Skilled Wages

HVAC technician salary in Texas

Median $27.77 an hour for 34,730 hvac and refrigeration technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$27.77/hrMedian hourly wageTexas, May data
$57,760/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.32 – $39.3610th to 90th percentilehourly range
34,730Jobs countedemployer survey

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

HVAC technician pay in Texas: the full range

Wage percentiles, TexasMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrTexas: 10th $18.32 · 25th $22.50 · median $27.77 · 75th $33.59 · 90th $39.36Texas$27.77$18.32$39.36United 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: Texas vs United States, May 2025.

Texas ranks 38th of 51 states for median hvac technician pay, and 39th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $28.60). 34,730 hvac and refrigeration technicians work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$18.32 – $22.50$38,100 – $46,800roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$22.50 – $33.59$46,800 – $69,860the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$33.59 – $39.36$69,860 – $81,860the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



HVAC technician pay by metro in Texas

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrAustin: $29.24Austin$29.24Dallas-Fort Worth: $28.63Dallas-Fort Worth$28.63Houston: $28.34Houston$28.34Odessa: $28.17Odessa$28.17San Antonio: $28.17San Antonio$28.17Midland: $27.79Midland$27.79Beaumont: $27.27Beaumont$27.27Sherman: $27.08Sherman$27.08Waco: $26.85Waco$26.85Longview: $26.46Longview$26.46Abilene: $26.12Abilene$26.12Corpus Christi: $24.89Corpus Christi$24.89
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians by metro area in Texas, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Austin$21.17$29.24$44.323,1405% above
Dallas-Fort Worth$19.37$28.63$40.8110,9103% above
Houston$18.65$28.34$39.967,6802% above
Odessa$16.00$28.17$38.041601% above
San Antonio$18.25$28.17$39.623,1601% above
Midland$18.10$27.79$39.25260about the same as
Beaumont$17.79$27.27$38.223902% below
Sherman$16.80$27.08$40.031702% below
Waco$18.48$26.85$35.584403% below
Longview$17.78$26.46$36.243505% below
Abilene$16.81$26.12$36.502606% below
Corpus Christi$17.96$24.89$38.1864010% below
Lubbock$18.00$23.97$35.6342014% below
Amarillo$17.99$23.96$37.0335014% below
Killeen$16.07$23.86$36.1541014% below
San Angelo$17.34$23.71$34.2713015% below
Tyler$17.36$23.70$39.7029015% below
Wichita Falls$16.44$23.67$34.1816015% below
Victoria$18.13$23.34$36.4410016% below
College Station$18.17$23.33$33.2827016% below
Laredo$17.44$23.29$33.5318016% below
Brownsville$17.22$23.03$34.3226017% below
Texarkana$17.86$22.96$34.4113017% below
El Paso$13.52$22.73$34.9179018% below
McAllen$17.34$22.68$35.1053018% below

HVAC technician wages in Texas over time

Texas, 1999-2025TexasUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.33United States$27.77Texas
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians, Texas vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearTexas $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$13.36$25.82$14.5013,840
2000$14.97$27.99$15.7616,200
2001$15.22$27.67$16.3517,130
2002$15.65$28.01$16.7816,880
2003$15.66$27.40$16.9017,900
2004$16.50$28.12$17.4320,010
2005$16.20$26.70$17.8120,580
2006$16.96$27.08$18.1121,980
2007$16.86$26.18$18.4421,980
2008$17.63$26.36$19.0823,060
2009$18.04$27.07$19.7621,000
2010$18.54$27.37$20.4518,920
2011$18.73$26.81$20.8620,260
2012$18.90$26.50$20.9821,020
2013$19.36$26.76$21.1022,060
2014$19.20$26.11$21.4620,870
2015$19.52$26.51$21.6921,810
2016$20.10$26.96$22.0724,300
2017$20.80$27.32$22.6423,520
2018$21.42$27.46$22.8925,290
2019$21.88$27.55$23.4326,690
2020$23.09$28.72$24.3228,010
2021$23.07$27.41$23.3831,060
2022$23.42$25.76$24.7130,670
2023$24.13$25.50$27.5531,910
2024$25.99$26.67$28.7532,070
2025$27.77$27.77$29.3334,730

In today's dollars, the median hvac technician wage in Texas changed by +4.7% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for hvac technicians in Texas

