Skilled Wages

HVAC technician salary in Arkansas

Median $23.13 an hour for 4,960 hvac and refrigeration technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$23.13/hrMedian hourly wageArkansas, May data
$48,110/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$17.81 – $33.3110th to 90th percentilehourly range
4,960Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

HVAC technician pay in Arkansas: the full range

Wage percentiles, ArkansasMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrArkansas: 10th $17.81 · 25th $20.59 · median $23.13 · 75th $28.73 · 90th $33.31Arkansas$23.13$17.81$33.31United States: 10th $19.25 · 25th $23.25 · median $29.33 · 75th $37.05 · 90th $45.78United States$29.33
Hourly wage percentiles for hvac and refrigeration technicians: Arkansas vs United States, May 2025.

Arkansas ranks 51st of 51 states for median hvac technician pay, and 47th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.62). 4,960 hvac and refrigeration technicians work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$17.81 – $20.59$37,040 – $42,830roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$20.59 – $28.73$42,830 – $59,760the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$28.73 – $33.31$59,760 – $69,290the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



HVAC technician pay by metro in Arkansas

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrMemphis: $27.30Memphis$27.30Fayetteville: $25.78Fayetteville$25.78Fort Smith: $23.16Fort Smith$23.16Little Rock: $23.08Little Rock$23.08Texarkana: $22.96Texarkana$22.96Jonesboro: $22.71Jonesboro$22.71Hot Springs: $22.42Hot Springs$22.42
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians by metro area in Arkansas, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Memphis$18.67$27.30$42.141,74018% above
Fayetteville$18.42$25.78$35.871,24011% above
Fort Smith$17.32$23.16$30.98410about the same as
Little Rock$17.65$23.08$30.461,470about the same as
Texarkana$17.86$22.96$34.411301% below
Jonesboro$18.28$22.71$30.501702% below
Hot Springs$17.56$22.42$31.531503% below

HVAC technician wages in Arkansas over time

Arkansas, 1999-2025ArkansasUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.33United States$23.13Arkansas
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians, Arkansas vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearArkansas $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$11.67$22.55$14.501,620
2000$13.35$24.96$15.761,810
2001$13.56$24.65$16.352,060
2002$13.71$24.53$16.781,940
2003$14.01$24.51$16.902,080
2004$13.23$22.55$17.432,350
2005$14.19$23.39$17.812,240
2006$14.50$23.16$18.111,990
2007$15.47$24.02$18.441,950
2008$16.31$24.39$19.082,230
2009$16.74$25.12$19.762,560
2010$16.91$24.97$20.452,360
2011$17.19$24.60$20.862,090
2012$17.17$24.08$20.982,170
2013$17.09$23.62$21.102,040
2014$16.97$23.08$21.462,360
2015$17.01$23.10$21.692,510
2016$17.26$23.15$22.072,790
2017$17.72$23.27$22.642,680
2018$18.89$24.22$22.892,730
2019$18.88$23.78$23.432,810
2020$19.77$24.59$24.323,090
2021$18.48$21.96$23.383,560
2022$21.99$24.19$24.713,610
2023$22.90$24.20$27.553,830
2024$22.71$23.31$28.754,890
2025$23.13$23.13$29.334,960

In today's dollars, the median hvac technician wage in Arkansas changed by +0.1% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for hvac technicians in Arkansas

On federally funded construction in Arkansas, contractors must pay hvac technicians at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 19 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $22.30). 19 of the 19 counties still use a survey rate dated 2017 or earlier (for example Baxter County at $22.30). The market median for the state is $23.13.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ARArkansas: —Ashley: —Baxter: $22.30 (survey)Benton: $23.68 (survey)Boone: $22.30 (survey)Bradley: —Calhoun: —Carroll: $22.30 (survey)Chicot: —Clark: —Clay: —Cleburne: —Cleveland: —Columbia: —Conway: $22.30 (survey)Craighead: —Crawford: —Crittenden: —Cross: —Dallas: —Desha: —Drew: —Faulkner: —Franklin: $22.30 (survey)Fulton: —Garland: —Grant: —Greene: —Hempstead: —Hot Spring: $26.81 (survey)Howard: —Independence: —Izard: —Jackson: —Jefferson: —Johnson: $22.30 (survey)Lafayette: —Lawrence: —Lee: —Lincoln: —Little River: —Logan: $22.30 (survey)Lonoke: —Madison: —Marion: $22.30 (survey)Miller: —Mississippi: —Monroe: —Montgomery: —Nevada: $26.81 (survey)Newton: $22.30 (survey)Ouachita: —Perry: —Phillips: —Pike: —Poinsett: —Polk: $22.30 (survey)Pope: $22.30 (survey)Prairie: —Pulaski: —Randolph: —St. Francis: —Saline: —Scott: $22.30 (survey)Searcy: $22.30 (survey)Sebastian: —Sevier: —Sharp: —Stone: —Union: $26.81 (survey)Van Buren: $22.30 (survey)Washington: —White: —Woodruff: —Yell: $22.30 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$22.85n/asurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for hvac technicians by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
Hot SpringSurvey SUAR2015-003 2017-01-09$20.06$6.75$26.81AR20260006
NevadaSurvey SUAR2015-006 2017-01-09$20.06$6.75$26.81AR20260009
UnionSurvey SUAR2015-010 2017-01-09$20.06$6.75$26.81AR20260013
BentonSurvey SUAR2015-020 2017-01-09$20.96$2.72$23.68AR20260023
BaxterSurvey SUAR2015-016 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260019
BooneSurvey SUAR2015-016 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260019
CarrollSurvey SUAR2015-016 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260019
ConwaySurvey SUAR2015-016 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260019
FranklinSurvey SUAR2015-016 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260019
JohnsonSurvey SUAR2015-005 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260008
LoganSurvey SUAR2015-016 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260019
MarionSurvey SUAR2015-016 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260019
NewtonSurvey SUAR2015-016 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260019
PolkSurvey SUAR2015-007 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260010
PopeSurvey SUAR2015-008 2017-01-09$17.27$5.03$22.30AR20260011

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Arkansas prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Arkansas?

68.3kConstruction jobsArkansas, 2026-08
+2.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k1990199520002005201020152020202568kAug 2026
Construction employment in Arkansas (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just hvac technicians), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Union County222$99,027$1,904
Washington County1,777$71,231$1,370
Pope County165$71,218$1,370
Pulaski County1,608$67,286$1,294
Benton County1,204$63,808$1,227
Saline County790$60,490$1,163
Independence County218$59,914$1,152
Crawford County230$58,705$1,129
Lonoke County365$57,889$1,113
Sebastian County643$57,425$1,104
Grant County76$56,782$1,092
Marion County28$54,922$1,056

Keep comparing

HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Arkansas

Questions this page answers

How much do hvac technicians make in Arkansas?

The median hvac technician in Arkansas earned $23.13 an hour ($48,110 a year) in May 2025, 21% below the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $20.59–$28.73; the top 10% earn more than $33.31.

Where does Arkansas rank for hvac technician pay?

Arkansas ranks 51st of 51 states for hvac technician pay, with a median of $23.13 an hour, and 47th after adjusting for Arkansas's cost of living (BEA price parity 86.9, US = 100).

What is the union hvac technician rate in Arkansas?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a hvac technician classification for most Arkansas counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many hvac technicians work in Arkansas?

BLS counted 4,960 hvac and refrigeration technicians in Arkansas in May 2025, 3.8 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.44; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Arkansas and metro areas, SOC 49-9021.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.