Skilled Wages

HVAC technician salary in Tennessee

Median $26.68 an hour for 9,740 hvac and refrigeration technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$26.68/hrMedian hourly wageTennessee, May data
$55,490/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.53 – $39.2310th to 90th percentilehourly range
9,740Jobs countedemployer survey

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

HVAC technician pay in Tennessee: the full range

Wage percentiles, TennesseeMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrTennessee: 10th $18.53 · 25th $22.59 · median $26.68 · 75th $31.53 · 90th $39.23Tennessee$26.68$18.53$39.23United 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: Tennessee vs United States, May 2025.

Tennessee ranks 45th of 51 states for median hvac technician pay, and 37th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.03). 9,740 hvac and refrigeration technicians work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.53 – $22.59$38,540 – $46,990roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.59 – $31.53$46,990 – $65,590the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$31.53 – $39.23$65,590 – $81,590the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



HVAC technician pay by metro in Tennessee

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrNashville: $28.97Nashville$28.97Knoxville: $27.30Knoxville$27.30Memphis: $27.30Memphis$27.30Jackson: $26.03Jackson$26.03Chattanooga: $24.49Chattanooga$24.49Clarksville: $24.27Clarksville$24.27Kingsport: $23.54Kingsport$23.54Morristown: $23.39Morristown$23.39Johnson City: $23.08Johnson City$23.08
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians by metro area in Tennessee, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Nashville$22.41$28.97$43.833,5009% above
Knoxville$18.81$27.30$40.771,4702% above
Memphis$18.67$27.30$42.141,7402% above
Jackson$19.01$26.03$37.202602% below
Chattanooga$17.86$24.49$37.038508% below
Clarksville$18.52$24.27$34.513309% below
Kingsport$17.12$23.54$31.6329012% below
Morristown$17.99$23.39$37.395012% below
Johnson City$17.91$23.08$33.6823013% below

HVAC technician wages in Tennessee over time

Tennessee, 1999-2025TennesseeUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.33United States$26.68Tennessee
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians, Tennessee vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearTennessee $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$13.99$27.03$14.503,360
2000$13.43$25.11$15.763,700
2001$14.46$26.29$16.353,470
2002$15.12$27.06$16.784,180
2003$15.03$26.30$16.904,830
2004$16.13$27.49$17.434,960
2005$14.23$23.46$17.815,390
2006$13.77$21.99$18.115,590
2007$14.53$22.56$18.446,290
2008$16.05$24.00$19.085,590
2009$17.35$26.04$19.764,920
2010$17.85$26.35$20.453,960
2011$18.16$25.99$20.864,140
2012$17.99$25.23$20.985,070
2013$18.07$24.97$21.106,330
2014$18.73$25.47$21.466,880
2015$19.09$25.93$21.697,030
2016$19.59$26.28$22.077,570
2017$20.27$26.62$22.647,760
2018$19.94$25.56$22.897,920
2019$19.29$24.29$23.438,330
2020$19.80$24.63$24.328,740
2021$22.42$26.64$23.388,740
2022$22.85$25.14$24.719,940
2023$23.10$24.41$27.559,880
2024$24.75$25.40$28.7510,510
2025$26.68$26.68$29.339,740

In today's dollars, the median hvac technician wage in Tennessee changed by +2.9% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for hvac technicians in Tennessee

