HVAC Installer Salary
This is the Data Center Headhunters salary guide.
BLS does not measure HVAC Installer as its own occupation, so this page uses Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021, closest proxy). The median annual wage in the United States was $61,010 (BLS, May 2025), and the middle half earned $48,360 to $77,060.
This is what we do all day: recruit data center professionals.
Closest proxy
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers is the closest occupational proxy based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
National pay range
| Point | Annual wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,050 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $48,360 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $61,010 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $77,060 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $95,210 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $64,780 | Average wage. |
| Point | Hourly wage | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.25 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $23.25 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median | $29.33 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $37.05 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $45.78 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $31.14 | Average wage. |
What BLS wages cover: OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. These are straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. Discuss per diem, travel and relocation separately. BLS pay-term definitions.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, United States. Download national data (ZIP).
Pay relative to all occupations
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| This occupation, median | $61,010 |
| All occupations (SOC 00-0000), median | $50,980 |
| Relative wage | 1.20 times |
A ratio of 1.00 means the same median as all workers in the area. It is arithmetic on two BLS medians, not a BLS statistic.
Pay in industries that hire this occupation
| Industry (BLS name) | NAICS | Employment | Share of occupation | Median | P25 to P75 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | 305,330 | 74.5% | $60,070 | $47,810 to $75,560 |
| Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors | 238220 | 297,290 | 72.6% | $60,030 | $47,790 to $75,510 |
| Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors | 238210 | 7,480 | 1.8% | $61,510 | $48,700 to $77,150 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 811300 | 6,790 | 1.7% | $64,710 | $52,630 to $78,790 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | 3,840 | 0.9% | $73,510 | $59,910 to $82,470 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | 1,490 | 0.4% | $63,290 | $54,650 to $79,000 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | 1,200 | 0.3% | $83,930 | $67,490 to $100,390 |
| Engineering Services | 541330 | 1,000 | 0.2% | $83,800 | $69,450 to $100,380 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | 400 | 0.1% | $78,970 | $58,260 to $106,230 |
| Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 423400 | 310 | 0.1% | $60,020 | $55,540 to $73,400 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | 200 | 0.0% | $115,910 | $89,930 to $117,460 |
| Testing Laboratories and Services | 541380 | 160 | 0.0% | $92,990 | $61,930 to $97,050 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | 90 | 0.0% | $73,890 | $56,700 to $75,870 |
These national industry rows cover privately owned establishments. Industry names are exact BLS NAICS titles. Industries overlap, so shares do not sum to 100%. An industry row does not mean the employer runs data centers.
Pay in target metros
| Metro area | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $71,920 | $57,670 to $89,240 | 8,730 | 1.06 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $59,560 | $47,860 to $74,270 | 10,910 | 1.02 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ | $61,170 | $47,430 to $74,880 | 8,070 | 1.29 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | $58,970 | $47,530 to $74,690 | 7,060 | 0.93 |
| Columbus, OH | $64,440 | $49,030 to $80,870 | 3,000 | 1.03 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $77,960 | $61,050 to $96,790 | 7,210 | 0.61 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $82,050 | $63,820 to $106,630 | 1,740 | 0.58 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $65,260 | $60,170 to $81,350 | 2,580 | 0.81 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Highest and lowest paying metros
Ranked by published median annual wage among 389 metro areas with an exact median.
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairbanks-College, AK | $93,820 | 90 | 0.96 |
| 2 | Anchorage, AK | $85,620 | 330 | 0.71 |
| 3 | Napa, CA | $84,570 | 70 | 0.36 |
| 4 | San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $82,050 | 1,740 | 0.58 |
| 5 | Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $80,100 | 3,940 | 0.72 |
| 6 | Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $79,510 | 560 | 1.04 |
| 7 | Peoria, IL | $78,710 | 370 | 0.85 |
| 8 | Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $78,640 | 260 | 0.5 |
| 9 | Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $78,530 | 6,050 | 0.85 |
| 10 | San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $78,490 | 3,980 | 0.64 |
| Rank | Metro area | Median | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 380 | Hattiesburg, MS | $46,590 | 100 | 0.63 |
| 381 | Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $46,560 | 250 | 1.66 |
| 382 | Dothan, AL | $46,210 | 250 | 1.57 |
| 383 | Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | $45,600 | 90 | 0.95 |
| 384 | Sebring, FL | $44,720 | 170 | 2.25 |
| 385 | Beckley, WV | $44,600 | 100 | 0.85 |
| 386 | San Juan-Bayamon-Caguas, PR | $32,380 | 920 | 0.5 |
| 387 | Ponce, PR | $29,970 | 50 | 0.32 |
| 388 | Mayaguez, PR | $29,530 | 70 | 0.52 |
| 389 | Arecibo, PR | $29,140 | 30 | 0.37 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Where pay is highest relative to local wages
This compares the occupation's median with the all-occupations median in the same metro and on the same annual basis. It does not adjust for living costs. Only exact published medians are ranked. A top-coded lower bound cannot establish an exact rank.
