How Much Do HVAC Techs Make? (Per Hour, Per Year)
6 min read·Updated June 2026
The short answer
Employed HVAC techs commonly earn $22 to $40 an hour, about $50,000 to $80,000 a year, and more with peak-season overtime. Self-employed techs billing flat-rate per repair frequently clear $90,000 to $150,000+.
Why flat-rate beats the clock
Billing flat-rate per repair instead of by the hour means getting faster raises your effective rate instead of shrinking the bill. Add maintenance contracts and the income becomes recurring rather than one call at a time.
Per year
- Apprentice: roughly $35,000 to $45,000.
- Experienced employed tech: roughly $55,000 to $80,000.
- Self-employed / owner: $90,000 to $150,000 and up.
How HVAC techs earn more
- Go independent and bill flat-rate per repair plus a diagnostic fee.
- Sell maintenance contracts for recurring income.
- Add install work, which is higher ticket than repairs.
- Stack certifications (EPA 608 and beyond) and capture emergency calls.
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