Salary & Licensing · Updated May 2026

HVAC technician salary by state

Name: U.S. HVAC Technician Wages by State (median and 10th–90th percentile)
Creator: JobStack
License: https://www.usa.gov/government-works

What HVAC techs earn in every state — median pay and the real 10th-to-90th percentile range — plus the licensing that trips people up, including the federal EPA 608 rule that applies in every state, taxes, and gotchas.

Key facts

National median wage: $61,010 (mean $64,780); range from under $40,050 (10th) to over $95,210 (90th) — BLS, May 2025. Projected to grow +8% through 2034.
Highest pay: D.C., Alaska, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Connecticut (medians ~$77,000–$84,000). Lowest: Arkansas, Alabama, and Mississippi (~$48,000).
EPA Section 608 is federally required to handle refrigerants — in every state, even for apprentices.
~36 states require a state HVAC license; ~14 don't — but "no state license" still usually means a local one.

National pay range

A single figure hides a wide spread. Nationally, HVAC pay ranges like this (BLS, May 2025) — driven by experience, EPA/NATE certification, specialty, region, and whether you own the business:

Percentile	Annual wage
Bottom 10%	$40,050
25th percentile	$48,360
Median (50th)	$61,010
75th percentile	$77,060
Top 10%	$95,210

Mean (average) wage: $64,780. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (national).

HVAC salary by state

Median annual wage with the actual 10th–90th percentile range, highest to lowest. National median: $61,010.

Rank	State	Median	10th–90th range
1	District of Columbia	$84,390	$49,940 – $108,240
2	Alaska	$77,430	$48,580 – $105,140
3	Illinois	$77,410	$46,690 – $117,550
4	Massachusetts	$77,300	$50,820 – $102,410
5	Connecticut	$76,610	$45,280 – $100,160
6	Minnesota	$76,350	$48,220 – $100,030
7	Washington	$75,660	$48,810 – $120,360
8	North Dakota	$74,490	$46,610 – $94,060
9	New Jersey	$74,450	$48,020 – $116,550
10	New York	$74,430	$48,560 – $100,680
11	New Hampshire	$73,850	$47,520 – $97,140
12	California	$72,560	$46,950 – $109,060
13	Maryland	$70,020	$46,180 – $106,740
14	Rhode Island	$67,370	$38,100 – $104,080
15	Hawaii	$65,450	$43,120 – $99,430
16	Colorado	$65,200	$48,220 – $103,640
17	Maine	$63,170	$47,090 – $82,090
18	Oregon	$62,940	$46,990 – $94,520
19	Ohio	$62,510	$38,630 – $98,310
20	Pennsylvania	$62,400	$45,970 – $89,440
21	Delaware	$62,320	$45,000 – $97,600
22	Vermont	$62,150	$50,280 – $93,110
23	Wisconsin	$61,710	$45,930 – $98,070
24	South Dakota	$61,390	$48,420 – $75,190
25	Michigan	$60,850	$40,210 – $95,290
26	Montana	$60,850	$41,900 – $81,230
27	Iowa	$60,680	$43,040 – $86,280
28	Nevada	$60,510	$41,040 – $89,750
29	Kansas	$60,460	$43,660 – $83,500
30	Indiana	$60,430	$40,460 – $97,800
31	Missouri	$59,950	$39,180 – $88,760
32	Nebraska	$59,850	$43,540 – $81,110
33	Virginia	$59,730	$39,760 – $83,420
34	Arizona	$59,400	$37,950 – $80,160
35	Utah	$58,730	$37,570 – $80,500
36	Louisiana	$58,650	$36,950 – $78,210
37	Kentucky	$58,620	$38,790 – $80,020
38	Texas	$57,760	$38,100 – $81,860
39	Oklahoma	$57,560	$36,050 – $79,660
40	North Carolina	$57,260	$37,780 – $77,160
41	Florida	$56,670	$38,370 – $78,210
42	South Carolina	$56,610	$39,170 – $75,530
43	Georgia	$56,390	$36,990 – $79,130
44	Idaho	$56,240	$38,660 – $80,780
45	Tennessee	$55,490	$38,540 – $81,590
46	Wyoming	$54,700	$37,840 – $79,050
47	New Mexico	$50,270	$37,380 – $75,770
48	West Virginia	$48,850	$36,160 – $72,640
49	Mississippi	$48,680	$36,160 – $76,240
50	Alabama	$48,370	$36,510 – $65,690
51	Arkansas	$48,110	$37,040 – $69,290

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (SOC 49-9021, HVAC mechanics and installers), extracted via the BLS public API. Median and 10th/90th-percentile wages are actual BLS values per state, not cost-of-living adjusted; self-employed techs aren't included.

