An HVAC (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning) technician is a professional who installs, maintains and repairs heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment and systems. These professionals train on the job, or through vocational schools. Salary for this occupation can vary based on skills, industry and geography.
National Average
In May 2009, The Bureau of Labor Statistics listed a national mean hourly wage of $21.00 for this occupation.
Industry Wages
The highest paying industry for this occupation is classified under motor vehicle manufacturing, with average mean wages of $31.84 per hour. Other industries paying high wages for these professionals include electric power generation, transmission and distribution (average mean wages of $30.03 per hour); navigational, measuring, electro-medical and control instruments manufacturing ($29.09 per hour); and motor vehicle parts manufacturing ($28.59 per hour).
States
States with the highest concentration of workers in this occupation include Florida, Maine, and New Hampshire. The highest hourly wages per state include the District of Columbia, paying a mean hourly wage of $27.19, and Connecticut, paying a mean hourly wage of $25.58.
Metropolitan Areas
The Champaign-Urbana, IL metropolitan area pays the highest mean hourly wage of $33.76, while Napa, CA averages a mean hourly wage of $32.55. Two other metropolitan areas pay average wages over $30 per hour: the Oakland-Fremont-Hayward, CA area ($31.80 per hour) and the Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford area of MA-NH ($30.72 per hour).
Industry Concentration
The highest concentration of HVAC technicians is found in the industry of building equipment contractors, employing more than 166,000 mechanics and installers who receive a mean hourly wage of $20.34.
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