Skilled Wages

HVAC technician salary in Virginia

Median $28.72 an hour for 14,690 hvac and refrigeration technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$28.72/hrMedian hourly wageVirginia, May data
$59,730/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$19.12 – $40.1110th to 90th percentilehourly range
14,690Jobs countedemployer survey

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

HVAC technician pay in Virginia: the full range

Wage percentiles, VirginiaMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50/hrVirginia: 10th $19.12 · 25th $23.03 · median $28.72 · 75th $35.31 · 90th $40.11Virginia$28.72$19.12$40.11United 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: Virginia vs United States, May 2025.

Virginia ranks 33rd of 51 states for median hvac technician pay, and 41st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $28.41). 14,690 hvac and refrigeration technicians work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$19.12 – $23.03$39,760 – $47,910roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$23.03 – $35.31$47,910 – $73,440the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$35.31 – $40.11$73,440 – $83,420the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



HVAC technician pay by metro in Virginia

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrWashington DC: $34.58Washington DC$34.58Staunton: $29.98Staunton$29.98Harrisonburg: $28.95Harrisonburg$28.95Charlottesville: $28.63Charlottesville$28.63Virginia Beach: $28.59Virginia Beach$28.59Richmond: $28.43Richmond$28.43Lynchburg: $28.13Lynchburg$28.13Winchester: $27.04Winchester$27.04Blacksburg: $24.05Blacksburg$24.05Roanoke: $23.67Roanoke$23.67Kingsport: $23.54Kingsport$23.54
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians by metro area in Virginia, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Washington DC$22.56$34.58$50.578,73020% above
Staunton$18.81$29.98$38.822304% above
Harrisonburg$18.92$28.95$37.403401% above
Charlottesville$20.73$28.63$36.95420about the same as
Virginia Beach$18.85$28.59$37.002,840about the same as
Richmond$18.40$28.43$37.802,7001% below
Lynchburg$18.50$28.13$37.565302% below
Winchester$18.77$27.04$34.872006% below
Blacksburg$18.89$24.05$33.0319016% below
Roanoke$18.14$23.67$36.0866018% below
Kingsport$17.12$23.54$31.6329018% below

HVAC technician wages in Virginia over time

Virginia, 1999-2025VirginiaUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$15$20$25$30$35200020052010201520202025$29.33United States$28.72Virginia
Median hourly wage for hvac and refrigeration technicians, Virginia vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearVirginia $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$14.02$27.09$14.507,150
2000$15.75$29.45$15.766,770
2001$17.16$31.19$16.357,370
2002$16.57$29.65$16.787,620
2003$16.88$29.53$16.907,260
2004$17.31$29.50$17.437,670
2005$16.63$27.41$17.818,650
2006$17.04$27.21$18.119,190
2007$17.32$26.89$18.4410,470
2008$18.40$27.51$19.089,620
2009$19.18$28.78$19.769,380
2010$19.78$29.20$20.458,280
2011$19.88$28.45$20.868,270
2012$19.51$27.36$20.988,330
2013$20.52$28.36$21.109,080
2014$21.98$29.89$21.469,610
2015$22.77$30.93$21.699,820
2016$22.96$30.80$22.0710,720
2017$23.53$30.90$22.6411,690
2018$24.02$30.80$22.8912,690
2019$23.93$30.13$23.4311,670
2020$24.74$30.77$24.3210,720
2021$23.58$28.02$23.3811,960
2022$25.70$28.27$24.7112,640
2023$27.94$29.52$27.5513,540
2024$29.15$29.92$28.7513,640
2025$28.72$28.72$29.3314,690

In today's dollars, the median hvac technician wage in Virginia changed by -7.1% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for hvac technicians in Virginia

