Certification path
What does an HVAC technician earn?
HVAC technicians earned a median of $61,010 a year, or $29.33 an hour, in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' national wage survey for HVAC mechanics and installers (occupation 49-9021; BLS OES, checked October 7, 2026). Half earned more and half less; the middle half of the field sat between $48,360 and $77,060.
The national pay spread
The BLS fact sheet
HVAC mechanics and installers: BLS national figures
| Measure | Value | Series |
|---|---|---|
| Median wage | $61,010 a year; $29.33 an hour | OES, May 2025 |
| Mean wage | $64,780 a year; $31.14 an hour | OES, May 2025 |
| Employment, wage and salary workers | 409,670 | OES, May 2025 |
| Jobs including the self-employed | 440,900 | OOH, 2025 |
| Projected employment change | +11%, much faster than average | OOH, 2025–2035 |
| Openings per year | About 40,600 | OOH, 2025–2035 average |
| Typical entry-level education | Postsecondary nondegree award | OOH |
Checked October 7, 2026 on the BLS OES page for 49-9021 (values via the BLS data API) and the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Reading the numbers
Median versus average
The mean, $64,780 a year or $31.14 an hour, runs above the $61,010 median because the top earners pull it up; the 90th percentile reached $95,210 (BLS OES, May 2025, checked October 7, 2026). For a sense of a typical paycheck, the median is the better guide.
Starting pay
BLS doesn't publish a starting wage. The closest it offers is the low end of the distribution: the 10th percentile was $40,050 a year and the 25th percentile $48,360 (BLS OES, May 2025). BLS also publishes state and metro-area figures; everything on this page is the national series.
Demand
The Occupational Outlook Handbook projects employment growth of 11% from 2025 to 2035, "much faster than average," with about 40,600 openings a year. It counts 440,900 jobs in 2025 including the self-employed, while the wage survey counted 409,670 employees (BLS OOH and OES, checked October 7, 2026).
The BLS terms on this page
- OES (OEWS)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, the BLS survey of employer payrolls behind every wage figure here. It covers wage and salary workers and excludes the self-employed.
- OOH
- The Occupational Outlook Handbook, where BLS publishes job descriptions, typical entry education and the ten-year projections.
- 49-9021
- The occupation code for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers. It groups installers and service technicians together.
- Percentile
- The share of workers earning less. At the 75th percentile, $77,060, three in four earned less (May 2025).
What the BLS numbers leave out
What is the hourly pay for an HVAC technician?
The national median was $29.33 an hour and the mean $31.14 an hour in May 2025 (BLS OES 49-9021, checked October 7, 2026).
What do the lowest-paid and highest-paid HVAC techs make?
In May 2025 the 10th percentile was $40,050 a year and the 90th percentile $95,210, nationally (BLS OES 49-9021, checked October 7, 2026). BLS doesn't break those figures out by certification or experience.
Does NATE certification raise HVAC pay?
BLS doesn't measure pay by certification, so no federal data answers that. The EPA 608 vs NATE comparison covers what each credential is for.
How do I get into the field?
BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry education, and EPA 608 certification is required for refrigerant work. The full route is on the how to become an HVAC technician page.
Do HVAC technicians need a license as well as EPA 608?
Licensing is set locally: according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, some states and localities license HVAC technicians and others don't. The 608 card is the federal requirement for refrigerant work wherever you work.
Sources
- Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2025: 49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers — values read through the BLS public data API, checked October 7, 2026US Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers — checked October 7, 2026US Bureau of Labor Statistics