Skilled Wages

HVAC technician salary in New York

Median $35.78 an hour for 24,430 HVAC technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$35.78/hrMedian hourly wageNew York, May data
$74,430/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$23.35 – $48.4010th to 90th percentilehourly range
24,430Jobs countedemployer survey

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

HVAC technician pay in New York: the full range

Wage percentiles, New YorkMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrNew York: 10th $23.35 · 25th $28.71 · median $35.78 · 75th $42.37 · 90th $48.40New York$35.78$23.35$48.40United 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: New York vs United States, May 2025.

New York ranks 10th of 51 states for median HVAC technician pay, and 12th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $33.16). 24,430 HVAC technicians work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.1× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$23.35 – $28.71$48,560 – $59,720roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$28.71 – $42.37$59,720 – $88,130the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$42.37 – $48.40$88,130 – $100,680the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



HVAC technician pay by metro in New York

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrNew York City: $37.50New York City$37.50Syracuse: $32.02Syracuse$32.02Albany: $31.75Albany$31.75Poughkeepsie: $31.50Poughkeepsie$31.50Ithaca: $31.10Ithaca$31.10Rochester: $30.56Rochester$30.56Watertown: $30.22Watertown$30.22Elmira: $30.00Elmira$30.00Buffalo: $29.89Buffalo$29.89Binghamton: $29.82Binghamton$29.82Utica: $29.75Utica$29.75Kingston: $29.55Kingston$29.55
Median hourly wage for HVAC technicians by metro area in New York, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
New York City$24.37$37.50$33.30$52.3021,8205% above
Syracuse$22.75$32.02$33.46$46.5397011% below
Albany$22.84$31.75$31.88$47.031,45011% below
Poughkeepsie$20.85$31.50$28.79$44.661,15012% below
Ithaca$22.58$31.10$30.11$44.4512013% below
Rochester$22.05$30.56$31.51$43.841,85015% below
Watertown$20.28$30.22$34.46$40.1713016% below
Elmira$22.39$30.00$31.78$40.738016% below
Buffalo$18.86$29.89$31.20$44.151,37016% below
Binghamton$22.43$29.82$32.10$42.1738017% below
Utica$20.78$29.75$32.09$43.2726017% below
Kingston$17.74$29.55$29.34$44.2926017% below
Glens Falls$21.13$29.22$30.79$39.4516018% below

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

HVAC technician wages in New York over time

New York, 1999-2025New YorkUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$35.78New York$29.33United States
Median hourly wage for HVAC technicians, New York vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNew York $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$16.47$31.83$14.5012,440
2000$16.27$30.42$15.7611,680
2001$17.33$31.50$16.3512,730
2002$18.60$33.29$16.7813,420
2003$18.82$32.93$16.9012,890
2004$19.65$33.49$17.4314,760
2005$21.00$34.62$17.8115,720
2006$21.46$34.27$18.1116,440
2007$21.18$32.89$18.4417,980
2008$21.75$32.52$19.0818,350
2009$22.88$34.33$19.7617,120
2010$24.42$36.05$20.4514,580
2011$24.81$35.51$20.8613,710
2012$24.29$34.06$20.9813,280
2013$24.93$34.45$21.1013,010
2014$24.71$33.60$21.4612,950
2015$24.06$32.68$21.6913,330
2016$25.38$34.04$22.0715,930
2017$26.62$34.96$22.6418,500
2018$27.80$35.64$22.8919,160
2019$27.31$34.39$23.4318,810
2020$28.48$35.43$24.3216,730
2021$29.31$34.82$23.3822,240
2022$31.10$34.21$24.7120,150
2023$30.94$32.69$27.5522,700
2024$32.05$32.89$28.7522,710
2025$35.78$35.78$29.3324,430

In today's dollars, the median HVAC technician wage in New York changed by +9.5% over the last ten years of data and by +4.0% since 2019.

Are there more HVAC technician jobs in New York?

+29.9%Jobs since 201918,810 then, 24,430 in 2025
+83.3%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
2.5Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 1.0× the US share, 29th of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of HVAC technicians counted in New York has changed by +96.4%, against +118.1% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +29.9%.