On federally funded construction in Tennessee, contractors must pay hvac technicians at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 9 of the 31 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $55.10 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $18.79). The market median for the state is $26.68.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, TNAnderson: $55.10 (union)Bedford: —Benton: —Bledsoe: —Blount: $47.96 (survey)Bradley: —Campbell: $47.96 (survey)Cannon: $18.79 (survey)Carroll: —Carter: $55.10 (union)Cheatham: $18.79 (survey)Chester: —Claiborne: —Clay: —Cocke: —Coffee: —Crockett: —Cumberland: —Davidson: $18.79 (survey)Decatur: —DeKalb: —Dickson: $18.79 (survey)Dyer: —Fayette: $51.61 (union)Fentress: —Franklin: —Gibson: —Giles: —Grainger: $47.96 (survey)Greene: —Grundy: —Hamblen: —Hamilton: —Hancock: —Hardeman: —Hardin: —Hawkins: $55.10 (union)Haywood: —Henderson: —Henry: —Hickman: $18.79 (survey)Houston: —Humphreys: —Jackson: —Jefferson: —Johnson: —Knox: $47.96 (survey)Lake: —Lauderdale: —Lawrence: —Lewis: —Lincoln: —Loudon: $47.96 (survey)McMinn: —McNairy: —Macon: $18.79 (survey)Madison: —Marion: —Marshall: —Maury: $18.79 (survey)Meigs: —Monroe: —Montgomery: —Moore: —Morgan: $47.96 (survey)Obion: —Overton: —Perry: —Pickett: —Polk: —Putnam: —Rhea: —Roane: $47.96 (survey)Robertson: $18.79 (survey)Rutherford: $18.79 (survey)Scott: —Sequatchie: —Sevier: —Shelby: $51.61 (union)Smith: $18.79 (survey)Stewart: —Sullivan: $55.10 (union)Sumner: $18.79 (survey)Tipton: $51.61 (union)Trousdale: $18.79 (survey)Unicoi: $55.10 (union)Union: $47.96 (survey)Van Buren: —Warren: —Washington: $55.10 (union)Wayne: —Weakley: —White: —Williamson: $18.79 (survey)Wilson: $18.79 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$47.96$51.61n/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 (union)Prevailing (survey)$0$20$40$60/hrCarter (Johnson City): market median $23.08, prevailing (union) $55.10, gap +$32.02Carter (Johnson City)+$32.02Hawkins (Kingsport): market median $23.54, prevailing (union) $55.10, gap +$31.56Hawkins (Kingsport)+$31.56Anderson (Knoxville): market median $27.30, prevailing (union) $55.10, gap +$27.80Anderson (Knoxville)+$27.80Fayette (Memphis): market median $27.30, prevailing (union) $51.61, gap +$24.31Fayette (Memphis)+$24.31Cannon (Nashville): market median $28.97, prevailing (survey) $18.79, gap −$10.18Cannon (Nashville)−$10.18
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for hvac technicians, metro counties in Tennessee.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
AndersonUnion SHEE0005-004 2025-05-01$37.70$17.40$55.10TN20260176
CarterUnion SHEE0005-017 2025-05-01$37.70$17.40$55.10TN20260197
HawkinsUnion SHEE0005-017 2025-05-01$37.70$17.40$55.10TN20260201
SullivanUnion SHEE0005-017 2025-05-01$37.70$17.40$55.10TN20260201
UnicoiUnion SHEE0005-017 2025-05-01$37.70$17.40$55.10TN20260197
WashingtonUnion SHEE0005-017 2025-05-01$37.70$17.40$55.10TN20260191
FayetteUnion SHEE0004-008 2024-01-01$34.95$16.66$51.61TN20260200
ShelbyUnion SHEE0004-008 2024-01-01$34.95$16.66$51.61TN20260200
TiptonUnion SHEE0004-008 2024-01-01$34.95$16.66$51.61TN20260189
Blountuavg UAVGTN0001 2025-01-01$32.81$15.15$47.96TN20260177
Campbelluavg UAVGTN0001 2025-01-01$32.81$15.15$47.96TN20260195
Graingeruavg UAVGTN0001 2025-01-01$32.81$15.15$47.96TN20260195
Knoxuavg UAVGTN0001 2025-01-01$32.81$15.15$47.96TN20260182
Loudonuavg UAVGTN0001 2025-01-01$32.81$15.15$47.96TN20260202
Morganuavg UAVGTN0001 2025-01-01$32.81$15.15$47.96TN20260202

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

Is construction work growing in Tennessee?

168.5kConstruction jobsTennessee, 2026-08
-0.1%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-202650k100k150k200k19901995200020052010201520202025168kAug 2026
Construction employment in Tennessee (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
Franklin County48$103,237$1,985
White County75$101,432$1,951
Roane County380$100,694$1,936
Davidson County6,042$91,416$1,758
Anderson County634$89,688$1,725
Williamson County2,100$89,570$1,722
Shelby County4,074$81,642$1,570
Rutherford County992$78,290$1,506
Hamilton County1,992$77,306$1,487
Cocke County42$76,788$1,477
Madison County631$76,592$1,473
Knox County3,146$76,431$1,470

Keep comparing

HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Tennessee

Questions this page answers

How much do hvac technicians make in Tennessee?

The median hvac technician in Tennessee earned $26.68 an hour ($55,490 a year) in May 2025, 9% below the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $22.59–$31.53; the top 10% earn more than $39.23.

Where does Tennessee rank for hvac technician pay?

Tennessee ranks 45th of 51 states for hvac technician pay, with a median of $26.68 an hour, and 37th after adjusting for Tennessee's cost of living (BEA price parity 91.9, US = 100).

What is the union hvac technician rate in Tennessee?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for hvac technicians in 9 counties, with a typical package of $55.10 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many hvac technicians work in Tennessee?

BLS counted 9,740 hvac and refrigeration technicians in Tennessee in May 2025, 3.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.13; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Tennessee 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.