Skilled Wages

HVAC technician salary in North Carolina

Median $27.53 an hour for 15,230 hvac and refrigeration technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$27.53/hrMedian hourly wageNorth Carolina, May data
$57,260/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.16 – $37.1010th to 90th percentilehourly range
15,230Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

HVAC technician pay in North Carolina: the full range

Wage percentiles, North CarolinaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrNorth Carolina: 10th $18.16 · 25th $22.52 · median $27.53 · 75th $30.92 · 90th $37.10North Carolina$27.53$18.16$37.10United States: 10th $19.25 · 25th $23.25 · median $29.33 · 75th $37.05 · 90th $45.78United States$29.33
Hourly wage percentiles for hvac and refrigeration technicians: North Carolina vs United States, May 2025.

North Carolina ranks 40th of 51 states for median hvac technician pay, and 34th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.19). 15,230 hvac and refrigeration technicians work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.16 – $22.52$37,780 – $46,830roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.52 – $30.92$46,830 – $64,310the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$30.92 – $37.10$64,310 – $77,160the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



HVAC technician pay by metro in North Carolina

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30/hrCharlotte: $28.77Charlotte$28.77Virginia Beach: $28.59Virginia Beach$28.59Durham: $28.45Durham$28.45Raleigh: $28.32Raleigh$28.32Greensboro: $28.14Greensboro$28.14Asheville: $27.94Asheville$27.94Fayetteville: $27.03Fayetteville$27.03Rocky Mount: $26.78Rocky Mount$26.78Winston-Salem: $26.61Winston-Salem$26.61Greenville: $25.56Greenville$25.56Pinehurst: $25.28Pinehurst$25.28Burlington: $25.21Burlington$25.21
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians by metro area in North Carolina, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Charlotte$19.29$28.77$38.083,8605% above
Virginia Beach$18.85$28.59$37.002,8404% above
Durham$19.02$28.45$37.197503% above
Raleigh$18.83$28.32$37.422,5503% above
Greensboro$18.28$28.14$36.721,1702% above
Asheville$20.93$27.94$36.536601% above
Fayetteville$17.70$27.03$35.014902% below
Rocky Mount$18.24$26.78$34.131503% below
Winston-Salem$18.16$26.61$35.877003% below
Greenville$17.71$25.56$34.922207% below
Pinehurst$17.53$25.28$30.581608% below
Burlington$18.02$25.21$35.552808% below
Goldsboro$17.24$24.78$34.1216010% below
Hickory$17.73$24.18$35.2130012% below
Wilmington$17.83$23.97$35.2371013% below
Jacksonville$16.71$23.35$34.3621015% below

HVAC technician wages in North Carolina over time

North Carolina, 1999-2025North CarolinaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.33United States$27.53North Carolina
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians, North Carolina vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearNorth Carolina $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$12.44$24.04$14.509,190
2000$14.66$27.41$15.766,130
2001$14.85$27.00$16.356,870
2002$14.04$25.13$16.787,820
2003$14.51$25.39$16.908,170
2004$14.77$25.17$17.43—
2005$15.01$24.74$17.818,090
2006$16.45$26.27$18.117,910
2007$17.52$27.20$18.447,950
2008$18.32$27.39$19.088,200
2009$18.43$27.66$19.767,690
2010$18.56$27.40$20.458,080
2011$18.21$26.06$20.869,700
2012$18.29$25.65$20.9810,670
2013$18.20$25.15$21.1010,800
2014$18.64$25.35$21.4611,020
2015$18.79$25.52$21.6910,800
2016$19.38$26.00$22.0711,770
2017$19.50$25.61$22.6413,890
2018$20.11$25.78$22.8914,370
2019$20.75$26.13$23.4313,800
2020$21.94$27.29$24.3213,240
2021$22.76$27.04$23.3815,150
2022$23.08$25.39$24.7114,160
2023$24.33$25.71$27.5513,320
2024$24.97$25.63$28.7513,750
2025$27.53$27.53$29.3315,230

In today's dollars, the median hvac technician wage in North Carolina changed by +7.9% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for hvac technicians in North Carolina

