HVAC technician salary in West Virginia
Median $23.49 an hour for 1,690 HVAC technicians, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
HVAC technician pay in West Virginia: the full range
West Virginia ranks 48th of 51 states for median HVAC technician pay, and 49th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $26.25). 1,690 HVAC technicians work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.0× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $17.38 – $18.46 | $36,160 – $38,400 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $18.46 – $29.23 | $38,400 – $60,790 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $29.23 – $34.92 | $60,790 – $72,640 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
HVAC technician pay by metro in West Virginia
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington DC | $22.56 | $34.58 | $31.75 | $50.57 | 8,730 | 47% above |
| Hagerstown | $18.29 | $28.08 | $29.81 | $42.21 | 280 | 20% above |
| Weirton | $15.48 | $27.41 | $30.80 | $37.12 | 80 | 17% above |
| Wheeling | $17.55 | $27.04 | $30.62 | $37.43 | 100 | 15% above |
| Winchester | $18.77 | $27.04 | $28.02 | $34.87 | 200 | 15% above |
| Charleston | $17.93 | $24.76 | $27.91 | $38.50 | 350 | 5% above |
| Huntington | $17.20 | $23.49 | $26.57 | $35.29 | 360 | about the same as |
| Morgantown | $17.07 | $23.06 | $24.72 | $30.45 | 170 | 2% below |
| Parkersburg | $16.14 | $21.93 | $25.18 | $29.27 | 90 | 7% below |
| Beckley | $16.44 | $21.44 | $24.25 | $29.72 | 100 | 9% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
HVAC technician wages in West Virginia over time
Table
| Year | West Virginia $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $13.41 | $25.91 | $14.50 | 940 |
| 2000 | $15.13 | $28.29 | $15.76 | 1,480 |
| 2001 | $14.84 | $26.98 | $16.35 | 1,710 |
| 2002 | $14.33 | $25.64 | $16.78 | 1,320 |
| 2003 | $14.41 | $25.21 | $16.90 | 1,350 |
| 2004 | $12.96 | $22.09 | $17.43 | 1,530 |
| 2005 | $12.95 | $21.35 | $17.81 | 1,800 |
| 2006 | $12.93 | $20.65 | $18.11 | 1,680 |
| 2007 | $13.07 | $20.29 | $18.44 | 1,710 |
| 2008 | $13.29 | $19.87 | $19.08 | 1,560 |
| 2009 | $13.35 | $20.03 | $19.76 | 1,520 |
| 2010 | $14.66 | $21.64 | $20.45 | 1,290 |
| 2011 | $15.39 | $22.03 | $20.86 | 1,330 |
| 2012 | $15.71 | $22.03 | $20.98 | 1,300 |
| 2013 | $15.46 | $21.37 | $21.10 | 1,130 |
| 2014 | $15.42 | $20.97 | $21.46 | 1,360 |
| 2015 | $17.00 | $23.09 | $21.69 | 1,450 |
| 2016 | $16.46 | $22.08 | $22.07 | 1,790 |
| 2017 | $18.23 | $23.94 | $22.64 | 1,520 |
| 2018 | $18.09 | $23.19 | $22.89 | 1,400 |
| 2019 | $19.67 | $24.77 | $23.43 | 1,360 |
| 2020 | $19.63 | $24.42 | $24.32 | 1,610 |
| 2021 | $22.19 | $26.36 | $23.38 | 1,320 |
| 2022 | $21.00 | $23.10 | $24.71 | 1,660 |
| 2023 | $22.16 | $23.41 | $27.55 | 1,940 |
| 2024 | $22.13 | $22.71 | $28.75 | 1,450 |
| 2025 | $23.49 | $23.49 | $29.33 | 1,690 |
In today's dollars, the median HVAC technician wage in West Virginia changed by +1.7% over the last ten years of data and by -5.2% since 2019.
Are there more HVAC technician jobs in West Virginia?
BLS counted 1,690 HVAC technicians in West Virginia in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 8%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.
Outlook for HVAC technicians in West Virginia
West Virginia's labor market agency projects the number of HVAC technicians in the state to change by +16.8% between 2024 and 2034, from 1,740 to 2,030, with about 180 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +10.9% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 1,690 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: West Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections.
Is construction work growing in West Virginia?
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 38 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 14,371 in 2015 to 15,870 in 2025, +10.4%.
| County | Establishments | Employees | Average annual pay | Avg weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Putnam County | 27 | 412 | $99,715 | $1,918 |
| Kanawha County | 57 | 811 | $79,222 | $1,523 |
| Jackson County | 8 | 46 | $62,671 | $1,205 |
| Cabell County | 33 | 259 | $58,844 | $1,132 |
| Raleigh County | 20 | 223 | $56,817 | $1,093 |
| Mineral County | 4 | 21 | $56,610 | $1,089 |
| Berkeley County | 44 | 245 | $56,379 | $1,084 |
| Jefferson County | 20 | 110 | $55,646 | $1,070 |
| Hampshire County | 9 | 37 | $51,233 | $985 |
| Harrison County | 18 | 129 | $49,430 | $951 |
| Greenbrier County | 14 | 39 | $48,399 | $931 |
| Taylor County | 4 | 15 | $48,101 | $925 |
| Preston County | 10 | 32 | $47,750 | $918 |
| Mercer County | 16 | 124 | $46,977 | $903 |
| Randolph County | 5 | 27 | $41,792 | $804 |
| Mason County | 6 | 24 | $39,128 | $752 |
| Hardy County | 4 | 8 | $37,312 | $718 |
| Fayette County | 6 | 26 | $35,841 | $689 |
Keep comparing
HVAC technician pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in West Virginia
More on West Virginia
Questions this page answers
How much do HVAC technicians make in West Virginia?
The median HVAC technician in West Virginia earned $23.49 an hour ($48,850 a year) in May 2025, 20% below the national median of $29.33. The middle half earn $18.46–$29.23; the top 10% earn more than $34.92.
Where does West Virginia rank for HVAC technician pay?
West Virginia ranks 48th of 51 states for HVAC technician pay, with a median of $23.49 an hour, and 49th after adjusting for West Virginia's cost of living (BEA price parity 89.5, US = 100).
What is the union HVAC technician rate in West Virginia?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a HVAC technician classification for most West Virginia counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many HVAC technicians work in West Virginia?
BLS counted 1,690 HVAC technicians in West Virginia in May 2025, 2.4 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.91; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is HVAC technician work growing in West Virginia?
West Virginia's labor market agency projects +16.8% growth for HVAC technicians between 2024 and 2034, from 1,740 to 2,030 jobs.
How many HVAC technician openings a year are there in West Virginia?
West Virginia projects about 180 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, West Virginia 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: West Virginia labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.