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HVAC technicians: pay and employment in every state
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) earned a national median of $61,010 a year in May 2025, $29.33 an hour. 409,670 people held the job. District of Columbia paid the most, $84,390.
How to become an HVAC technician: the license tiers, required hours, exam and fees, sourced from the state authority for California · Florida · Georgia · Illinois · Michigan · New York · North Carolina · Ohio · Pennsylvania · Texas. More states as each board's data is collected.
Where HVAC technicians earn the most
Top five by median annual wage: District of Columbia ($84,390), Alaska ($77,430), Illinois ($77,410), Massachusetts ($77,300), Connecticut ($76,610).
Lowest five: Arkansas ($48,110), Alabama ($48,370), Mississippi ($48,680), West Virginia ($48,850), New Mexico ($50,270).
Every state, ranked by median pay
| # | State | Median annual | Median hourly | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employed | Per 1,000 jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | $84,390 | $40.57 | $49,940 | $108,240 | 400 | 0.6 |
| 2 | Alaska | $77,430 | $37.23 | $48,580 | $105,140 | 610 | 1.9 |
| 3 | Illinois | $77,410 | $37.21 | $46,690 | $117,550 | 9,740 | 1.6 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $77,300 | $37.16 | $50,820 | $102,410 | 8,200 | 2.3 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $76,610 | $36.83 | $45,280 | $100,160 | 3,800 | 2.2 |
| 6 | Minnesota | $76,350 | $36.71 | $48,220 | $100,030 | 4,200 | 1.4 |
| 7 | Washington | $75,660 | $36.38 | $48,810 | $120,360 | 7,370 | 2.1 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $74,490 | $35.81 | $46,610 | $94,060 | 970 | 2.2 |
| 9 | New Jersey | $74,450 | $35.79 | $48,020 | $116,550 | 10,330 | 2.4 |
| 10 | New York | $74,430 | $35.78 | $48,560 | $100,680 | 24,430 | 2.5 |
| 11 | New Hampshire | $73,850 | $35.51 | $47,520 | $97,140 | 2,560 | 3.8 |
| 12 | California | $72,560 | $34.88 | $46,950 | $109,060 | 35,130 | 1.9 |
| 13 | Maryland | $70,020 | $33.67 | $46,180 | $106,740 | 8,560 | 3.1 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $67,370 | $32.39 | $38,100 | $104,080 | 1,450 | 2.9 |
| 15 | Hawaii | $65,450 | $31.47 | $43,120 | $99,430 | 1,300 | 2.1 |
| 16 | Colorado | $65,200 | $31.35 | $48,220 | $103,640 | 8,940 | 3.1 |
| 17 | Maine | $63,170 | $30.37 | $47,090 | $82,090 | 2,250 | 3.5 |
| 18 | Oregon | $62,940 | $30.26 | $46,990 | $94,520 | 3,980 | 2.0 |
| 19 | Ohio | $62,510 | $30.06 | $38,630 | $98,310 | 14,150 | 2.5 |
| 20 | Pennsylvania | $62,400 | $30.00 | $45,970 | $89,440 | 15,880 | 2.6 |
| 21 | Delaware | $62,320 | $29.96 | $45,000 | $97,600 | 1,730 | 3.6 |
| 22 | Vermont | $62,150 | $29.88 | $50,280 | $93,110 | 970 | 3.2 |
| 23 | Wisconsin | $61,710 | $29.67 | $45,930 | $98,070 | 6,630 | 2.3 |
| 24 | South Dakota | $61,390 | $29.51 | $48,420 | $75,190 | 1,610 | 3.5 |
| 25 | Michigan | $60,850 | $29.26 | $40,210 | $95,290 | 12,590 | 2.9 |
| 26 | Montana | $60,850 | $29.26 | $41,900 | $81,230 | 1,230 | 2.4 |
| 27 | Iowa | $60,680 | $29.17 | $43,040 | $86,280 | 3,840 | 2.5 |
| 28 | Nevada | $60,510 | $29.09 | $41,040 | $89,750 | 4,170 | 2.7 |
| 29 | Kansas | $60,460 | $29.07 | $43,660 | $83,500 | 3,770 | 2.6 |
| 30 | Indiana | $60,430 | $29.05 | $40,460 | $97,800 | 8,530 | 2.7 |
| 31 | Missouri | $59,950 | $28.82 | $39,180 | $88,760 | 7,220 | 2.5 |
| 32 | Nebraska | $59,850 | $28.77 | $43,540 | $81,110 | 3,020 | 2.9 |
| 33 | Virginia | $59,730 | $28.72 | $39,760 | $83,420 | 14,690 | 3.6 |
| 34 | Arizona | $59,400 | $28.56 | $37,950 | $80,160 | 10,860 | 3.4 |
| 35 | Utah | $58,730 | $28.24 | $37,570 | $80,500 | 5,580 | 3.2 |
| 36 | Louisiana | $58,650 | $28.20 | $36,950 | $78,210 | 5,380 | 2.8 |
| 37 | Kentucky | $58,620 | $28.18 | $38,790 | $80,020 | 5,100 | 2.5 |
| 38 | Texas | $57,760 | $27.77 | $38,100 | $81,860 | 34,730 | 2.5 |
| 39 | Oklahoma | $57,560 | $27.67 | $36,050 | $79,660 | 5,650 | 3.3 |
| 40 | North Carolina | $57,260 | $27.53 | $37,780 | $77,160 | 15,230 | 3.1 |
| 41 | Florida | $56,670 | $27.24 | $38,370 | $78,210 | 39,160 | 3.9 |
| 42 | South Carolina | $56,610 | $27.22 | $39,170 | $75,530 | 6,920 | 3.0 |
| 43 | Georgia | $56,390 | $27.11 | $36,990 | $79,130 | 12,290 | 2.5 |
| 44 | Idaho | $56,240 | $27.04 | $38,660 | $80,780 | 4,550 | 5.3 |
| 45 | Tennessee | $55,490 | $26.68 | $38,540 | $81,590 | 9,740 | 3.0 |
| 46 | Wyoming | $54,700 | $26.30 | $37,840 | $79,050 | 690 | 2.5 |
| 47 | New Mexico | $50,270 | $24.17 | $37,380 | $75,770 | 1,950 | 2.2 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $48,850 | $23.49 | $36,160 | $72,640 | 1,690 | 2.4 |
| 49 | Mississippi | $48,680 | $23.41 | $36,160 | $76,240 | 2,700 | 2.3 |
| 50 | Alabama | $48,370 | $23.26 | $36,510 | $65,690 | 8,260 | 3.9 |
| 51 | Arkansas | $48,110 | $23.13 | $37,040 | $69,290 | 4,960 | 3.8 |
Per 1,000 jobs
"Per 1,000 jobs" is how concentrated the trade is in that state's workforce. A state can pay well and still have few openings; the employment column and this one together say how much of a market there is.