Skilled Wages

HVAC technician salary in Iowa

Median $29.17 an hour for 3,840 HVAC technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$29.17/hrMedian hourly wageIowa, May data
$60,680/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$20.69 – $41.4810th to 90th percentilehourly range
3,840Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-06

HVAC technician pay in Iowa: the full range

Wage percentiles, IowaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrIowa: 10th $20.69 · 25th $23.34 · median $29.17 · 75th $36.51 · 90th $41.48Iowa$29.17$20.69$41.48United 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: Iowa vs United States, May 2025.

Iowa ranks 27th of 51 states for median HVAC technician pay, and 11th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $33.22). 3,840 HVAC technicians work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.0× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$20.69 – $23.34$43,040 – $48,540roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$23.34 – $36.51$48,540 – $75,950the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$36.51 – $41.48$75,950 – $86,280the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



HVAC technician pay by metro in Iowa

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrDavenport: $31.34Davenport$31.34Iowa City: $30.98Iowa City$30.98Des Moines: $30.11Des Moines$30.11Omaha: $30.08Omaha$30.08Dubuque: $29.53Dubuque$29.53Cedar Rapids: $29.17Cedar Rapids$29.17Ames: $29.05Ames$29.05Waterloo: $29.04Waterloo$29.04Sioux City: $28.77Sioux City$28.77
Median hourly wage for HVAC technicians by metro area in Iowa, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Davenport$22.02$31.34$35.17$48.214107% above
Iowa City$21.53$30.98$33.86$37.891506% above
Des Moines$22.13$30.11$32.84$47.349003% above
Omaha$21.93$30.08$32.73$40.211,6003% above
Dubuque$18.12$29.53$33.83$40.571301% above
Cedar Rapids$21.04$29.17$32.78$42.26380about the same as
Ames$19.85$29.05$32.71$38.41190about the same as
Waterloo$18.81$29.04$33.34$47.30260about the same as
Sioux City$18.91$28.77$33.26$39.372001% below

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

HVAC technician wages in Iowa over time

Iowa, 1999-2025IowaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.33United States$29.17Iowa
Median hourly wage for HVAC technicians, Iowa vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIowa $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$13.48$26.05$14.501,620
2000$15.94$29.80$15.761,790
2001$17.24$31.34$16.351,760
2002$17.09$30.58$16.781,710
2003$17.79$31.13$16.901,850
2004$18.38$31.33$17.432,100
2005$15.45$25.47$17.812,600
2006$15.25$24.35$18.112,580
2007$15.34$23.82$18.442,860
2008$17.38$25.99$19.083,230
2009$19.10$28.66$19.763,270
2010$21.08$31.12$20.453,400
2011$21.17$30.30$20.862,880
2012$20.82$29.19$20.982,890
2013$21.12$29.19$21.103,080
2014$22.30$30.33$21.463,740
2015$22.99$31.23$21.694,200
2016$23.36$31.33$22.074,300
2017$23.61$31.01$22.643,770
2018$24.37$31.24$22.894,190
2019$24.32$30.63$23.434,290
2020$25.51$31.73$24.324,010
2021$23.61$28.05$23.382,920
2022$26.40$29.04$24.713,860
2023$28.37$29.98$27.553,840
2024$28.60$29.35$28.753,990
2025$29.17$29.17$29.333,840

In today's dollars, the median HVAC technician wage in Iowa changed by -6.6% over the last ten years of data and by -4.8% since 2019.

Are there more HVAC technician jobs in Iowa?

-10.5%Jobs since 20194,290 then, 3,840 in 2025
-8.6%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
2.5Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.9× the US share, 32nd of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of HVAC technicians counted in Iowa has changed by +137.0%, against +118.1% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by -10.5%.

HVAC and refrigeration technicians in Iowa vs United States, 1999 = 100IowaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages50100150200250300200020052010201520202025237Iowa218United States
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Iowa vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearIowa jobsIowa indexUS index
19991,620100100
20001,790110105
20011,760109108
20021,710106110
20031,850114113
20042,100130120
20052,600160128
20062,580159134
20072,860176140
20083,230199139
20093,270202130
20103,400210119
20112,880178123
20122,890178128
20133,080190134
20143,740231139
20154,200259146
20164,300265157
20173,770233164
20184,190259173
20194,290265182
20204,010248183
20212,920180190
20223,860238200
20233,840237212
20243,990246211
20253,840237218

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 Iowa

+11.2%Projected growth in Iowa2024–2034, state agency
370Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
3,710Jobs in 20244,130 projected for 2034
+10.9%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Iowa's labor market agency projects the number of HVAC technicians in the state to change by +11.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 3,710 to 4,130, with about 370 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 3,840 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for HVAC technicians in Iowa

