HVAC technician salary in Illinois
Median $37.21 an hour for 9,740 hvac and refrigeration technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.
HVAC technician pay in Illinois: the full range
Illinois ranks 3rd of 51 states for median hvac technician pay, and 3rd once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $37.21). 9,740 hvac and refrigeration technicians work in the state.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry | $22.45 – $28.94 | $46,690 – $60,200 | roughly the 10th–25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $28.94 – $46.17 | $60,200 – $96,030 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master / foreman / specialist | $46.17 – $56.51 | $96,030 – $117,550 | the 75th–90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
HVAC technician pay by metro in Illinois
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria | $22.65 | $37.84 | $50.70 | 370 | 2% above |
| Chicago | $22.82 | $37.48 | $56.70 | 7,210 | 1% above |
| Decatur | $22.97 | $37.39 | $51.70 | 90 | about the same as |
| Rockford | $22.58 | $36.09 | $56.51 | 190 | 3% below |
| Champaign | $22.88 | $36.00 | $53.69 | 240 | 3% below |
| Springfield | $22.93 | $34.00 | $48.56 | 110 | 9% below |
| Davenport | $22.02 | $31.34 | $48.21 | 410 | 16% below |
| Bloomington | $18.85 | $30.79 | $43.99 | 140 | 17% below |
| St. Louis | $22.05 | $30.29 | $48.17 | 2,980 | 19% below |
| Kankakee | $22.18 | $30.08 | $47.05 | 50 | 19% below |
| Paducah | $21.62 | $27.22 | $37.56 | 90 | 27% below |
| Cape Girardeau | $18.25 | $22.67 | $34.95 | 110 | 39% below |
HVAC technician wages in Illinois over time
Table
| Year | Illinois $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $15.42 | $29.80 | $14.50 | 3,850 |
| 2000 | $18.74 | $35.04 | $15.76 | 3,760 |
| 2001 | $19.83 | $36.05 | $16.35 | 3,570 |
| 2002 | $20.44 | $36.58 | $16.78 | 4,160 |
| 2003 | $17.43 | $30.50 | $16.90 | 5,520 |
| 2004 | $19.35 | $32.98 | $17.43 | 5,910 |
| 2005 | $19.28 | $31.78 | $17.81 | 7,370 |
| 2006 | $20.41 | $32.59 | $18.11 | 8,900 |
| 2007 | $21.78 | $33.82 | $18.44 | 7,180 |
| 2008 | $22.87 | $34.20 | $19.08 | 6,790 |
| 2009 | $23.73 | $35.61 | $19.76 | 5,790 |
| 2010 | $24.64 | $36.38 | $20.45 | 5,410 |
| 2011 | $25.60 | $36.64 | $20.86 | 6,350 |
| 2012 | $26.92 | $37.75 | $20.98 | 7,170 |
| 2013 | $26.01 | $35.95 | $21.10 | 8,140 |
| 2014 | $25.24 | $34.32 | $21.46 | 7,140 |
| 2015 | $25.05 | $34.03 | $21.69 | 7,330 |
| 2016 | $27.32 | $36.65 | $22.07 | 6,640 |
| 2017 | $28.91 | $37.97 | $22.64 | 7,680 |
| 2018 | $27.72 | $35.54 | $22.89 | 7,860 |
| 2019 | $27.52 | $34.66 | $23.43 | 8,840 |
| 2020 | $27.05 | $33.65 | $24.32 | 8,560 |
| 2021 | $25.72 | $30.56 | $23.38 | 9,360 |
| 2022 | $27.92 | $30.71 | $24.71 | 11,250 |
| 2023 | $31.21 | $32.98 | $27.55 | 10,380 |
| 2024 | $34.44 | $35.35 | $28.75 | 8,510 |
| 2025 | $37.21 | $37.21 | $29.33 | 9,740 |
In today's dollars, the median hvac technician wage in Illinois changed by +9.4% over the last ten years of data.
