $6.73/hr, but the second highest individual salary ($76.44/hr) in the country Rhode Island and Massachusetts have the highest salary floor, with the lowest paying jobs posted at over $17/hr each. What do you think influences the salary range? Location? Demand for HVAC services? Cost of living? You guessed it, it’s a variety of all of those things! Now let’s take a look at who is paying above, or below, the average U.S. HVAC salary.
States paying more than average annual salary
Earlier, you found out that the national average salary is $23.43 per hour, which means about $50,000 annually, assuming the position is full time. Now, where are all those good salaries?
To answer this we created a graph that shows the number of job openings per state that are paying a salary of $55,000 or more.
Data insights at a glance: New Hampshire has the highest percentage of high-paying jobs available, with nearly 24% of jobs paying $55,000/yr or more Alaska has the lowest percentage of high-paying jobs available, with 16.36% of jobs paying $55,000/yr or more At the time of writing, Florida has about 5,000 HVAC available jobs posted on Indeed, with 19.68% of them offering more than $55,000/year Alaska has only 110 jobs posted, with 16.36% offering $55,000/year or more
If you’re an owner or operator, does this look similar to what you’re spending on payrolls each year? If not, you may not be pricing your services correctly. Check out some HVAC price book templates to see how you can best spend your money and potentially bring in additional revenue.
The cities with the highest-paid HVAC positions in every state
For most HVAC positions, you’d assume they’re high-paying if located in a large city, but that’s not actually true!
In many places, it’s not only the major metropolitan areas that offer high paying jobs, but also many other areas offer competitive wages for those who aren’t as keen on smaller spaces and busy streets!
See for yourself which cities have the highest average HVAC salary in each state.
Data insights:
Danbury, CT has the highest average salary for HVAC jobs Idaho Falls, ID has the lowest average salary for HVAC jobs While major metropolitan cities like Boston, San Francisco, and Philadelphia all rank in the top ten, so does Anchorage, AK Lexington, KY ranks at the bottom of average salary, yet the state of Kentucky ranks in the top two in the highest percentage of available jobs offering $55,000/year or more Generally, large cities seem to offer higher rates, however you now see there are a slew of opportunities in smaller cities to earn a comparable wage, yet explore a different lifestyle at the same time.
What to know about HVAC salaries in the United States
Finding a middle ground for both employers and job seekers can be difficult at times when it comes to wages. The importance lies beyond the expense to a company, and actually has a large impact on the pricing structure, deliverability, marketing strategies, and many other factors that keep HVAC businesses successful. The numbers compiled in this article, while accurate to the online postings, may not be a direct reflection of your area and the opportunities that are available there. It is highly encouraged that you take the time to reach out to prospective employers, trade schools, and other apprenticeship-like programs to find out what a potential offer looks like in your area. You never know when you’ll find an opportunity that meets your needs and wants in the HVAC industry, it’s probably closer than you think!
Need to hire HVAC technicians?
Now that you have a better understanding of what you might pay an employee, are you looking for great people to help your business grow? Sign up on for our job search tool to start posting your jobs for free.
Considering a career in HVAC?
Considering a career in HVAC? Get your career started and apply for our scholarship, or create your job seeker profile to start searching for jobs today.
