CareerFacts

All careers › Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers › Illinois

HVAC tech salary in Illinois

Updated November 2, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data. Published by Humblebee.

$77,410median pay per year in Illinois, or $37.21 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $46,690lowest 10% earn less
  2. $60,20025th percentile
  3. $77,410median
  4. $96,03075th percentile
  5. $117,550top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[2]US median for this job, $61,010[3]

The median pay for an hvac tech in Illinois was $77,410 a year in May 2025[1]. That was $16,400 higher than the US median[6].

Jobs in IL
9,740[4]
Rank by median pay
3 of 51[5]
Compared with US median
+26.9%[6]

How much do HVAC teches make in Illinois?

The median is the middle point. Half of hvac techs in Illinois earned more than $77,410 a year, or $37.21 an hour, and half earned less[1]. The average was close, at $77,570[7]. Across the US, the median was $61,010[3]. Illinois was 26.9% higher[6] and had the 3rd highest median among the 50 states and DC with a published median[5]. Compared with all jobs in Illinois, where the median was $51,960[8], hvac techs earned $25,450 more[9].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,690, and the top 10% earned more than $117,550[2]. The middle half of workers fell between $60,200 and $96,030[2]. By the hour, the 10th percentile wage was $22.45 and the 90th percentile wage was $56.51[10].

By metro area, Peoria had the highest median at $78,710[11]. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin had 7,210 jobs and a median of $77,960[12]. These figures cover wage and salary workers only. Self-employed people are left out, and so are bonuses and the cost of benefits like health insurance[13].

Illinois vs US pay

Pay for HVAC teches in Illinois next to the national figures[1][3].

ILUS
Median per year$77,410[1]$61,010[3]
Median per hour$37.21[1]$29.33[3]
Lowest 10% earn less than$46,690[2]$40,050[14]
Top 10% earn more than$117,550[2]$95,210[14]
Jobs9,740[4]409,670[3]

Pay by metro area in Illinois

Metro areas in Illinois with the most jobs for HVAC teches, and the median pay in each[12]. A metro area that crosses state lines is counted as a whole.

Metro areaMedian per yearJobs
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN[12]$77,9607,210
St. Louis, MO-IL$63,0002,980
Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL$65,190410
Peoria, IL$78,710370
Champaign-Urbana, IL$74,880240
Rockford, IL$75,070190
Bloomington, IL$64,030140
Cape Girardeau, MO-IL$47,150110

Pay in nearby states

Median pay for HVAC teches in the states that border Illinois, highest first[15].

StateMedian per yearJobs
Wisconsin[15]$61,7106,630
Iowa$60,6803,840
Indiana$60,4308,530
Missouri$59,9507,220
Kentucky$58,6205,100

Median pay for HVAC teches in every state

Job outlook and training

Across the US, jobs for HVAC teches are projected to grow 10.9% from 2025 to 2035[16]. BLS does not publish this projection by state. The typical education for entry is: postsecondary nondegree award[17].

How to become one: steps, training and duties

Frequently asked questions

How much does an hvac tech make in Illinois?
The median was $77,410 a year in May 2025[1]. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $46,690 and the top 10% earned more than $117,550[2].
How much does an hvac tech make an hour in Illinois?
The median was $37.21 an hour[1]. The 10th percentile wage was $22.45 an hour and the 90th percentile wage was $56.51[10].
Which city in Illinois pays hvac techs the most?
Peoria had the highest median among metro areas with a published figure, at $78,710 a year[11]. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin had a median of $77,960[12].
Is Illinois a good state for hvac techs?
Illinois had the 3rd highest median pay for this job out of the 50 states and DC with a published median[5]. Its median was $16,400 above the US median[6].
What do you need to become an hvac tech in Illinois?
This is a US figure, not an Illinois one. Across the US, the typical path is a postsecondary nondegree award, no related work experience, and long-term on-the-job training[17].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Illinois was $77,410 per year and $37.21 per hour. Half of these workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Illinois: 10th percentile $46,690, 25th percentile $60,200, 75th percentile $96,030, 90th percentile $117,550. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less, the 90th means 10% earned more. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  3. 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
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 9,740 people worked as Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Illinois (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS OEWS, May 2025: Illinois had the 3rd 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
  6. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Illinois ($77,410) was $16,400 (26.9%) higher than the US median ($61,010). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Illinois was $77,570 per year and $37.29 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in Illinois was $51,960. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. CareerFacts calculation from BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Illinois was $25,450 higher than the median for all occupations in the state ($51,960). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in Illinois: 10th percentile $22.45, 25th percentile $28.94, 75th percentile $46.17, 90th percentile $56.51. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS, May 2025: of the 12 metro areas in or partly in Illinois with a published median for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, Peoria, IL had the highest median annual wage, $78,710. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. Metro areas with the most jobs in this occupation, with median annual wage, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in states that border Illinois (highest first): Wisconsin $61,710; Iowa $60,680; Indiana $60,430; Missouri $59,950; Kentucky $58,620. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. 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
  17. 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

State figures cover only Illinois. Job outlook and entry requirements are national (US) figures: BLS does not publish them by state in our sources. Figures labelled “CareerFacts calculation” are simple differences between the BLS numbers shown.