Skilled Wages

HVAC technician salary in Illinois

Median $37.21 an hour for 9,740 HVAC technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$37.21/hrMedian hourly wageIllinois, May data
$77,410/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$22.45 – $56.5110th to 90th percentilehourly range
9,740Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

HVAC technician pay in Illinois: the full range

Wage percentiles, IllinoisMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60/hrIllinois: 10th $22.45 · 25th $28.94 · median $37.21 · 75th $46.17 · 90th $56.51Illinois$37.21$22.45$56.51United States: 10th $19.25 · 25th $23.25 · median $29.33 · 75th $37.05 · 90th $45.78United States$29.33
Hourly wage percentiles for HVAC technicians: Illinois vs United States, May 2025.

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 technicians work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.5× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$22.45 – $28.94$46,690 – $60,200roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$28.94 – $46.17$60,200 – $96,030the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$46.17 – $56.51$96,030 – $117,550the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



HVAC technician pay by metro in Illinois

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrPeoria: $37.84Peoria$37.84Chicago: $37.48Chicago$37.48Decatur: $37.39Decatur$37.39Rockford: $36.09Rockford$36.09Champaign: $36.00Champaign$36.00Springfield: $34.00Springfield$34.00Davenport: $31.34Davenport$31.34Bloomington: $30.79Bloomington$30.79St. Louis: $30.29St. Louis$30.29Kankakee: $30.08Kankakee$30.08Paducah: $27.22Paducah$27.22Cape Girardeau: $22.67Cape Girardeau$22.67
Median hourly wage for HVAC technicians by metro area in Illinois, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Peoria$22.65$37.84$41.49$50.703702% above
Chicago$22.82$37.48$36.18$56.707,2101% above
Decatur$22.97$37.39$42.30$51.7090about the same as
Rockford$22.58$36.09$39.14$56.511903% below
Champaign$22.88$36.00$38.83$53.692403% below
Springfield$22.93$34.00$36.68$48.561109% below
Davenport$22.02$31.34$35.17$48.2141016% below
Bloomington$18.85$30.79$32.93$43.9914017% below
St. Louis$22.05$30.29$31.85$48.172,98019% below
Kankakee$22.18$30.08$31.20$47.055019% below
Paducah$21.62$27.22$31.61$37.569027% below
Cape Girardeau$18.25$22.67$26.33$34.9511039% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

HVAC technician wages in Illinois over time

Illinois, 1999-2025IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$37.21Illinois$29.33United States
Median hourly wage for HVAC technicians, Illinois vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIllinois $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$15.42$29.80$14.503,850
2000$18.74$35.04$15.763,760
2001$19.83$36.05$16.353,570
2002$20.44$36.58$16.784,160
2003$17.43$30.50$16.905,520
2004$19.35$32.98$17.435,910
2005$19.28$31.78$17.817,370
2006$20.41$32.59$18.118,900
2007$21.78$33.82$18.447,180
2008$22.87$34.20$19.086,790
2009$23.73$35.61$19.765,790
2010$24.64$36.38$20.455,410
2011$25.60$36.64$20.866,350
2012$26.92$37.75$20.987,170
2013$26.01$35.95$21.108,140
2014$25.24$34.32$21.467,140
2015$25.05$34.03$21.697,330
2016$27.32$36.65$22.076,640
2017$28.91$37.97$22.647,680
2018$27.72$35.54$22.897,860
2019$27.52$34.66$23.438,840
2020$27.05$33.65$24.328,560
2021$25.72$30.56$23.389,360
2022$27.92$30.71$24.7111,250
2023$31.21$32.98$27.5510,380
2024$34.44$35.35$28.758,510
2025$37.21$37.21$29.339,740

In today's dollars, the median HVAC technician wage in Illinois changed by +9.4% over the last ten years of data and by +7.4% since 2019.

Are there more HVAC technician jobs in Illinois?

+10.2%Jobs since 20198,840 then, 9,740 in 2025
+32.9%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
1.6Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.6× the US share, 49th of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of HVAC technicians counted in Illinois has changed by +153.0%, against +118.1% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +10.2%.

HVAC and refrigeration technicians in Illinois vs United States, 1999 = 100IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages0100200300400200020052010201520202025253Illinois218United States
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Illinois vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearIllinois jobsIllinois indexUS index
19993,850100100
20003,76098105
20013,57093108
20024,160108110
20035,520143113
20045,910154120
20057,370191128
20068,900231134
20077,180186140
20086,790176139
20095,790150130
20105,410140119
20116,350165123
20127,170186128
20138,140211134
20147,140186139
20157,330190146
20166,640172157
20177,680200164
20187,860204173
20198,840230182
20208,560222183
20219,360243190
202211,250292200
202310,380270212
20248,510221211
20259,740253218

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Outlook for HVAC technicians in Illinois

+8.9%Projected growth in Illinois2024–2034, state agency
820Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
8,650Jobs in 20249,420 projected for 2034
+10.9%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Illinois's labor market agency projects the number of HVAC technicians in the state to change by +8.9% between 2024 and 2034, from 8,650 to 9,420, with about 820 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +10.9% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 9,740 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Illinois labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Is construction work growing in Illinois?

268.8kConstruction jobsIllinois, 2026-09
+6.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025269kSep 2026
Construction employment in Illinois (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. Across the 91 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 136,127 in 2015 to 152,071 in 2025, +11.7%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
DuPage County3865,922$104,818$2,016
Stephenson County18369$102,060$1,963
Winnebago County811,104$98,085$1,886
Boone County14107$97,154$1,868
Cook County1,33413,727$96,991$1,865
Peoria County571,185$95,803$1,842
Kane County2041,800$95,236$1,831
Lake County2562,242$93,138$1,791
Grundy County23316$90,795$1,746
McHenry County1621,456$89,729$1,726
Will County2642,010$88,263$1,697
St. Clair County62636$88,253$1,697

Keep comparing

HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Illinois

More on 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 technicians in Illinois in May 2025, 1.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.61; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is HVAC technician work growing in Illinois?

The BLS employer survey count of HVAC technicians in Illinois went from 7,330 in 2015 to 9,740 in 2025, +32.9%, and +10.2% since 2019. Illinois's labor market agency projects +8.9% growth for HVAC technicians between 2024 and 2034, from 8,650 to 9,420 jobs.

How many HVAC technician openings a year are there in Illinois?

Illinois projects about 820 openings a year for HVAC technicians over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 40,600 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Illinois and metro areas, SOC 49-9021. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Illinois labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.