How Much Do HVAC Technicians Make?
National median $59,810/yr ($28.75/hr)
HVAC technicians earn a median of $59,810 a year, or about $28.75 an hour, as of May 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That means half the field earns more than that number and half earns less. It is solid, steady pay for a trade you can enter through a paid apprenticeship, with no college degree and no student debt required.
The range is wide. The bottom 10 percent, mostly first- and second-year helpers, earn under $39,130 a year (about $18.81 an hour). The top 10 percent clear $91,020 a year (about $43.76 an hour), and plenty of union, industrial, and self-employed techs go well past that. Where you land depends less on natural talent and more on the choices below.
What pushes pay up is straightforward. Commercial and industrial work pays more than residential. Union scale beats non-union in most big metros once you count paid health and pension. Refrigeration, controls, and data center cooling are the high-demand specialties that command premiums. And summer overtime, on-call premiums, and travel work with per-diem can add five figures to a single year. Demand is on your side too: the BLS projects 8 percent job growth from 2024 to 2034, faster than the average for all jobs.
Pay by experience
Highest-paying paths
Journeyman scale runs $38 to $58/hr in major metros, plus fully paid health and a pension. Total compensation typically beats non-union by $15,000 to $25,000 a year.
Industrial refrigeration techs earn $75,000 to $125,000, and leads at big food, cold-storage, and pharma plants top $140,000. Ammonia and PSM certification adds $18,000 to $30,000.
Scheduled air transportation pays a mean near $99,380, natural gas distribution about $90,620, and aerospace manufacturing about $86,410, all well above the residential-service average.
Alaska and Washington, D.C. lead the country. Among the 48 states, New Jersey (about $76,400), California (about $73,900), Washington (about $73,100), and Massachusetts (about $72,800) top the list.
Summer peak overtime at 1.5x plus emergency on-call premiums commonly add $10,000 to $20,000 to a residential or commercial service tech's year.
Building automation, VRF, and data center cooling are the fastest-growing premium niches. Travel roles pay tax-advantaged per-diem on top of an already higher base.
How to earn more
- Get certified: EPA Section 608 Universal is required to handle refrigerant, then NATE certification proves your skill and usually bumps your rate.
- Move from residential service into commercial or industrial work, where the equipment is bigger, the contracts are steadier, and the pay is higher.
- Specialize in refrigeration and add ammonia / PSM training, the single biggest pay premium in the trade ($18,000 to $30,000 above synthetic-refrigerant work).
- Join a union apprenticeship (UA or SMART) to lock in scale wages plus employer-paid health and pension instead of chasing raises one shop at a time.
- Learn controls and building automation (BAS), VRF systems, and data center cooling, the specialties employers are short on right now.
- Chase the money geographically: take work in high-paying states and metros, or travel jobs that pay per-diem on top of base.
- Work summer overtime and on-call, then move up to lead tech, service manager, or open your own shop where you keep the margin.
See who's hiring
Browse HVAC Tech jobs with pay shown upfront, or read the full HVAC Tech career guide.
HVAC Tech pay: common questions
How much do HVAC technicians make?
The median HVAC technician earns $59,810 a year, about $28.75 an hour, as of May 2024 (BLS). The bottom 10 percent make under $39,130 and the top 10 percent make over $91,020, so where you fall depends on experience, sector, and location.
Do HVAC techs make good money?
Yes. HVAC pay beats the median for all jobs, and you earn while you train instead of paying for a degree. With a certification or two, a move into commercial or industrial work, and some overtime, $70,000 to $90,000 is realistic within a few years.
What is the highest paying HVAC job?
Industrial refrigeration is the top of the trade, with techs earning $75,000 to $125,000 and leads topping $140,000. Union commercial mechanics, controls and data center specialists, and shop owners also clear six figures.
How much do HVAC techs make an hour?
The median is $28.75 an hour (May 2024, BLS). Entry helpers start around $18 to $25, experienced techs run $30 to $40, and union journeymen in big metros hit $38 to $58 an hour before overtime.
Can you make $100k as an HVAC technician?
Yes, and thousands do. The top 10 percent already earn over $91,020, and industrial refrigeration techs, union journeymen with overtime, controls specialists, and shop owners regularly pass $100,000.