On federally funded construction in Iowa, contractors must pay HVAC technicians at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 38 of the 38 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $68.45 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $29.17.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, IAAdair: $68.45 (union)Adams: $68.45 (union)Allamakee: $68.45 (union)Appanoose: n/aAudubon: $68.45 (union)Benton: n/aBlack Hawk: n/aBoone: $68.45 (union)Bremer: n/aBuchanan: $68.45 (union)Buena Vista: n/aButler: $68.45 (union)Calhoun: n/aCarroll: $68.45 (union)Cass: $68.45 (union)Cedar: n/aCerro Gordo: $68.45 (union)Cherokee: n/aChickasaw: $68.45 (union)Clarke: $68.45 (union)Clay: n/aClayton: $68.45 (union)Clinton: n/aCrawford: n/aDallas: $68.45 (union)Davis: n/aDecatur: $68.45 (union)Delaware: $68.45 (union)Des Moines: n/aDickinson: n/aDubuque: n/aEmmet: n/aFayette: $68.45 (union)Floyd: $68.45 (union)Franklin: $68.45 (union)Fremont: $68.45 (union)Greene: $68.45 (union)Grundy: n/aGuthrie: n/aHamilton: n/aHancock: n/aHardin: $68.45 (union)Harrison: n/aHenry: n/aHoward: $68.45 (union)Humboldt: n/aIda: n/aIowa: n/aJackson: n/aJasper: n/aJefferson: n/aJohnson: n/aJones: n/aKeokuk: n/aKossuth: n/aLee: n/aLinn: n/aLouisa: n/aLucas: $68.45 (union)Lyon: n/aMadison: n/aMahaska: n/aMarion: n/aMarshall: n/aMills: n/aMitchell: $68.45 (union)Monona: $68.45 (union)Monroe: n/aMontgomery: $68.45 (union)Muscatine: n/aO'Brien: n/aOsceola: n/aPage: $68.45 (union)Palo Alto: n/aPlymouth: n/aPocahontas: n/aPolk: $68.45 (union)Pottawattamie: n/aPoweshiek: n/aRinggold: $68.45 (union)Sac: n/aScott: n/aShelby: $68.45 (union)Sioux: n/aStory: $68.45 (union)Tama: n/aTaylor: $68.45 (union)Union: $68.45 (union)Van Buren: n/aWapello: n/aWarren: $68.45 (union)Washington: n/aWayne: $68.45 (union)Webster: n/aWinnebago: n/aWinneshiek: $68.45 (union)Woodbury: n/aWorth: $68.45 (union)Wright: n/aUnion / prevailing package, $/hrn/a
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for HVAC technicians by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AdairUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260029
AdamsUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260030
AllamakeeUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260031
AudubonUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260033
BooneUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260034
BuchananUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260080
ButlerUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260080
CarrollUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260035
CassUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260058
Cerro GordoUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260037
ChickasawUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260080
ClarkeUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260058
ClaytonUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260059
DallasUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260064
DecaturUnion PLUM0033-002 2025-06-01$45.20$23.25$68.45IA20260060

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-06. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Iowa prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Iowa?

92.4kConstruction jobsIowa, 2026-09
+4.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202592kSep 2026
Construction employment in Iowa (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 89 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 48,022 in 2015 to 55,511 in 2025, +15.6%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Polk County1484,936$93,825$1,804
Woodbury County48705$90,444$1,739
Linn County722,122$87,280$1,678
Benton County794$84,377$1,623
Scott County551,151$83,930$1,614
Pottawattamie County38397$80,299$1,544
Wapello County16279$79,163$1,522
Boone County9190$78,983$1,519
Black Hawk County30521$77,457$1,490
Carroll County14149$75,167$1,446
Johnson County40443$71,992$1,384
Dubuque County38354$71,482$1,375

Keep comparing

HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Iowa

More on Iowa

Questions this page answers

How much do HVAC technicians make in Iowa?

The median HVAC technician in Iowa earned $29.17 an hour ($60,680 a year) in May 2025, 1% below the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $23.34–$36.51; the top 10% earn more than $41.48.

Where does Iowa rank for HVAC technician pay?

Iowa ranks 27th of 51 states for HVAC technician pay, with a median of $29.17 an hour, and 11th after adjusting for Iowa's cost of living (BEA price parity 87.8, US = 100).

What is the union HVAC technician rate in Iowa?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for HVAC technicians in 38 counties, with a typical package of $68.45 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many HVAC technicians work in Iowa?

BLS counted 3,840 HVAC technicians in Iowa in May 2025, 2.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.93; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is HVAC technician work growing in Iowa?

The BLS employer survey count of HVAC technicians in Iowa went from 4,200 in 2015 to 3,840 in 2025, -8.6%, and -10.5% since 2019. Iowa's labor market agency projects +11.2% growth for HVAC technicians between 2024 and 2034, from 3,710 to 4,130 jobs.

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

Iowa projects about 370 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, Iowa 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 2026-11-06. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Iowa labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.