HVAC technician salary in Montana
Median $29.26 an hour for 1,230 HVAC technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
HVAC technician pay in Montana: the full range
Montana ranks 26th of 51 states for median HVAC technician pay, and 27th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $30.93). 1,230 HVAC technicians work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.9× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $20.14 – $23.15 | $41,900 – $48,150 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $23.15 – $36.44 | $48,150 – $75,790 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $36.44 – $39.05 | $75,790 – $81,230 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
HVAC technician pay by metro in Montana
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman | $24.00 | $35.08 | $34.22 | $43.03 | 210 | 20% above |
| Helena | $22.10 | $30.13 | $31.48 | $38.02 | 100 | 3% above |
| Billings | $20.14 | $29.92 | $32.00 | $37.88 | 300 | 2% above |
| Great Falls | $20.00 | $29.17 | $30.13 | $39.05 | 150 | about the same as |
| Missoula | $21.39 | $28.96 | $30.04 | $36.47 | 180 | 1% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
HVAC technician wages in Montana over time
Table
| Year | Montana $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $13.73 | $26.53 | $14.50 | — |
| 2000 | $15.98 | $29.88 | $15.76 | 220 |
| 2001 | $15.36 | $27.92 | $16.35 | 360 |
| 2002 | $17.68 | $31.64 | $16.78 | 430 |
| 2003 | $17.79 | $31.13 | $16.90 | 540 |
| 2004 | $15.88 | $27.06 | $17.43 | 520 |
| 2005 | $15.88 | $26.18 | $17.81 | 320 |
| 2006 | $15.24 | $24.34 | $18.11 | 450 |
| 2007 | $16.26 | $25.25 | $18.44 | 370 |
| 2008 | $17.78 | $26.59 | $19.08 | 500 |
| 2009 | $18.45 | $27.69 | $19.76 | 470 |
| 2010 | $18.39 | $27.15 | $20.45 | 620 |
| 2011 | $19.86 | $28.42 | $20.86 | 510 |
| 2012 | $21.36 | $29.95 | $20.98 | 570 |
| 2013 | $24.12 | $33.33 | $21.10 | 590 |
| 2014 | $23.50 | $31.96 | $21.46 | 590 |
| 2015 | $19.49 | $26.47 | $21.69 | 730 |
| 2016 | $21.36 | $28.65 | $22.07 | 920 |
| 2017 | $21.21 | $27.86 | $22.64 | 950 |
| 2018 | $21.04 | $26.98 | $22.89 | 1,120 |
| 2019 | $21.32 | $26.85 | $23.43 | 1,090 |
| 2020 | $22.23 | $27.65 | $24.32 | 1,250 |
| 2021 | $23.00 | $27.33 | $23.38 | 1,540 |
| 2022 | $23.63 | $25.99 | $24.71 | 1,230 |
| 2023 | $24.95 | $26.36 | $27.55 | 1,340 |
| 2024 | $28.17 | $28.91 | $28.75 | 1,050 |
| 2025 | $29.26 | $29.26 | $29.33 | 1,230 |
In today's dollars, the median HVAC technician wage in Montana changed by +10.5% over the last ten years of data and by +9.0% since 2019.
Are there more HVAC technician jobs in Montana?
BLS counted 1,230 HVAC technicians in Montana in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 11%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for HVAC technicians in Montana
Montana's labor market agency projects the number of HVAC technicians in the state to change by +16.3% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,310 to 1,520, with about 140 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +10.9% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,230 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Montana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Montana?
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 36 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 14,094 in 2015 to 21,099 in 2025, +49.7%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broadwater County | 6 | 22 | $87,317 | $1,679 |
| Cascade County | 52 | 691 | $84,953 | $1,634 |
| Gallatin County | 130 | 1,126 | $80,774 | $1,553 |
| Missoula County | 74 | 796 | $79,681 | $1,532 |
| Yellowstone County | 104 | 928 | $77,527 | $1,491 |
| Deer Lodge County | 4 | 30 | $75,712 | $1,456 |
| Silver Bow County | 17 | 76 | $74,896 | $1,440 |
| Lewis and Clark County | 50 | 348 | $68,626 | $1,320 |
| Flathead County | 121 | 641 | $65,726 | $1,264 |
| Custer County | 4 | 22 | $65,711 | $1,264 |
| Sanders County | 12 | 25 | $64,738 | $1,245 |
| Jefferson County | 11 | 90 | $59,664 | $1,147 |
| Madison County | 10 | 24 | $59,162 | $1,138 |
| Valley County | 5 | 19 | $58,866 | $1,132 |
| Ravalli County | 45 | 152 | $56,535 | $1,087 |
| Hill County | 9 | 38 | $54,068 | $1,040 |
| Pondera County | 3 | 22 | $53,721 | $1,033 |
| Carbon County | 9 | 26 | $50,051 | $963 |
| Fergus County | 7 | 21 | $49,214 | $946 |
| Lincoln County | 13 | 44 | $43,958 | $845 |
Keep comparing
HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Montana
More on Montana
Questions this page answers
How much do HVAC technicians make in Montana?
The median HVAC technician in Montana earned $29.26 an hour ($60,850 a year) in May 2025, about the same as the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $23.15–$36.44; the top 10% earn more than $39.05.
Where does Montana rank for HVAC technician pay?
Montana ranks 26th of 51 states for HVAC technician pay, with a median of $29.26 an hour, and 27th after adjusting for Montana's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.6, US = 100).
What is the union HVAC technician rate in Montana?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a HVAC technician classification for most Montana counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many HVAC technicians work in Montana?
BLS counted 1,230 HVAC technicians in Montana in May 2025, 2.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.91; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is HVAC technician work growing in Montana?
Montana's labor market agency projects +16.3% growth for HVAC technicians between 2024 and 2034, from 1,310 to 1,520 jobs.
How many HVAC technician openings a year are there in Montana?
Montana projects about 140 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, Montana 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: Montana labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.