HVAC technician salary in California
Median $34.88 an hour for 35,130 hvac and refrigeration technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.
HVAC technician pay in California: the full range
California ranks 12th of 51 states for median hvac technician pay, and 23rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $31.51). 35,130 hvac and refrigeration technicians work in the state.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry | $22.57 – $28.02 | $46,950 – $58,280 | roughly the 10th–25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $28.02 – $43.65 | $58,280 – $90,780 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master / foreman / specialist | $43.65 – $52.44 | $90,780 – $109,060 | the 75th–90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
HVAC technician pay by metro in California
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa | $24.71 | $40.66 | $52.33 | 70 | 17% above |
| San Jose | $27.49 | $39.45 | $65.70 | 1,740 | 13% above |
| Santa Rosa | $23.65 | $38.23 | $58.94 | 560 | 10% above |
| Santa Maria | $23.34 | $37.81 | $57.90 | 260 | 8% above |
| San Francisco | $23.64 | $37.73 | $62.20 | 3,980 | 8% above |
| Santa Cruz | $22.96 | $37.66 | $55.67 | 210 | 8% above |
| Stockton | $22.85 | $36.40 | $49.29 | 390 | 4% above |
| El Centro | $22.78 | $36.16 | $53.42 | 120 | 4% above |
| San Luis Obispo | $23.17 | $36.14 | $54.07 | 200 | 4% above |
| San Diego | $22.46 | $36.00 | $54.80 | 3,210 | 3% above |
| Los Angeles | $22.40 | $35.49 | $52.41 | 10,720 | 2% above |
| Salinas | $23.84 | $34.88 | $55.77 | 300 | about the same as |
| Oxnard | $22.07 | $33.52 | $48.18 | 750 | 4% below |
| Vallejo | $23.77 | $32.67 | $47.50 | 490 | 6% below |
| Sacramento | $22.41 | $32.06 | $48.68 | 2,940 | 8% below |
| Bakersfield | $22.22 | $31.92 | $46.02 | 680 | 8% below |
| Visalia | $21.50 | $31.24 | $48.93 | 330 | 10% below |
| Modesto | $22.99 | $31.13 | $43.50 | 470 | 11% below |
| Riverside | $22.48 | $30.92 | $46.11 | 4,820 | 11% below |
| Merced | $22.83 | $30.79 | $47.08 | 190 | 12% below |
| Redding | $22.43 | $30.30 | $45.00 | 160 | 13% below |
| Chico | $21.02 | $30.25 | $45.33 | 120 | 13% below |
| Yuba City | $22.47 | $30.22 | $42.72 | 90 | 13% below |
| Hanford | $21.76 | $30.13 | $47.75 | 80 | 14% below |
| Fresno | $21.12 | $30.09 | $48.89 | 1,300 | 14% below |
HVAC technician wages in California over time
Table
| Year | California $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $17.77 | $34.34 | $14.50 | 13,650 |
| 2000 | $17.57 | $32.85 | $15.76 | 15,880 |
| 2001 | $18.89 | $34.34 | $16.35 | 12,990 |
| 2002 | $19.67 | $35.20 | $16.78 | 12,840 |
| 2003 | $20.45 | $35.78 | $16.90 | 11,580 |
| 2004 | $20.93 | $35.67 | $17.43 | 11,990 |
| 2005 | $21.86 | $36.04 | $17.81 | 15,190 |
| 2006 | $21.31 | $34.03 | $18.11 | 17,060 |
| 2007 | $21.84 | $33.91 | $18.44 | 16,070 |
| 2008 | $21.99 | $32.88 | $19.08 | 14,990 |
| 2009 | $23.20 | $34.81 | $19.76 | 15,550 |
| 2010 | $23.95 | $35.36 | $20.45 | 15,870 |
| 2011 | $24.35 | $34.85 | $20.86 | 17,260 |
| 2012 | $24.37 | $34.17 | $20.98 | 18,410 |
| 2013 | $24.90 | $34.41 | $21.10 | 19,010 |
| 2014 | $25.46 | $34.62 | $21.46 | 19,660 |
| 2015 | $24.58 | $33.39 | $21.69 | 21,280 |
| 2016 | $24.76 | $33.21 | $22.07 | 25,360 |
| 2017 | $25.79 | $33.87 | $22.64 | 25,010 |
| 2018 | $26.51 | $33.99 | $22.89 | 27,720 |
| 2019 | $27.26 | $34.33 | $23.43 | 29,650 |
| 2020 | $28.75 | $35.76 | $24.32 | 32,410 |
| 2021 | $28.73 | $34.13 | $23.38 | 32,640 |
| 2022 | $29.24 | $32.17 | $24.71 | 38,370 |
| 2023 | $29.92 | $31.61 | $27.55 | 35,630 |
| 2024 | $31.39 | $32.22 | $28.75 | 34,020 |
| 2025 | $34.88 | $34.88 | $29.33 | 35,130 |
In today's dollars, the median hvac technician wage in California changed by +4.5% over the last ten years of data.