On federally funded construction in Virginia, contractors must pay hvac technicians at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 0 of the 13 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package — an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $23.53). 13 of the 13 counties still use a survey rate dated 2016 or earlier (for example Amelia County at $23.53). The market median for the state is $28.72.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, VAAccomack: —Albemarle: —Alleghany: —Amelia: $23.53 (survey)Amherst: —Appomattox: —Arlington: —Augusta: —Bath: —Bedford: —Bland: —Botetourt: —Brunswick: —Buchanan: —Buckingham: —Campbell: —Caroline: $23.53 (survey)Carroll: —Charles City: $23.53 (survey)Charlotte: —Chesterfield: $23.53 (survey)Clarke: —Craig: —Culpeper: —Cumberland: —Dickenson: —Dinwiddie: $23.53 (survey)Essex: —Fairfax: —Fauquier: —Floyd: —Fluvanna: —Franklin: —Frederick: —Giles: —Gloucester: —Goochland: $23.53 (survey)Grayson: —Greene: —Greensville: —Halifax: —Hanover: $23.53 (survey)Henrico: $23.53 (survey)Henry: —Highland: —Isle of Wight: —James City: —King and Queen: —King George: —King William: $23.53 (survey)Lancaster: —Lee: —Loudoun: —Louisa: —Lunenburg: —Madison: —Mathews: —Mecklenburg: —Middlesex: —Montgomery: —Nelson: —New Kent: $23.53 (survey)Northampton: —Northumberland: —Nottoway: —Orange: —Page: —Patrick: —Pittsylvania: —Powhatan: $23.53 (survey)Prince Edward: —Prince George: $23.53 (survey)Prince William: —Pulaski: —Rappahannock: —Richmond: —Roanoke: —Rockbridge: —Rockingham: —Russell: —Scott: —Shenandoah: —Smyth: —Southampton: —Spotsylvania: —Stafford: —Surry: —Sussex: $23.53 (survey)Tazewell: —Warren: —Washington: —Westmoreland: —Wise: —Wythe: —York: —Alexandria: —Bristol: —Buena Vista: —Charlottesville: —Chesapeake: —Colonial Heights: —Covington: —Danville: —Emporia: —Fairfax: —Falls Church: —Franklin: —Fredericksburg: —Galax: —Hampton: —Harrisonburg: —Hopewell: —Lexington: —Lynchburg: —Manassas: —Manassas Park: —Martinsville: —Newport News: —Norfolk: —Norton: —Petersburg: —Poquoson: —Portsmouth: —Radford: —Richmond: —Roanoke: —Salem: —Staunton: —Suffolk: —Virginia Beach: —Waynesboro: —Williamsburg: —Winchester: —Union / prevailing package, $/hrn/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
AmeliaSurvey SUVA2013-056 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260170
CarolineSurvey SUVA2013-028 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260015
Charles CitySurvey SUVA2013-056 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260170
ChesterfieldSurvey SUVA2013-031 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260017
DinwiddieSurvey SUVA2013-033 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260019
GoochlandSurvey SUVA2013-056 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260170
HanoverSurvey SUVA2013-056 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260170
HenricoSurvey SUVA2013-038 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260155
King WilliamSurvey SUVA2013-056 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260170
New KentSurvey SUVA2013-056 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260170
PowhatanSurvey SUVA2013-056 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260170
Prince GeorgeSurvey SUVA2013-056 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260170
SussexSurvey SUVA2013-051 2016-01-11$20.60$2.93$23.53VA20260166

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

Is construction work growing in Virginia?

231.3kConstruction jobsVirginia, 2026-08
-1.4%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k19901995200020052010201520202025231kAug 2026
Construction employment in Virginia (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
Arlington County105$159,113$3,060
Manassas City388$118,692$2,283
Loudoun County3,600$107,623$2,070
Alexandria City340$100,711$1,937
Falls Church City118$86,056$1,655
Fairfax County3,273$84,525$1,625
Augusta County735$83,701$1,610
Fredericksburg City229$83,470$1,605
Prince William County2,607$83,251$1,601
Hanover County1,313$80,197$1,542
Norfolk City648$79,984$1,538
Fairfax City58$79,643$1,532

Keep comparing

HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Virginia

Questions this page answers

How much do hvac technicians make in Virginia?

The median hvac technician in Virginia earned $28.72 an hour ($59,730 a year) in May 2025, 2% below the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $23.03–$35.31; the top 10% earn more than $40.11.

Where does Virginia rank for hvac technician pay?

Virginia ranks 33rd of 51 states for hvac technician pay, with a median of $28.72 an hour, and 41st after adjusting for Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 101.1, US = 100).

What is the union hvac technician rate in Virginia?

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

How many hvac technicians work in Virginia?

BLS counted 14,690 hvac and refrigeration technicians in Virginia in May 2025, 3.6 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.36; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

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