Is construction work growing in Illinois?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DuPage County | 5,922 | $104,818 | $2,016 |
| Stephenson County | 369 | $102,060 | $1,963 |
| Winnebago County | 1,104 | $98,085 | $1,886 |
| Boone County | 107 | $97,154 | $1,868 |
| Cook County | 13,727 | $96,991 | $1,865 |
| Peoria County | 1,185 | $95,803 | $1,842 |
| Kane County | 1,800 | $95,236 | $1,831 |
| Lake County | 2,242 | $93,138 | $1,791 |
| Grundy County | 316 | $90,795 | $1,746 |
| McHenry County | 1,456 | $89,729 | $1,726 |
| Will County | 2,010 | $88,263 | $1,697 |
| St. Clair County | 636 | $88,253 | $1,697 |
| Champaign County | 955 | $87,172 | $1,676 |
| Jo Daviess County | 227 | $86,327 | $1,660 |
| Kankakee County | 236 | $85,543 | $1,645 |
| Tazewell County | 336 | $83,946 | $1,614 |
| LaSalle County | 209 | $82,318 | $1,583 |
| Menard County | 42 | $77,382 | $1,488 |
| Livingston County | 212 | $75,808 | $1,458 |
| Jackson County | 160 | $74,819 | $1,439 |
| Rock Island County | 602 | $73,999 | $1,423 |
| De Witt County | 165 | $73,927 | $1,422 |
| Kendall County | 262 | $73,848 | $1,420 |
| Jefferson County | 109 | $73,692 | $1,417 |
| Sangamon County | 530 | $73,192 | $1,408 |
| Coles County | 172 | $72,781 | $1,400 |
| Adams County | 261 | $72,319 | $1,391 |
| Knox County | 204 | $72,253 | $1,389 |
| Clinton County | 168 | $71,431 | $1,374 |
| Madison County | 732 | $69,894 | $1,344 |
| Ford County | 45 | $69,314 | $1,333 |
| Williamson County | 347 | $67,398 | $1,296 |
| Moultrie County | 34 | $66,689 | $1,282 |
| Morgan County | 80 | $66,495 | $1,279 |
| Monroe County | 31 | $66,210 | $1,273 |
| Effingham County | 229 | $65,376 | $1,257 |
| Vermilion County | 46 | $64,880 | $1,248 |
| Fayette County | 37 | $64,441 | $1,239 |
| Marion County | 56 | $63,475 | $1,221 |
| Shelby County | 41 | $60,893 | $1,171 |
| Warren County | 39 | $60,544 | $1,164 |
| Whiteside County | 101 | $58,644 | $1,128 |
| Carroll County | 56 | $57,621 | $1,108 |
| Macoupin County | 101 | $56,595 | $1,088 |
| Christian County | 60 | $55,929 | $1,076 |
| Montgomery County | 65 | $54,057 | $1,040 |
| Randolph County | 52 | $53,973 | $1,038 |
| Iroquois County | 28 | $53,955 | $1,038 |
| Fulton County | 64 | $53,505 | $1,029 |
| Douglas County | 55 | $53,499 | $1,029 |
| Piatt County | 16 | $52,486 | $1,009 |
| Richland County | 41 | $51,614 | $993 |
| Saline County | 37 | $49,933 | $960 |
| Pike County | 36 | $48,414 | $931 |
| Clark County | 17 | $32,269 | $621 |
| Franklin County | 10 | $24,750 | $476 |
Keep comparing
HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Illinois
Questions this page answers
How much do hvac technicians make in Illinois?
The median hvac technician in Illinois earned $37.21 an hour ($77,410 a year) in May 2025, 27% above the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $28.94–$46.17; the top 10% earn more than $56.51.
Where does Illinois rank for hvac technician pay?
Illinois ranks 3rd of 51 states for hvac technician pay, with a median of $37.21 an hour, and 3rd after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (BEA price parity 100.0, US = 100).
What is the union hvac technician rate in Illinois?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a hvac technician classification for most Illinois counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many hvac technicians work in Illinois?
BLS counted 9,740 hvac and refrigeration technicians in Illinois in May 2025, 1.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.61; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Illinois 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.