How Much to Pay an HVAC Technician in 2026
By BRIX Editorial Team · Updated
HVAC mechanics and installers earned a median $29.33 an hour ($61,010 a year) in May 2025, according to BLS. At specialty trade contractors, where three in four work, the median was $28.88. The lowest-paid 10% earned under $19.25 and the top 10% over $45.78, the range from helper to senior service tech.
Key takeaways
- National median for SOC 49-9021: $29.33; middle half $23.25–$37.05 (BLS, May 2025).
- Contractors pay $28.88. Equipment wholesalers ($35.68) and gas utilities pay more, which is where some of your best techs go.
- State medians run from $23.13 (Arkansas) to $37.23 (Alaska), with Illinois and Massachusetts close behind.
- A tech at $28.88 with truck, tools and illustrative benefits costs about $102,614 a year, or $69.00 per billable hour at 65% billable.
- Spiffs and commissions raise the regular rate for overtime. Do the math every week, not once a year.
How much do HVAC technicians make?
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey counted 409,670 heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers in May 2025, with a median of $29.33 an hour. Use the percentiles to place a candidate: the 10th percentile is roughly an entry-level helper or recent HVAC school graduate, the median a solid service tech running calls alone, and the 90th a senior tech or commercial refrigeration specialist.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Typical fit in a residential shop |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $19.25 | $40,050 | Helper, first-year installer |
| 25th | $23.25 | $48,360 | Installer, junior service tech |
| Median | $29.33 | $61,010 | Service tech running calls alone |
| 75th | $37.05 | $77,060 | Lead or senior service tech |
| 90th | $45.78 | $95,210 | Commercial or refrigeration specialist, top performer |
Who competes with you for HVAC techs?
Most HVAC techs work for contractors like you: 306,710 of them at specialty trade contractors, at a median of $28.88, a bit under the national figure. The higher-paying employers are fewer but they're the ones poaching experienced techs. Durable-goods wholesalers, including equipment distributors with service and warranty roles, pay a median of $35.68, and natural gas distribution utilities pay $50.79.
| Industry (NAICS) | Employed | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 409,670 | $19.25 | $29.33 | $45.78 | $61,010 |
| Specialty trade contractors (238) | 306,710 | $18.74 | $28.88 | $45.03 | $60,070 |
| Construction of buildings (236) | 3,120 | $19.76 | $28.69 | $40.08 | $59,680 |
| Repair and maintenance (811) | 10,130 | $19.67 | $29.46 | $44.71 | $61,290 |
| Merchant wholesalers, durable goods (423) | 12,910 | $21.53 | $35.68 | $51.45 | $74,210 |
| Natural gas distribution (2212) | 720 | $37.06 | $50.79 | $52.74 | $105,630 |
What do HVAC techs earn in your state?
State medians for HVAC techs range from $23.13 an hour in Arkansas to $37.23 in Alaska. Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington and New York all pay more than $35, while Texas, Florida, Georgia and North Carolina sit between $27 and $28. Your metro can differ a lot from the state figure, so also look at what local shops post.
| State | Employed | 10th pct. | Median | 90th pct. | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | 610 | $23.36 | $37.23 | $50.55 | $77,430 |
| Illinois | 9,740 | $22.45 | $37.21 | $56.51 | $77,410 |
| Massachusetts | 8,200 | $24.44 | $37.16 | $49.23 | $77,300 |
| Washington | 7,370 | $23.47 | $36.38 | $57.86 | $75,660 |
| New York | 24,430 | $23.35 | $35.78 | $48.40 | $74,430 |
| California | 35,130 | $22.57 | $34.88 | $52.44 | $72,560 |
| Colorado | 8,940 | $23.18 | $31.35 | $49.83 | $65,200 |
| Ohio | 14,150 | $18.57 | $30.06 | $47.26 | $62,510 |
| Arizona | 10,860 | $18.25 | $28.56 | $38.54 | $59,400 |
| Texas | 34,730 | $18.32 | $27.77 | $39.36 | $57,760 |
| North Carolina | 15,230 | $18.16 | $27.53 | $37.10 | $57,260 |
| Florida | 39,160 | $18.45 | $27.24 | $37.60 | $56,670 |
| Georgia | 12,290 | $17.78 | $27.11 | $38.05 | $56,390 |
| Arkansas | 4,960 | $17.81 | $23.13 | $33.31 | $48,110 |
Which HVAC pay plan should you use?
Most residential HVAC shops use one of four plans: straight hourly, hourly plus spiffs, hourly plus commission on sales, or flat-rate (pay per task). Hourly is simplest and best for installers and new techs. Spiffs and commissions reward service techs who find and sell work, but they need guardrails so nobody oversells. Whatever you pick, put it in writing, and keep the base high enough that a slow week doesn't push anyone below minimum wage.
| Plan | How it pays | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight hourly | One rate, time and a half over 40 | Installers, helpers, new techs | No reward for productivity |
| Hourly + spiffs | Flat amounts for maintenance plans, IAQ add-ons, leads that close | Service techs in their first few years | Spiffs for things customers don't need |
| Hourly + commission on sales | A percentage of the repair or replacement-lead revenue | Experienced service techs | Callback and warranty work hurt; set rules for both |
| Flat rate per task | A set pay for each task completed, regardless of time | Shops with a flat-rate price book | Overtime and minimum wage still apply to hours worked |
Overtime rules are federal minimums under the Fair Labor Standards Act, explained on the DOL pages below; many states add stricter rules, such as daily overtime. This is general information, not legal advice. For a deeper comparison of plans across trades, see how to hire and pay technicians.
What does an HVAC tech really cost per billable hour?