Is construction work growing in California?
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.
| County | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco County | 1,646 | $129,468 | $2,490 |
| Alameda County | 7,792 | $118,700 | $2,283 |
| Santa Clara County | 7,833 | $118,066 | $2,271 |
| San Mateo County | 2,454 | $111,096 | $2,136 |
| Contra Costa County | 3,535 | $104,357 | $2,007 |
| Orange County | 15,786 | $98,548 | $1,895 |
| Sonoma County | 2,094 | $93,066 | $1,790 |
| Inyo County | 52 | $89,882 | $1,728 |
| Sacramento County | 6,629 | $89,749 | $1,726 |
| San Diego County | 13,107 | $87,605 | $1,685 |
| Placer County | 2,787 | $86,152 | $1,657 |
| Tulare County | 1,662 | $83,474 | $1,605 |
| San Bernardino County | 4,958 | $83,253 | $1,601 |
| Santa Cruz County | 925 | $81,850 | $1,574 |
| Santa Barbara County | 1,385 | $81,748 | $1,572 |
| Los Angeles County | 21,930 | $81,653 | $1,570 |
| Solano County | 1,260 | $80,655 | $1,551 |
| Sutter County | 245 | $80,512 | $1,548 |
| El Dorado County | 427 | $80,179 | $1,542 |
| Stanislaus County | 1,569 | $80,100 | $1,540 |
| Calaveras County | 147 | $79,278 | $1,525 |
| San Joaquin County | 1,376 | $77,745 | $1,495 |
| Ventura County | 2,846 | $76,029 | $1,462 |
| Humboldt County | 337 | $75,455 | $1,451 |
| Monterey County | 856 | $74,780 | $1,438 |
| Fresno County | 3,317 | $74,315 | $1,429 |
| Riverside County | 9,852 | $73,778 | $1,419 |
| Imperial County | 378 | $72,743 | $1,399 |
| Kern County | 2,248 | $70,352 | $1,353 |
| Yolo County | 289 | $69,679 | $1,340 |
| Siskiyou County | 110 | $67,992 | $1,308 |
| Tuolumne County | 126 | $67,355 | $1,295 |
| Lake County | 95 | $65,883 | $1,267 |
| Shasta County | 592 | $65,406 | $1,258 |
| Butte County | 416 | $64,807 | $1,246 |
| Merced County | 586 | $64,750 | $1,245 |
| Mono County | 29 | $63,497 | $1,221 |
| Madera County | 238 | $62,784 | $1,207 |
| Del Norte County | 53 | $57,709 | $1,110 |
| Mariposa County | 19 | $51,483 | $990 |
Keep comparing
HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in California
Questions this page answers
How much do hvac technicians make in California?
The median hvac technician in California earned $34.88 an hour ($72,560 a year) in May 2025, 19% above the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $28.02–$43.65; the top 10% earn more than $52.44.
Where does California rank for hvac technician pay?
California ranks 12th of 51 states for hvac technician pay, with a median of $34.88 an hour, and 23rd after adjusting for California's cost of living (BEA price parity 110.7, US = 100).
What is the union hvac technician rate in California?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a hvac technician classification for most California counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many hvac technicians work in California?
BLS counted 35,130 hvac and refrigeration technicians in California in May 2025, 1.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.73; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, California 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.