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HVAC tech salary in California
$72,560median pay per year in California, or $34.88 an hour, May 2025[1]
- $46,950lowest 10% earn less
- $58,28025th percentile
- $72,560median
- $90,78075th percentile
- $109,060top 10% earn more
The median pay for hvac techs in California was $72,560 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $11,550 higher than the US median[6].
How much do HVAC teches make in California?
Half of hvac techs in California earned more than $72,560 a year, or $34.88 an hour, and half earned less[1]. The average was a little higher, at $75,370 a year[7].
Across the US, the median was $61,010[3], so California came in $11,550 (18.9%) higher[6]. Compared with all jobs in the state, whose median was $58,240[8], hvac techs earned $14,320 more[9].
The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,950, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $109,060[2]. By metro area, Napa had the highest median, at $84,570[10]. Among the larger metros, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara was at $82,050 and San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont was at $78,490[11].
These figures count wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits like health insurance[12].
California vs US pay
Pay for HVAC teches in California next to the national figures[1][3].
Pay by metro area in California
Metro areas in California with the most jobs for HVAC teches, and the median pay in each[11].
| Metro area | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA[11] | $73,830 | 10,720 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $64,300 | 4,820 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $78,490 | 3,980 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $74,880 | 3,210 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $66,670 | 2,940 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $82,050 | 1,740 |
| Fresno, CA | $62,580 | 1,300 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $69,710 | 750 |
Pay in nearby states
Median pay for HVAC teches in the states that border California, highest first[14].
| State | Median per year | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon[14] | $62,940 | 3,980 |
| Nevada | $60,510 | 4,170 |
| Arizona | $59,400 | 10,860 |
Job outlook and training
Across the US, jobs for HVAC teches are projected to grow 10.9% from 2025 to 2035[15]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: postsecondary nondegree award[16].
Frequently asked questions
- How much does a hvac tech make in California?
- The median was $72,560 a year in May 2025, and the average was $75,370[1][7]. That put California 12th highest among the states and DC with a published median[5].
- How much does a hvac tech make an hour in California?
- The median was $34.88 an hour[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $22.57 an hour, and the highest-paid 10% earned more than $52.44[17][2].
- Which city in California pays hvac techs the most?
- Napa had the highest median of the 25 metro areas with a published figure, at $84,570 a year[10]. In the metro list, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara had a median of $82,050[11].
- Is California a good state for hvac techs?
- California had the 12th highest median annual wage for this job out of the 50 states and DC[5]. Its median was $11,550 above the US median[6].
- What do you need to become a hvac tech in California?
- These are US figures, not California ones. Across the US, the typical entry education is a postsecondary nondegree award, with no related work experience and long-term on-the-job training[16].
Facts and sources
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California was $72,560 per year and $34.88 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California: 10th percentile $46,950, 25th percentile $58,280, 75th percentile $90,780, 90th percentile $109,060. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the US as a whole was $61,010 per year and $29.33 per hour, with about 409,670 jobs nationwide. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 35,130 people worked as Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: California had the 12th highest median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers out of the 50 states and DC with a published median. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California ($72,560) was $11,550 (18.9%) higher than the US median ($61,010). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California was $75,370 per year and $36.24 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in California was $58,240. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California was $14,320 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($58,240). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 25 metro areas in or partly in California with a published median for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, Napa, CA had the highest median annual wage, $84,570. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the US: 10th percentile $40,050, 25th percentile $48,360, 75th percentile $77,060, 90th percentile $95,210. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in states that border California (highest first): Oregon $62,940; Nevada $60,510; Arizona $59,400. BLS OEWS, May 2025
- BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state): employment of Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers is projected to grow 10.9% nationwide from 2025 to 2035, with about 40,600 openings a year on average. All occupations are projected to grow 3.5%. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS Employment Projections (US, not by state), typical path into Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers: education needed for entry: Postsecondary nondegree award; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
- BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in California: 10th percentile $22.57, 25th percentile $28.02, 75th percentile $43.65, 90th percentile $52.44. BLS OEWS, May 2025