An HVAC tech costs the wage plus payroll taxes, workers' comp, benefits and a stocked truck. Divide by the hours you can actually bill, not the hours you pay, because drive time, shop time, callbacks and training don't produce invoices. That cost per billable hour is the floor under your flat-rate prices.
- Labor burden rate (on top of wages)
- 29.3%
- Annual wages
- $62,400
- Employer payroll taxes
- $5,176
- Workers' comp
- $3,744
- Health, retirement and other
- $9,372
- Total annual cost
- $80,692
- Cost per paid hour
- $38.79
- Cost per hour worked
- $41.17
- Billable hours per year
- 1,470
A $30.00 wage really costs you $38.79 per paid hour and $54.89 for every hour you can bill, 1.83× the wage. Use $54.89 as the floor for this employee's labor cost in your prices, before overhead and profit.
Plug your own workers' comp class rate and truck costs into the labor burden calculator above, or the payroll cost calculator for the yearly total. Then check how busy the tech will be with the technician utilization calculator: a new hire only pays off if the calls are there.
What should you fix before you hire another tech?
Before adding a truck, make sure the techs you have are full. In peak season the bottleneck is often the phone, not the field: calls that ring out while the CSR is booking someone else, or after-hours no-cooling calls that go to voicemail and then to a competitor. Each missed call in July is a repair or a replacement lead your current techs could have run.
Ready to recruit? Start with the HVAC technician hiring guide for where to find candidates and how to run a ride-along test.
Frequently asked questions
How much should I pay a new HVAC technician?
Most shops start helpers and recent HVAC school graduates near the 10th–25th percentile, which BLS puts at $19.25–$23.25 an hour nationally in May 2025. Adjust for your state and move them up as they earn EPA 608 certification and can run calls alone.
What's a good hourly rate for an experienced HVAC service tech?
An experienced tech who runs calls alone, diagnoses well and sells maintenance plans is usually worth the median to the 75th percentile: $29.33–$37.05 nationally. In high-wage states like Illinois or Massachusetts, the state median alone is above $37.
Should HVAC techs be paid commission?
Commission or spiffs can work well for experienced service techs, as long as there's a solid hourly base, clear rules for callbacks, and no reward for selling work the customer doesn't need. Commissions and nondiscretionary bonuses must be included in the regular rate when you pay overtime.
Do flat-rate HVAC techs get overtime?
Yes, if they're non-exempt, which most techs are. Under the FLSA, overtime for piece-rate or per-task pay is based on the average hourly rate: total pay for the week divided by hours worked, with an extra half-time for each hour over 40. Check your state's rules too.
Is HVAC technician demand growing?
Yes. BLS projects employment of HVAC mechanics and installers to grow 11% from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 40,600 openings a year. That keeps upward pressure on wages and makes retention as important as recruiting. Our trades business statistics compare it with other trades.
What does an HVAC technician cost the business per hour?
In our illustrative example, a tech paid $28.88 an hour costs about $102,614 a year including taxes, workers' comp, benefits and the truck. At 65% billable time, that's $69.00 per billable hour before parts and overhead. Use your own inputs in the labor burden calculator.
Related
- How to Hire an HVAC Technician: A Guide for Shop OwnersHire HVAC techs: when to add a truck, EPA 608 and license checks, where to find candidates, a paid ride-along test, interview questions and a 90-day plan.
- How to Hire Technicians and Build a Pay Plan That WorksHire and pay field techs right: where to find them, interviews, hourly vs. commission vs. flat-rate pay plans, overtime math and W-2 vs. 1099 risk.
- Labor Burden CalculatorCalculate labor burden with 2026 payroll tax rates, workers' comp, benefits, PTO and unbillable time. See an employee's true cost per billable hour.
- True Cost of an Employee Calculator for Trades BusinessesSee what an hourly employee really costs: wages, 7.65% employer FICA, FUTA, SUTA, workers' comp and benefits, per paid and per billable hour.
- Technician Utilization CalculatorMeasure technician utilization, efficiency and productivity, and see how much revenue a few more job hours per tech per week would add each year.
- What Is Labor Burden?Labor burden is what an employee costs beyond wages: payroll taxes, workers' comp, benefits. See the formula, 2026 tax rates and a tech's true hourly cost.
- What Is Flat Rate Pricing?Flat rate pricing quotes a fixed price per task before work starts. Learn how to build flat-rate prices and a pricebook, and when it beats hourly billing.
- Flat Rate Pricing CalculatorSet flat-rate prices for service tasks: book hours × selling rate plus marked-up parts. See your margin, and what you earn when a job runs long or short.
- How Much to Pay a Plumber in 2026: Apprentice to MasterPlumber pay from BLS May 2025: $30.67 median, apprentice to journeyman steps, state wages, commission plans with overtime math, full cost.
- HVAC Software That Answers the Phone, Books the Tech and Keeps the BooksHVAC software that answers every no-heat and no-cool call, books the tech, follows up on replacement quotes, chases invoices and keeps QuickBooks clean.
Sources
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (49-9021), national estimates (checked October 24, 2026)
- BLS OEWS May 2025: Specialty Trade Contractors (NAICS 238000) occupational estimates (checked October 24, 2026)
- BLS OEWS May 2025: National industry-specific occupational estimates (checked October 24, 2026)
- BLS OEWS May 2025: State occupational employment and wage estimates (checked October 24, 2026)
- BLS OEWS data tables and downloads (national, industry and state files, May 2025) (checked October 24, 2026)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (outlook 2025–35) (checked October 24, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor: Overtime pay (FLSA) (checked October 24, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #56A, Overview of the regular rate of pay under the FLSA (checked October 24, 2026)
- U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #56C, Bonuses under the FLSA (checked October 24, 2026)
- IRS Publication 15 (Circular E), Employer's Tax Guide, for use in 2026 (checked October 24, 2026)