On federally funded construction in Texas, contractors must pay hvac technicians at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 23 of the 71 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $53.80 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $14.98). 48 of the 71 counties still use a survey rate dated 2014 or earlier (for example Austin County at $21.91). The market median for the state is $27.77.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, TXUnion / prevailing package, $/hr$14.98$15.50$28.66$53.80n/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/hrCameron (Brownsville): market median $23.03, prevailing (union) $55.05, gap +$32.02Cameron (Brownsville)+$32.02Brazos (College Station): market median $23.33, prevailing (union) $55.05, gap +$31.72Brazos (College Station)+$31.72Grayson (Sherman): market median $27.08, prevailing (union) $53.80, gap +$26.72Grayson (Sherman)+$26.72Montgomery (Houston): market median $28.34, prevailing (union) $55.05, gap +$26.71Montgomery (Houston)+$26.71Collin (Dallas-Fort Worth): market median $28.63, prevailing (union) $53.80, gap +$25.17Collin (Dallas-Fort Worth)+$25.17Hays (Austin): market median $29.24, prevailing (union) $54.07, gap +$24.83Hays (Austin)+$24.83Atascosa (San Antonio): market median $28.17, prevailing (union) $50.45, gap +$22.28Atascosa (San Antonio)+$22.28Bell (Killeen): market median $23.86, prevailing (survey) $15.50, gap −$8.36Bell (Killeen)−$8.36McLennan (Waco): market median $26.85, prevailing (survey) $16.56, gap −$10.29McLennan (Waco)−$10.29
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for hvac technicians, metro counties in Texas.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
BrazosUnion PLUM0211-002 2025-10-01$42.09$12.96$55.05TX20260234
BurlesonUnion PLUM0211-002 2025-10-01$42.09$12.96$55.05TX20260235
CameronUnion PLUM0211-001 2025-10-01$42.09$12.96$55.05TX20260236
MontgomeryUnion PLUM0211-002 2025-10-01$42.09$12.96$55.05TX20260262
RobertsonUnion PLUM0211-002 2025-10-01$42.09$12.96$55.05TX20260267
HaysUnion PLUM0286-009 2025-09-01$37.15$16.92$54.07TX20260254
CollinUnion PLUM0100-005 2024-11-01$39.76$14.04$53.80TX20260239
DallasUnion PLUM0100-005 2024-11-01$39.76$14.04$53.80TX20260241
DeltaUnion PLUM0100-005 2024-11-01$39.76$14.04$53.80TX20260242
DentonUnion PLUM0100-008 2024-11-01$39.76$14.04$53.80TX20260243
EllisUnion PLUM0100-005 2024-11-01$39.76$14.04$53.80TX20260246
GraysonUnion PLUM0100-009 2024-11-01$39.76$14.04$53.80TX20260249
HuntUnion PLUM0100-005 2024-11-01$39.76$14.04$53.80TX20260281
KaufmanUnion PLUM0100-005 2024-11-01$39.76$14.04$53.80TX20260281
RockwallUnion PLUM0100-005 2024-11-01$39.76$14.04$53.80TX20260281

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

Is construction work growing in Texas?

929.9kConstruction jobsTexas, 2026-08
+2.2%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026200k400k600k800k1,000k19901995200020052010201520202025930kAug 2026
Construction employment in Texas (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
Chambers County83$122,401$2,354
Titus County129$108,908$2,094
Lavaca County117$92,860$1,786
Travis County8,443$91,900$1,767
Dallas County16,575$91,160$1,753
Harris County21,140$88,659$1,705
Tarrant County10,762$87,155$1,676
Bastrop County950$86,222$1,658
Guadalupe County670$86,044$1,655
Denton County2,823$84,591$1,627
Fort Bend County2,309$83,369$1,603
Midland County771$80,694$1,552

Keep comparing

HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Texas

Questions this page answers

How much do hvac technicians make in Texas?

The median hvac technician in Texas earned $27.77 an hour ($57,760 a year) in May 2025, 5% below the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $22.50–$33.59; the top 10% earn more than $39.36.

Where does Texas rank for hvac technician pay?

Texas ranks 38th of 51 states for hvac technician pay, with a median of $27.77 an hour, and 39th after adjusting for Texas's cost of living (BEA price parity 97.1, US = 100).

What is the union hvac technician rate in Texas?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for hvac technicians in 23 counties, with a typical package of $53.80 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many hvac technicians work in Texas?

BLS counted 34,730 hvac and refrigeration technicians in Texas in May 2025, 2.5 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.94; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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