Skilled Wages

HVAC technician salary in Colorado

Median $31.35 an hour for 8,940 hvac and refrigeration technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$31.35/hrMedian hourly wageColorado, May data
$65,200/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.18 – $49.8310th to 90th percentilehourly range
8,940Jobs countedemployer survey

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

HVAC technician pay in Colorado: the full range

Wage percentiles, ColoradoMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrColorado: 10th $23.18 · 25th $27.91 · median $31.35 · 75th $39.43 · 90th $49.83Colorado$31.35$23.18$49.83United 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: Colorado vs United States, May 2025.

Colorado ranks 16th of 51 states for median hvac technician pay, and 31st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $30.41). 8,940 hvac and refrigeration technicians work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$23.18 – $27.91$48,220 – $58,050roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$27.91 – $39.43$58,050 – $82,010the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$39.43 – $49.83$82,010 – $103,640the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



HVAC technician pay by metro in Colorado

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrDenver: $34.41Denver$34.41Boulder: $34.17Boulder$34.17Fort Collins: $31.87Fort Collins$31.87Greeley: $29.82Greeley$29.82Colorado Springs: $29.55Colorado Springs$29.55Grand Junction: $29.11Grand Junction$29.11Pueblo: $28.42Pueblo$28.42
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians by metro area in Colorado, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Denver$23.56$34.41$50.434,36010% above
Boulder$23.51$34.17$54.653409% above
Fort Collins$23.21$31.87$50.499302% above
Greeley$23.02$29.82$45.524105% below
Colorado Springs$22.86$29.55$45.679506% below
Grand Junction$22.01$29.11$44.532607% below
Pueblo$22.14$28.42$44.161609% below

HVAC technician wages in Colorado over time

Colorado, 1999-2025ColoradoUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$31.35Colorado$29.33United States
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians, Colorado vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearColorado $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$15.83$30.59$14.502,560
2000$14.29$26.72$15.764,780
2001$15.56$28.29$16.354,950
2002$16.23$29.04$16.784,700
2003$16.40$28.69$16.904,280
2004$18.48$31.50$17.432,920
2005$18.77$30.94$17.813,200
2006$18.80$30.02$18.113,580
2007$19.89$30.88$18.443,640
2008$20.04$29.97$19.083,980
2009$21.59$32.40$19.763,900
2010$22.37$33.03$20.453,700
2011$23.32$33.38$20.863,620
2012$22.78$31.94$20.983,640
2013$22.19$30.67$21.103,610
2014$23.44$31.88$21.464,440
2015$26.08$35.42$21.694,990
2016$26.20$35.14$22.074,880
2017$26.82$35.23$22.645,430
2018$24.94$31.98$22.896,060
2019$25.52$32.14$23.437,610
2020$26.03$32.38$24.326,850
2021$27.52$32.70$23.388,530
2022$27.62$30.38$24.716,990
2023$29.48$31.15$27.557,410
2024$30.49$31.29$28.758,870
2025$31.35$31.35$29.338,940

In today's dollars, the median hvac technician wage in Colorado changed by -11.5% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for hvac technicians in Colorado

On federally funded construction in Colorado, contractors must pay hvac technicians at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 6 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $33.47). 6 of the 6 counties still use a survey rate dated 2015 or earlier (for example Boulder County at $34.59). The market median for the state is $31.35.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, COAdams: —Alamosa: —Arapahoe: —Archuleta: —Baca: —Bent: —Boulder: $34.59 (survey)Broomfield: $33.38 (survey)Chaffee: —Cheyenne: —Clear Creek: —Conejos: —Costilla: —Crowley: —Custer: —Delta: —Denver: —Dolores: —Douglas: $33.56 (survey)Eagle: —Elbert: —El Paso: $26.18 (survey)Fremont: —Garfield: —Gilpin: —Grand: —Gunnison: —Hinsdale: —Huerfano: —Jackson: —Jefferson: —Kiowa: —Kit Carson: —Lake: —La Plata: —Larimer: —Las Animas: —Lincoln: —Logan: —Mesa: $34.92 (survey)Mineral: —Moffat: —Montezuma: —Montrose: —Morgan: —Otero: —Ouray: —Park: —Phillips: —Pitkin: —Prowers: —Pueblo: —Rio Blanco: —Rio Grande: —Routt: —Saguache: —San Juan: —San Miguel: —Sedgwick: —Summit: —Teller: $26.18 (survey)Washington: —Weld: —Yuma: —Union / prevailing package, $/hr$33.38$33.56$34.59n/asurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for hvac technicians by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$25$30$35$40/hrMesa (Grand Junction): market median $29.11, prevailing (survey) $34.92, gap +$5.81Mesa (Grand Junction)+$5.81Boulder (Boulder): market median $34.17, prevailing (survey) $34.59, gap +$0.42Boulder (Boulder)+$0.42Douglas (Denver): market median $34.41, prevailing (survey) $33.56, gap −$0.85Douglas (Denver)−$0.85El Paso (Colorado Springs): market median $29.55, prevailing (survey) $26.18, gap −$3.37El Paso (Colorado Springs)−$3.37
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for hvac technicians, metro counties in Colorado.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
MesaSurvey SUCO2013-011 2015-07-31$24.26$10.66$34.92CO20260025
BoulderSurvey SUCO2013-003 2015-07-31$25.23$9.36$34.59CO20260017
DouglasSurvey SUCO2013-007 2015-07-31$24.96$8.60$33.56CO20260021
BroomfieldSurvey SUCO2013-004 2015-07-31$25.66$7.72$33.38CO20260018
El PasoSurvey SUCO2013-008 2015-07-31$24.00$2.18$26.18CO20260022
TellerSurvey SUCO2013-014 2015-07-31$24.00$2.18$26.18CO20260028

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

Is construction work growing in Colorado?

191.1kConstruction jobsColorado, 2026-08
+1.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-20260k50k100k150k200k250k19901995200020052010201520202025191kAug 2026
Construction employment in Colorado (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
Denver County3,822$96,160$1,849
Adams County4,433$91,222$1,754
Jefferson County2,896$89,541$1,722
Eagle County693$87,820$1,689
Arapahoe County3,020$86,895$1,671
Boulder County1,046$85,478$1,644
Gilpin County10$84,381$1,623
Archuleta County136$83,473$1,605
Larimer County2,702$80,576$1,550
Douglas County998$79,351$1,526
Summit County193$78,598$1,512
San Miguel County80$76,335$1,468

Keep comparing

HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Colorado

Questions this page answers

How much do hvac technicians make in Colorado?

The median hvac technician in Colorado earned $31.35 an hour ($65,200 a year) in May 2025, 7% above the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $27.91–$39.43; the top 10% earn more than $49.83.

Where does Colorado rank for hvac technician pay?

Colorado ranks 16th of 51 states for hvac technician pay, with a median of $31.35 an hour, and 31st after adjusting for Colorado's cost of living (BEA price parity 103.1, US = 100).

What is the union hvac technician rate in Colorado?

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

How many hvac technicians work in Colorado?

BLS counted 8,940 hvac and refrigeration technicians in Colorado in May 2025, 3.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.18; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Colorado 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.