Industry & Market Data
HVAC Technician Salary by State
The national median wage for HVAC Mechanics & Installers is about $61,010 a year, but it ranges from $48,110 in Arkansas to $84,390 in District of Columbia. We ranked all 50 states plus D.C. on median pay, cost-of-living-adjusted pay, and employment using BLS data.
$61,010
National median
$64,780
National mean
409,670
HVAC technicians employed
District of Columbia
Highest-paying state
Key findings
- National median wage for HVAC Mechanics & Installers is about $61,010 (2025 BLS OEWS), mean $64,780.
- District of Columbia pays the most (median $84,390); Arkansas the least ($48,110).
- After cost of living, North Dakota stretches a HVAC technician’s paycheck furthest ($83,735 adjusted).
- Florida employs the most HVAC technicians (~39,160 jobs).
HVAC Technician Salary by State, mapped
Median annual wage by state. Darker means higher pay. Hover a state for its figure.
HVAC technicians pay by state
All 50 states plus D.C., with median, mean, jobs, and cost-of-living-adjusted pay. Search or sort any column.
| 1 | District of Columbia | $84,390 | $84,920 | 400 | $76,787 |
| 2 | Alaska | $77,430 | $80,150 | 610 | $75,646 |
| 3 | Illinois | $77,410 | $77,570 | 9,740 | $77,443 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $77,300 | $77,760 | 8,200 | $73,092 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $76,610 | $73,590 | 3,800 | $73,941 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $76,350 | $73,990 | 4,200 | $77,418 |
| 7 | Washington | $75,660 | $78,860 | 7,370 | $70,702 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $74,490 | $70,010 | 970 | $83,735 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $74,450 | $77,580 | 10,330 | $68,425 |
| 10 | New York | $74,430 | $74,760 | 24,430 | $68,967 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $73,850 | $71,490 | 2,560 | $70,897 |
| 12 | California | $72,560 | $75,370 | 35,130 | $65,535 |
| 13 | Maryland | $70,020 | $73,820 | 8,560 | $66,712 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $67,370 | $69,780 | 1,450 | $65,868 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $65,450 | $67,070 | 1,300 | $59,527 |
| 16 | Colorado | $65,200 | $71,330 | 8,940 | $63,269 |
| 17 | Maine | $63,170 | $65,300 | 2,250 | $65,090 |
| 18 | Oregon | $62,940 | $68,430 | 3,980 | $60,893 |
| 19 | Ohio | $62,510 | $66,000 | 14,150 | $67,379 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $62,400 | $64,880 | 15,880 | $63,953 |
| 21 | Delaware | $62,320 | $66,140 | 1,730 | $62,440 |
| 22 | Vermont | $62,150 | $67,070 | 970 | $63,446 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $61,710 | $67,410 | 6,630 | $65,583 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $61,390 | $61,100 | 1,610 | $69,300 |
| 25 | Michigan | $60,850 | $64,490 | 12,590 | $63,242 |
| 26 | Montana | $60,850 | $62,260 | 1,230 | $64,293 |
| 27 | Iowa | $60,680 | $63,120 | 3,840 | $69,142 |
| 28 | Nevada | $60,510 | $63,350 | 4,170 | $60,523 |
| 29 | Kansas | $60,460 | $61,470 | 3,770 | $67,127 |
| 30 | Indiana | $60,430 | $65,110 | 8,530 | $64,749 |
| 31 | Missouri | $59,950 | $62,410 | 7,220 | $66,012 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $59,850 | $61,050 | 3,020 | $66,424 |
| 33 | Virginia | $59,730 | $61,190 | 14,690 | $59,078 |
| 34 | Arizona | $59,400 | $60,900 | 10,860 | $59,001 |
| 35 | Utah | $58,730 | $60,000 | 5,580 | $59,405 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $58,650 | $56,880 | 5,380 | $66,491 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $58,620 | $58,870 | 5,100 | $65,018 |
| 38 | Texas | $57,760 | $59,130 | 34,730 | $59,511 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $57,560 | $57,640 | 5,650 | $65,526 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $57,260 | $57,400 | 15,230 | $60,704 |
| 41 | Florida | $56,670 | $57,310 | 39,160 | $54,799 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $56,610 | $56,460 | 6,920 | $60,385 |
| 43 | Georgia | $56,390 | $57,080 | 12,290 | $58,561 |
| 44 | Idaho | $56,240 | $60,010 | 4,550 | $58,894 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $55,490 | $57,810 | 9,740 | $60,401 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $54,700 | $55,760 | 690 | $59,013 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $50,270 | $55,330 | 1,950 | $54,516 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $48,850 | $51,700 | 1,690 | $54,583 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $48,680 | $53,020 | 2,700 | $55,984 |
| 50 | Alabama | $48,370 | $51,320 | 8,260 | $54,457 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $48,110 | $51,150 | 4,960 | $55,339 |
Median wage
$84,390
Rank #1 of 51
Mean wage
$84,920
Rank #1 of 51
Pay adjusted for cost of living
$76,787
Rank #4 of 51
Jobs in the state
400
Rank #51 of 51
Top 15 states by median wage
Where a paycheck goes furthest (cost of living adjusted)
Median wage divided by each state’s cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parities). High-cost states fall; affordable states rise.
Where the most HVAC technicians work
What this means
These are wages for HVAC technicians as employees. For owners, they are also a hiring benchmark: in high-pay states you compete harder for technicians, so retention and steady, well-routed work matter as much as the rate you offer.
Pay tells you what a market values the work at. Pair it with where demand is growing and how the trade is projected to expand to decide where the opportunity is.
Methodology
Wages are the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) annual median and mean wage for HVAC Mechanics & Installers (SOC 49-9021) by state. Employment is the OEWS estimate of jobs in that occupation. Cost-of-living-adjusted pay divides the median by each state's BEA Regional Price Parity (index, US=100). A handful of states may be suppressed by BLS for confidentiality and show n/a. Covers the 50 states plus D.C.
Median vs. mean: the median is the midpoint wage (half earn more, half less) and is the better “typical pay” figure; the mean is pulled up by top earners. Cost of living: adjusted pay = median / (state RPP / 100), where the U.S. average is 100.
Source
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), with cost-of-living adjustment from BEA Regional Price Parities.
Programs: BLS OEWS, BEA Regional Price Parities.
Frequently asked questions
How much do HVAC technicians make?+
The national median wage for HVAC Mechanics & Installers is about $61,010 a year (BLS OEWS), with a mean of $64,780. By state it ranges from about $48,110 in Arkansas to $84,390 in District of Columbia.
Which state pays HVAC technicians the most?+
District of Columbia has the highest median wage for HVAC technicians at $84,390, followed by Alaska ($77,430) and Illinois ($77,410).
Where do HVAC technicians earn the most after cost of living?+
Adjusting for cost of living (BEA Regional Price Parities), North Dakota comes out on top at $83,735 of real purchasing power, then Illinois and Minnesota. High-pay, high-cost states fall once cost of living is factored in.
Which states have the most HVAC technicians?+
Florida employs the most HVAC technicians (about 39,160 jobs), followed by California and Texas.
Where does this data come from?+
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for wages and employment, plus BEA Regional Price Parities for the cost-of-living adjustment. See the methodology below.
Cite this study
Free to reference with a link back. Please credit Smarfle as the source.
Ihor Lavrenenko (2026). HVAC Technician Salary by State. Smarfle. https://www.smarfle.com/small-business-statistics/hvac-technician-salary-by-state
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