HVAC Maintenance Technician Salary: What You’ll Make and Why
HVAC maintenance technicians make around $43,426 to $68,781 on average in the US, depending on experience, location, skills, and other factors.
According to various salary aggregate websites, an HVAC maintenance technician’s salary in the US ranges between $43,426 and $68,781, with an average salary of $53,542. As of July 2022, the base salaries for HVAC maintenance technicians are listed as follows:
| Payscale | ZipRecruiter | Indeed | Salary.com | Glassdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $45,524 | $43,426 | $64,486 | $45,495 | $68,781 |
Keep in mind: Salary aggregate websites typically rely on data submitted anonymously by individuals using their site. Some websites may have received larger amounts of data of either higher or lower than average salaries, which may affect the site’s calculated average.
Read more: What Is an HVAC Maintenance Technician? How to Become One
What influences a salary?
The salary of an HVAC Maintenance Technician is determined by a number of factors, including education, experience, and job location. In this article, we will take a closer look at how these factors impact salary.
Years of experience
Salary increases are generally tied to your experience level. In general, the more years you spend working as an HVAC maintenance technician, the more you can expect to earn. Here’s how experience can impact your HVAC maintenance technician salary, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Compensation Survey.
| Level of experience | Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-level (less than 1 year) | $35,737 |
| Early career (1 to 4 years) | $42,630 |
| Mid career (5 to 9 years) | $53,393 |
| Experienced (10 to 19 years) | $64,510 |
| Late career (20+ years) | $81,020 |
Location
Where you live can also impact how much you can make as an HVAC maintenance technician. Typically, working in a large metropolitan area correlates to a higher salary, as well as a higher cost of living.
Here is a list of some major cities with their corresponding average HVAC maintenance technician salary according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| San Francisco, CA | $76,369 |
| Seattle, WA | $73,041 |
| Baltimore, MD | $68,329 |
| New York City, NY | $67,948 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $67,316 |
| Miami, FL | $45,803 |
| Tampa Bay, FL | $45,603 |
| Nashville, TN | $45,162 |
| Birmingham, AL | $44,901 |
| Charlotte, NC | $43,257 |
How does this compare to similar jobs?
Here’s how an HVAC maintenance technician’s salary stacks up against similar jobs.
| Related Jobs | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Equipment Maintenance Technician | $43,825 |
| Maintenance Technician | $39,307 |
| Building Engineer | $56,902 |
| HVAC Technician | $49,242 |
| Refrigeration Technician | $51,966 |
| Maintenance Engineer | $53,069 |
| Maintenance Worker | $31,222 |
| Industrial Maintenance Mechanic | $46,649 |
| Facilities Maintenance Technician | $40,287 |
How to increase your HVAC maintenance technician salary
Now that you have a better idea of what you could expect to earn as an HVAC maintenance technician, let’s look at ways to boost your salary.
1. Strengthen your skills
Pursuing and improving in-demand skills could make you more competitive for promotions and higher-paying positions. These skills include:
- Troubleshooting: Understand how to identify and diagnose problems with HVAC systems
- Preventative Maintenance: Learn how to perform regular maintenance to prevent issues from arising
- Parts Replacement: Know how to replace worn or broken parts in HVAC systems
- Systems Knowledge: Be familiar with different types of HVAC systems and how they work
- Safety Procedures: Follow all safety procedures when working with HVAC systems
2. Talk to Recruiters
If you’re looking for a raise, it can’t hurt to chat with a few recruiters. They may have insights into what other companies are paying for similar positions, and can give you a sense of your earning potential. Just be sure not to burn any bridges with your current employer in the process.
3. Get a good performance review
One way to increase your salary is to make sure you’re doing a great job and impressing your boss. If you’re due for a performance review, make sure to document all the ways you’ve gone above and beyond, and be prepared to discuss your accomplishments. A good performance review can lead to a raise, or at the very least, put you in a good position for future salary negotiations.
Article Sources
1. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “National Compensation Survey, https://www.bls.gov/ncs/.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
2. US Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes499021.htm.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
3. Payscale. “HVAC Maintenance Technician Hourly Pay, https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=HVAC_Maintenance_Technician/Hourly_Rate.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
4. Ziprecruiter. “HVAC Maintenance Technician Annual Salary, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/HVAC-Maintenance-Technician-Salary.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
5. Indeed. “Indeed Salary Finder, https://www.indeed.com/career/salaries.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
6. Salary.com. “Maintenance Technician HVAC Salary, https://www.salary.com/research/salary/listing/maintenance-technician-hvac-salary.” Accessed July 2, 2022.
7. Glassdoor. “HVAC Maintenance Technician Salaries, https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/hvac-maintenance-technician-salary-SRCH_KO0,27.htm.” Accessed July 2, 2022.