| Metro | Occupation median | All-occupations median | Ratio | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawton, OK | $72,980 | $42,090 | 1.73 times | 280 | 2.49 |
| El Centro, CA | $75,220 | $45,140 | 1.67 times | 120 | 0.69 |
| Rockford, IL | $75,070 | $47,120 | 1.59 times | 190 | 0.54 |
| Peoria, IL | $78,710 | $49,590 | 1.59 times | 370 | 0.85 |
| Dalton, GA | $65,560 | $42,210 | 1.55 times | 150 | 0.89 |
| Mankato, MN | $76,670 | $49,530 | 1.55 times | 120 | 0.83 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $75,710 | $48,990 | 1.55 times | 390 | 0.51 |
| Napa, CA | $84,570 | $55,210 | 1.53 times | 70 | 0.36 |
| Salinas, CA | $72,550 | $47,380 | 1.53 times | 300 | 0.6 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $78,640 | $51,690 | 1.52 times | 260 | 0.5 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | $93,820 | $61,810 | 1.52 times | 90 | 0.96 |
| Grand Forks, ND-MN | $75,470 | $49,760 | 1.52 times | 130 | 0.97 |
| Decatur, IL | $77,770 | $51,290 | 1.52 times | 90 | 0.74 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $75,710 | $50,000 | 1.51 times | 170 | 0.53 |
| Monroe, LA | $57,270 | $38,150 | 1.50 times | 260 | 1.15 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | $75,920 | $51,050 | 1.49 times | 370 | 0.95 |
| Hammond, LA | $57,140 | $38,480 | 1.48 times | 130 | 1 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $75,160 | $50,770 | 1.48 times | 200 | 0.63 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $74,880 | $50,700 | 1.48 times | 240 | 0.87 |
| Springfield, MA | $76,530 | $51,930 | 1.47 times | 460 | 0.87 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $74,420 | $50,840 | 1.46 times | 250 | 0.92 |
| Visalia, CA | $64,990 | $45,130 | 1.44 times | 330 | 0.74 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $78,330 | $54,730 | 1.43 times | 210 | 0.82 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $54,230 | $37,930 | 1.43 times | 630 | 1.64 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $77,960 | $54,720 | 1.42 times | 7,210 | 0.61 |
Location quotient measures job concentration, not pay. A value above 1 means the occupation makes up a larger share of local jobs than it does nationally. It says nothing about wages.
Source: BLS OEWS BLS, May 2025, SOC 49-9021 and SOC 00-0000, matching metro areas. The ratio is our arithmetic on those published medians, not a BLS statistic.
Change since the prior BLS release
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $59,810 |
| May 2025 | $61,010 |
| Difference | +$1,200 (+2.0%) |
Two published BLS values, shown as released. Not annualized, not adjusted for inflation, and BLS metro boundaries and survey panels can differ between releases.
Levels above and below this title
These are different jobs, not experience bands within one occupation. The figures are not a promised raise.
| Title | Relationship | BLS occupation | Median | Against HVAC Installer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Journeyman Pipefitter | Same job ladder | 47-2152 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $63,800 | Higher by $2,790 |
| Pipe Welder | Same job ladder | 51-4121 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $53,750 | Lower by $7,260 |
| Sheet Metal Worker / Duct Installer | Same job ladder | 47-2211 Sheet Metal Workers | $61,800 | Higher by $790 |
| Sheet Metal Foreman | Higher-scope title | 47-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $79,920 | Higher by $18,910 |
| Pipefitter Foreman | Higher-scope title | 47-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $79,920 | Higher by $18,910 |
What is inside the BLS pay figure
For construction and commissioning hires, separate expense reimbursements and overtime from straight-time pay. Check a project bonus on its actual terms. Guaranteed pay and production incentives count in BLS wages; discretionary nonproduction bonuses do not.