HVAC and refrigeration technicians in New York vs United States, 1999 = 100New YorkUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages50100150200250200020052010201520202025218United States196New York
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, New York vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearNew York jobsNew York indexUS index
199912,440100100
200011,68094105
200112,730102108
200213,420108110
200312,890104113
200414,760119120
200515,720126128
200616,440132134
200717,980144140
200818,350148139
200917,120138130
201014,580117119
201113,710110123
201213,280107128
201313,010105134
201412,950104139
201513,330107146
201615,930128157
201718,500149164
201819,160154173
201918,810151182
202016,730134183
202122,240179190
202220,150162200
202322,700182212
202422,710183211
202524,430196218

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 New York

+1.6%Projected growth in New York2024–2034, state agency
2,060Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
24,210Jobs in 202424,590 projected for 2034
+10.9%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

New York's labor market agency projects the number of HVAC technicians in the state to change by +1.6% between 2024 and 2034, from 24,210 to 24,590, with about 2,060 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 24,430 counted by the BLS employer survey.

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

Union scale and prevailing wage for HVAC technicians in New York

On federally funded construction in New York, contractors must pay HVAC technicians at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 4 of the 5 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $79.37 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $55.14). The market median for the state is $35.78.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NYAlbany: n/aAllegany: n/aBronx: n/aBroome: n/aCattaraugus: n/aCayuga: n/aChautauqua: n/aChemung: n/aChenango: n/aClinton: n/aColumbia: n/aCortland: n/aDelaware: n/aDutchess: $79.37 (union)Erie: n/aEssex: n/aFranklin: n/aFulton: n/aGenesee: n/aGreene: n/aHamilton: n/aHerkimer: n/aJefferson: n/aKings: n/aLewis: n/aLivingston: n/aMadison: n/aMonroe: n/aMontgomery: n/aNassau: n/aNew York: n/aNiagara: n/aOneida: n/aOnondaga: n/aOntario: n/aOrange: $79.37 (union)Orleans: n/aOswego: n/aOtsego: n/aPutnam: n/aQueens: n/aRensselaer: n/aRichmond: n/aRockland: n/aSt. Lawrence: n/aSaratoga: n/aSchenectady: n/aSchoharie: n/aSchuyler: n/aSeneca: n/aSteuben: $55.14 (survey)Suffolk: n/aSullivan: $79.37 (union)Tioga: n/aTompkins: n/aUlster: $79.37 (union)Warren: n/aWashington: n/aWayne: n/aWestchester: n/aWyoming: n/aYates: n/aUnion / prevailing package, $/hr$74.52n/asurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for HVAC technicians by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
DutchessUnion PLUM0373-002 2025-05-01$41.99$37.38$79.37NY20260007
OrangeUnion PLUM0373-002 2025-05-01$41.99$37.38$79.37NY20260007
SullivanUnion PLUM0373-002 2025-05-01$41.99$37.38$79.37NY20260007
UlsterUnion PLUM0373-002 2025-05-01$41.99$37.38$79.37NY20260007
SteubenSurvey SUNY2017-019 2020-07-01$31.30$23.84$55.14NY20260117

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

Is construction work growing in New York?

396.1kConstruction jobsNew York, 2026-09
-0.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k200k300k400k500k19901995200020052010201520202025396kSep 2026
Construction employment in New York (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 59 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 230,604 in 2015 to 242,213 in 2025, +5.0%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
New York County2413,359$107,414$2,066
Albany County901,938$103,719$1,995
Saratoga County57883$98,334$1,891
Nassau County6956,816$97,430$1,874
Queens County9048,832$95,571$1,838
Erie County2503,822$94,923$1,825
Westchester County5014,006$93,445$1,797
Onondaga County1322,080$93,044$1,789
Putnam County99641$91,645$1,762
Bronx County2612,664$91,381$1,757
Suffolk County1,0457,881$87,720$1,687
Ulster County84617$85,785$1,650

Keep comparing

HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in New York

More on New York

Questions this page answers

How much do HVAC technicians make in New York?

The median HVAC technician in New York earned $35.78 an hour ($74,430 a year) in May 2025, 22% above the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $28.71–$42.37; the top 10% earn more than $48.40.

Where does New York rank for HVAC technician pay?

New York ranks 10th of 51 states for HVAC technician pay, with a median of $35.78 an hour, and 12th after adjusting for New York's cost of living (BEA price parity 107.9, US = 100).

What is the union HVAC technician rate in New York?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for HVAC technicians in 4 counties, with a typical package of $79.37 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many HVAC technicians work in New York?

BLS counted 24,430 HVAC technicians in New York in May 2025, 2.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.96; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is HVAC technician work growing in New York?

The BLS employer survey count of HVAC technicians in New York went from 13,330 in 2015 to 24,430 in 2025, +83.3%, and +29.9% since 2019. New York's labor market agency projects +1.6% growth for HVAC technicians between 2024 and 2034, from 24,210 to 24,590 jobs.

How many HVAC technician openings a year are there in New York?

New York projects about 2,060 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, New York 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: New York labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.