Cost Guides · Trade Wages
How Much Does an HVAC Technician Make Per Hour? BLS Data
HVAC technicians make $31.14 an hour on average, or $64,780 a year. The median is $29.33 an hour (BLS, May 2025). Below: the range, pay by state, and owner math.
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How much does an HVAC technician make an hour?
BLS tracks HVAC pay under one classification: code 49-9021, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers. It covers technicians who install, maintain, and repair heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems, so the numbers below describe the whole classification.
The national mean wage is $31.14 an hour, $64,780 a year. The median runs lower: $29.33 an hour, $61,010 a year. A smaller group of higher earners pulls the mean above the median. The classification counts an estimated 409,670 workers nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What is the full pay range for this classification?
A single average skips most of the story. BLS also publishes percentile wages, the spread from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth.
| Percentile | Hourly wage | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.25 | $40,050 |
| 25th percentile | $23.25 | $48,360 |
| Median (50th) | $29.33 | $61,010 |
| Mean (average) | $31.14 | $64,780 |
| 75th percentile | $37.05 | $77,060 |
| 90th percentile | $45.78 | $95,210 |
The spread runs $40,050 to $95,210 a year, wide enough that specialty work and region move pay a lot inside this one classification (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Which states pay the most, and which pay the least?
State averages move even more. Here are the six highest and six lowest-paying states, by mean annual wage.
| State | Mean hourly | Mean annual | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $38.53 | $80,150 | Highest |
| Washington | $37.91 | $78,860 | Highest |
| Massachusetts | $37.38 | $77,760 | Highest |
| New Jersey | $37.30 | $77,580 | Highest |
| Illinois | $37.29 | $77,570 | Highest |
| California | $36.24 | $75,370 | Highest |
| Wyoming | $26.81 | $55,760 | Lowest |
| New Mexico | $26.60 | $55,330 | Lowest |
| Mississippi | $25.49 | $53,020 | Lowest |
| West Virginia | $24.85 | $51,700 | Lowest |
| Alabama | $24.67 | $51,320 | Lowest |
| Arkansas | $24.59 | $51,150 | Lowest |
Alaska’s mean pay runs $29,000 above Arkansas’s, over a 50 percent gap (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Our contractor hourly labor rates by trade and plumber pay pages use the same release.
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Does an EPA Section 608 certification change the pay picture?
Unlike some trades, HVAC has a hard federal gate. EPA regulations under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act require that technicians who maintain, service, repair, or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants must be certified (epa.gov, verified 2026-09-26). EPA runs four types: Type I for small appliances, Type II for high or very high pressure appliances, Type III for low pressure appliances, and Universal for all equipment. That is a legal requirement to handle refrigerants, not a separate BLS pay code. Every wage above sits inside the same 49-9021 classification regardless of certification type.
What is the job outlook for HVAC technicians?
BLS projects employment of HVAC mechanics and installers to grow 11 percent from 2025 to 2035, much faster than the average for all occupations (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, verified 2026-09-26). That growth, plus the certification gate on entry, helps keep pay above the broader national median.
How much do HVAC business owners make?
Every figure above is an employee wage. An owner who bills a service call keeps the gap between the fee and costs, a number BLS does not report.
Service Experts lists a standard diagnostic rate of $189, read October 30, 2026. 360 HVAC Pro, a Denver metro company based in Commerce City, Colorado, charges a flat $89, credited toward the repair, captured September 26, 2026. A two-truck company running eight calls a day at $89 to $189 each brings in $712 to $1,512 a day in service-call revenue, before parts, fuel, or overhead. That is revenue, not take-home pay.
How to turn wage data into your own bid
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Start from the BLS wage floor
Use $29.33 to $31.14 an hour, code 49-9021’s median-to-mean range, as a labor baseline.
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Set your own diagnostic and service fee
Decide your own trip charge and labor rate, separate from the wage a technician is paid.
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Estimate job hours and parts
Multiply your rate by job hours, then add equipment and parts. Harder access adds hours.
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Turn the estimate into a bid
Snap a photo in SimplyWise Cost Estimator, edit the lines, then send a branded quote.
SimplyWise Cost Estimator for pricing HVAC jobs
SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Material, labor, and fee lines are editable, so you can enter your own diagnostic fee and labor rate. Send a branded quote the client signs to approve. $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr, about $20/mo on annual, with a 7-day free trial.
Sources
BLS wage data
- BLS OEWS national estimates, code 49-9021, 2026-09-26.
- BLS OEWS state estimates, code 49-9021, 2026-09-26.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, HVACR, 2026-09-26.
- SimplyWise, labor rates by trade, live 2026-09-26.
EPA certification
- EPA, Section 608 certification requirements, 2026-09-26.
Owner-operator pricing
- Service Experts, diagnostic fee, standard rate, 2026-10-30.
- 360 HVAC Pro, diagnostic fee, own rate, 2026-09-26.
SimplyWise
- SimplyWise Cost Estimator, App Store, 4.8 rating, 2026-09-26.
Frequently asked questions about HVAC technician pay
The wage
How much does an HVAC technician make an hour?
HVAC technicians fall under BLS code 49-9021. The mean is $31.14 an hour, the median $29.33 an hour (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What is the median HVAC technician salary a year?
Median annual wage: $61,010. Mean: $64,780 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The 10th percentile earns $40,050 a year, the 90th earns $95,210.
The range
Which state pays HVAC technicians the most?
Alaska: $80,150 a year, $38.53 an hour, the highest mean pay among states. Washington, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Illinois, and California round out the top six (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Does an EPA Section 608 certification change HVAC pay?
No. EPA requires technicians who handle refrigerants to be certified under Section 608, but that is a legal requirement to work, not a separate pay code. Every certification type sits inside the same 49-9021 classification.
Estimating the job
How much do HVAC business owners make?
BLS wage data covers employees, not owner profit. Service Experts lists a $189 standard diagnostic rate and 360 HVAC Pro posts a flat $89 fee. Eight calls a day at those fees brings in $712 to $1,512 in revenue, before costs.
Can I quote an HVAC job from a photo?
Yes. SimplyWise Cost Estimator turns a job-site photo into an itemized estimate in about 6 seconds. Add the system size, ductwork run, and access, then edit the lines.
Turn your own labor rate into a bid that holds margin.
Snap a photo and get an itemized estimate with editable lines. Free to try, then $29.99/mo or $239.99/yr after a 7-day trial.