| Component | In the BLS figure? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Base rate and guaranteed pay | Included | BLS counts the "base rate" and "guaranteed pay". |
| Production and incentive pay | Included | BLS counts "incentive pay including commissions and production bonuses". |
| On-call waiting or availability pay | Left out | BLS excludes payment for time spent awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. BLS on-call pay definition. |
| Overtime pay matters here | Left out | BLS excludes "overtime pay". Straight-time pay only. |
| Shift differentials | Left out | BLS excludes "shift differentials", so night and weekend premiums are not in the figure. |
| Project-completion and discretionary bonuses matters here | Depends on the terms | Guaranteed pay and production incentives are included. Discretionary nonproduction bonuses are excluded. Check how the payment is defined. |
| Per diem, travel and relocation matters here | Left out | BLS does not name these as wages. They are expense reimbursements and are not in the figure. |
| Benefits and employer costs | Left out | BLS excludes "employer costs for supplementary benefits". |
Recruiter's read
Qualitative, not from BLS data.
HVAC Installer candidates are usually screened on setting CRAHs, fan walls and air handlers; refrigerant piping and brazing; EPA 608.
We usually find them through hVAC and mechanical contractors; service techs moving into new construction. We contact working people directly rather than relying on job applications.
Questions
What is the median pay for HVAC Installer?
The BLS median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers nationally is $61,010 (BLS, May 2025).
What range do most HVAC Installer earn?
Per BLS, the middle half earned $48,360 to $77,060, and 10% earned less than $40,050.
Is this the exact job title?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers is the closest occupational proxy based on the work described, not a separate data center wage series. BLS does not distinguish this title, experience level, shift, credentials or data center employers. Confirm the actual duties before using this comparison.
How many people are employed in this occupation?
BLS estimates 409,670 jobs nationally in Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers across all industries.
What do BLS wages leave out?
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. Discuss per diem, travel and relocation separately.
Hiring Market Brief
A one-page brief for HVAC Installer: BLS pay, mapping and caveats.
Hiring HVAC Installer?
Pay is one input. Scope, license and travel decide whether the person says yes.
Related
What the published rows say about HVAC Installer pay in the United States
HVAC Installer maps to Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, SOC 49-9021. For the United States, the May 2025 OEWS annual median is $61,010; the middle half runs from $48,360 to $77,060. This is a proxy, not a separate wage estimate for this exact job. BLS does not separate seniority titles that share this row. Before setting an offer, pin down who owns the field decisions and whether the hire travels. A shared occupation median cannot price that scope for you.
The middle-half spread is $28,700: $12,650 from the 25th percentile to the median and $16,050 from the median to the 75th. The upper interval is wider. Use these points to compare an offer, not to price a junior or senior hire. Percentiles are not experience bands, and this distribution alone does not explain why individual workers earn different amounts.
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ reports a annual median of $77,990 for this occupation in May 2025. This metro is selected by published occupation employment, not geographic proximity to a national point. That is $16,980 above the United States's median.
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX reports a annual median of $59,560 for this occupation in May 2025. This metro is selected by published occupation employment, not geographic proximity to a national point. That is $1,450 below the United States's median.
The highest exact national industry medians in the loaded SOC 49-9021 rows are Computer Systems Design and Related Services at $115,910 and Scheduled Air Transportation at $114,080. These are May 2025 national occupation estimates, not local data center pay. The loaded data has no local industry-by-occupation breakdown, so it cannot rank industries within the United States.
The matched median moved from $59,810 in May 2024 to $61,010 in May 2025: $1,200 higher. Both rows use SOC 49-9021, area 99 and the same annual basis. This is not adjusted for inflation or annualized, and it does not attribute the change to a particular employer.
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. This is neither pure base salary nor total compensation. Agree travel, per diem and relocation terms separately. No verified HVAC Installer-specific allowance is in this occupation row, so none is added to the figures.
Questions about HVAC Installer pay in the United States
Which BLS row supports HVAC Installer pay in the United States?
HVAC Installer maps to SOC 49-9021, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers. The May 2025 annual median for the United States is $61,010. The proxy mapping is not a separate survey of this niche title.
Does the figure cover the whole offer for HVAC Installer?
OEWS includes base rates, guaranteed pay, commissions and production incentives. It excludes on-call waiting or availability pay, overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. The on-call exclusion covers time awaiting a call to work, not ordinary wages for hours actually worked. Travel and relocation terms still need their own discussion; this row supplies no separate allowance.
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Nearest-area selection uses Census Gazetteer internal points, not road distance. Source: 2025 Census Gazetteer.