Licensing: EPA 608 first, then your state

HVAC has a two-layer requirement that catches newcomers off guard:

EPA Section 608 (federal): required for anyone who handles refrigerants — in every state, even apprentices, before touching a refrigerant circuit. It comes in Type I (small appliances), Type II (high-pressure), Type III (low-pressure), and Universal.
State license: about 36 states require a state HVAC (often HVAC contractor) license; roughly 14 don't — for example Alaska, California (work under a licensed contractor), and Colorado (local rules).

Crucially, EPA 608 lets you handle refrigerant — it does not authorize you to operate as a contractor; that's what the state/local license is for. And "no state license" never means unregulated: EPA 608 still applies and most major cities license HVAC contractors. Always verify with your state board and the EPA.

Do you charge sales tax on HVAC work?

Depends on the state and the job:

Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, and West Virginia tax services by default.
New York taxes repair, maintenance, and installation work; Texas exempts residential real-property repair labor but taxes commercial in full.
Many states tax repairs but exempt real-property improvements (new system installs), where the contractor pays tax on equipment instead.

General information, not tax advice. Confirm with your state revenue department.

Other gotchas

Refrigerant rules are tightening (the A2L transition) — staying current on EPA requirements is part of the job.
NATE certification is voluntary but raises pay and credibility.
An HVAC contractor license (with bond and insurance) is usually separate from being a certified tech.
Permits and inspections apply to most installs; pulling them typically requires a licensed contractor.

Salary vs. what you can charge

These are employee wages — BLS doesn't survey the self-employed. If you own an HVAC shop, your take-home depends on what you charge and how many hours you bill. Work out the rate you need with the free hourly rate calculator.

Run an HVAC business?

JobStack handles repairs, maintenance agreements, and installs for solo and small HVAC shops. Launching soon.

See JobStack for HVAC

HVAC salary & licensing FAQ

How much do HVAC technicians make?

The national median wage for HVAC mechanics and installers is $61,010 a year (mean $64,780), per BLS May 2025 data. The lowest 10% earn under $40,050 and the top 10% earn over $95,210. State medians range from about $48,000 to over $84,000.

Which states pay HVAC technicians the most and least?

By median wage, the highest are the District of Columbia (~$84,390), Alaska (~$77,430), Illinois (~$77,410), Massachusetts (~$77,300), and Connecticut (~$76,610). The lowest are Arkansas (~$48,110), Alabama (~$48,370), and Mississippi (~$48,680).

Do you need a license to do HVAC work?

Two things. First, EPA Section 608 certification is a federal requirement for anyone who handles refrigerants — in every state, even apprentices. Second, about 36 states also require a state HVAC license; roughly 14 don't (e.g., Alaska, California, and Colorado), though cities in those states often license HVAC contractors.

What is EPA Section 608 certification?

It's a federal certification required to handle refrigerants, regardless of your state or experience level. It comes in Type I (small appliances), Type II (high-pressure systems), Type III (low-pressure), and Universal (all three). It does not, by itself, authorize you to operate as an HVAC contractor — that's what a state/local license is for.

How much do entry-level HVAC techs make?

Entry-level pay sits near the 10th–25th percentile — roughly $40,000–$48,000 — and climbs with experience, EPA 608, and NATE certification toward the median of $61,010 and beyond.

Do HVAC techs charge sales tax on their work?

It depends on the state and job. Hawaii, New Mexico, South Dakota, and West Virginia tax services by default; many states tax repairs but exempt real-property improvements. This isn't tax advice — confirm with your state revenue department.

Methodology & sources

All wage figures — national and per-state median, 10th, and 90th percentiles — are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, May 2025, for SOC 49-9021, extracted via the BLS public API. Figures aren't cost-of-living adjusted, and self-employed techs are excluded. EPA 608 requirements are from the U.S. EPA; licensing details from state boards and industry guides; tax treatment from state revenue departments. Verify specifics with the EPA and your state board. Not legal or tax advice.

More: electrician salary by state, plumber salary by state, and JobStack for HVAC. Free to cite with attribution to JobStack.