On federally funded construction in North Carolina, contractors must pay hvac technicians at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 54 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $18.01). 54 of the 54 counties still use a survey rate dated 2011 or earlier (for example Alleghany County at $19.98). The market median for the state is $27.53.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, NCAlamance: —Alexander: —Alleghany: $19.98 (survey)Anson: $19.59 (survey)Ashe: $19.98 (survey)Avery: $19.98 (survey)Beaufort: $17.11 (survey)Bertie: $17.11 (survey)Bladen: $18.01 (survey)Brunswick: —Buncombe: —Burke: —Cabarrus: —Caldwell: —Camden: $17.11 (survey)Carteret: $17.11 (survey)Caswell: $19.98 (survey)Catawba: —Chatham: —Cherokee: $19.98 (survey)Chowan: $17.11 (survey)Clay: $19.98 (survey)Cleveland: $18.01 (survey)Columbus: $18.01 (survey)Craven: —Cumberland: —Currituck: —Dare: $17.11 (survey)Davidson: —Davie: —Duplin: $18.01 (survey)Durham: —Edgecombe: —Forsyth: —Franklin: —Gaston: —Gates: —Graham: $19.98 (survey)Granville: $19.98 (survey)Greene: $21.94 (survey)Guilford: —Halifax: $19.98 (survey)Harnett: $18.01 (survey)Haywood: —Henderson: —Hertford: $17.11 (survey)Hoke: —Hyde: $17.11 (survey)Iredell: —Jackson: $19.98 (survey)Johnston: —Jones: —Lee: $18.01 (survey)Lenoir: $18.01 (survey)Lincoln: —McDowell: $19.98 (survey)Macon: $19.98 (survey)Madison: —Martin: $17.11 (survey)Mecklenburg: —Mitchell: $19.98 (survey)Montgomery: $18.01 (survey)Moore: $18.01 (survey)Nash: —New Hanover: —Northampton: $19.98 (survey)Onslow: —Orange: —Pamlico: —Pasquotank: $17.11 (survey)Pender: —Perquimans: $17.11 (survey)Person: —Pitt: —Polk: $19.98 (survey)Randolph: —Richmond: $18.01 (survey)Robeson: $18.01 (survey)Rockingham: —Rowan: —Rutherford: $19.98 (survey)Sampson: $18.01 (survey)Scotland: $18.01 (survey)Stanly: $18.01 (survey)Stokes: —Surry: $19.98 (survey)Swain: $19.98 (survey)Transylvania: $19.98 (survey)Tyrrell: $17.11 (survey)Union: —Vance: $19.98 (survey)Wake: —Warren: $19.98 (survey)Washington: $17.11 (survey)Watauga: $19.98 (survey)Wayne: —Wilkes: $19.98 (survey)Wilson: $18.01 (survey)Yadkin: —Yancey: $19.98 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$18.01$19.98n/asurvey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for hvac technicians by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (survey)$15$20$25$30/hrMoore (Pinehurst): market median $25.28, prevailing (survey) $18.01, gap −$7.27Moore (Pinehurst)−$7.27Anson (Charlotte): market median $28.77, prevailing (survey) $19.59, gap −$9.18Anson (Charlotte)−$9.18Camden (Virginia Beach): market median $28.59, prevailing (survey) $17.11, gap −$11.48Camden (Virginia Beach)−$11.48
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for hvac technicians, metro counties in North Carolina.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
GreeneSurvey SUNC2023-005 2011-08-24$19.69$2.25$21.94NC20260046
AlleghanySurvey SUNC2011-031 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260050
AsheSurvey SUNC2011-042 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260061
AverySurvey SUNC2011-032 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260051
CaswellSurvey SUNC2011-045 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260064
CherokeeSurvey SUNC2011-033 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260052
ClaySurvey SUNC2011-042 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260061
GrahamSurvey SUNC2011-042 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260061
GranvilleSurvey SUNC2011-045 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260064
HalifaxSurvey SUNC2011-045 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260064
JacksonSurvey SUNC2011-035 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260054
McDowellSurvey SUNC2011-042 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260061
MaconSurvey SUNC2011-042 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260061
MitchellSurvey SUNC2011-042 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260061
NorthamptonSurvey SUNC2011-036 2011-08-26$16.94$3.04$19.98NC20260055

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the North Carolina prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in North Carolina?

299.4kConstruction jobsNorth Carolina, 2026-08
+6.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025299kAug 2026
Construction employment in North Carolina (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.

CountyEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
Mecklenburg County7,418$85,232$1,639
Union County1,862$83,836$1,612
Wake County8,000$80,701$1,552
Guilford County3,270$77,077$1,482
Orange County468$77,025$1,481
Durham County1,094$73,197$1,408
Alamance County960$72,092$1,386
Henderson County550$71,852$1,382
Cumberland County1,168$71,491$1,375
Rowan County850$71,237$1,370
Nash County398$70,992$1,365
Iredell County674$70,800$1,362

Keep comparing

HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in North Carolina

Questions this page answers

How much do hvac technicians make in North Carolina?

The median hvac technician in North Carolina earned $27.53 an hour ($57,260 a year) in May 2025, 6% below the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $22.52–$30.92; the top 10% earn more than $37.10.

Where does North Carolina rank for hvac technician pay?

North Carolina ranks 40th of 51 states for hvac technician pay, with a median of $27.53 an hour, and 34th after adjusting for North Carolina's cost of living (BEA price parity 94.3, US = 100).

What is the union hvac technician rate in North Carolina?

Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a hvac technician classification for most North Carolina counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.

How many hvac technicians work in North Carolina?

BLS counted 15,230 hvac and refrigeration technicians in North Carolina in May 2025, 3.1 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.17; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, North Carolina 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.