The Essential HVAC Salary Guide for 2023

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HVAC Salary in the United States

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If you’re looking to hire an HVAC professional to join your team, you probably have some questions about what to pay them. To help you, we’ve put together the essential HVAC salary guide with up-to-date, crowdsourced data courtesy of Payscale. Below, you will find HVAC salary information based on national averages, years of experience, job title, and geographic location.

How much do HVAC techs and managers make in the United States?

There are a few factors that will affect an HVAC salary (or AC technician salary, if you’re in a warmer climate). Things to ask yourself include:

How much do HVAC technicians make in the state where they live?
What is the average HVAC hourly rate vs. annual salary?
How much experience does the HVAC service technician that you’re looking to hire have?
How much does an HVAC technician or manager earn on average in the U.S.?

An HVAC salary is $49,535 per year on average
An HVAC’s hourly rate is $20.29 on average
HVAC service managers earn $72,899 per year on average
HVAC technicians start at $36,614 per year on average

Average HVAC Salary in the U.S.

| Detailed Breakdown

To help you better understand how to determine what you pay your employees, we have provided a detailed breakdown of HVAC salaries by state and by years of experience.

Use this information to ensure you are paying fair wages in your state to help attract and retain top performers.

Jessica Bannister of Cam Cool Refrigeration

Cam Cool Refrigeration Port Coquitlam, BC

State-by-state average HVAC technician salaries

Where your HVAC technician or manager works will affect their average income. To illustrate, the HVAC salary in California is $55,706 on average, whereas an HVAC salary in Texas is $48,189 and in Florida, it’s $43,865.

Average HVAC Salary by State (USD)

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$56,000-$59,000
$52,000-$55,999
$48,000-$51,999
$44,000-$47,999
$40,000-$43,999

HVAC technician salaries by years of experience

You might be wondering what the starting HVAC salary is compared to an experienced HVAC salary. HVAC salaries increase as they earn experience. HVAC technicians with less than three years of experience earn an average salary of $36,614, but after six years of experience in the trade, they can earn over $50,000.

Here are national HVAC salary averages based on their levels of experience. Use the drop-down menu to see data for your state.

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HVAC salaries by job title

If you’re wondering how an HVAC apprentice salary compares to an HVAC journeyman salary or a master HVAC salary, salaries rise as they become more qualified. Their salaries also increase as they advance to management roles. HVAC service managers, responsible for leading a team of technicians, earn up to 47% more on average than HVAC service technicians. If you’re looking for information on the average HVAC business owner’s salary, you can use the information provided below to help set your rates.

Here are the national averages for both HVAC service technicians’ and managers’ salaries.