HVAC Technician Salary - Midwest
Industrial and manufacturing base with established building trades
The federal wage data on this page covers heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, work that is largely service, maintenance, and residential installation. The union scale shown is journeyman pipefitter, which covers refrigerant, chilled water, and hydronic piping on commercial construction and falls under a different federal occupation code than the wage data above. Duct fabrication and installation is sheet metal work, represented by a separate union called SMART (the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers), and is not reflected in either figure.
Wage figures on this page reflect all HVAC technicians counted by the BLS, across union and non-union work, residential and commercial, apprentice through master. The BLS does not publish a separate journey-level tier. State figures are medians: half of workers earn more, half earn less.
Illinois carries a median of $77,410 for HVAC technicians. Minnesota at $76,350, Wisconsin at $61,710, and Michigan at $60,850 round out the region. The industrial base creates consistent demand for process cooling and industrial HVAC systems.
UA and Sheet Metal Workers locals operate across the Midwest's major markets. Chicago has UA and Sheet Metal Workers HVAC locals. Minneapolis, Detroit, and Milwaukee all have active UA HVAC programs. The industrial sector adds an important layer: manufacturing facilities across Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan employ significant numbers of industrial HVAC and refrigeration mechanics. Outside the major metros union density drops.
The Midwest has a low cost of living for HVAC technicians. Illinois posts a COL index of 95.1 against a $77,410 median. Minnesota's COL index of 93.4 sits against a $76,350 median. Michigan sits at 93.9 and Wisconsin at 97.4, both below-average cost of living. Iowa at 88.6 and Kansas at 87.6 round out the region, with wages near the national median of $61,010.
- →Industrial process cooling and HVAC systems across the manufacturing corridor in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan
- →Commercial office and data center HVAC in the Chicago metro
- →EV battery and advanced manufacturing facility HVAC and process cooling systems
- →Building automation and controls upgrades across the region's commercial building stock
- →Cold storage and food processing facility refrigeration across agricultural Midwest states
Chicago is a destination for traveling HVAC journeymen. Commercial HVAC work runs consistently on major projects. Controls and BAS specialists are in high demand across the region's commercial market. The industrial corridor creates consistent demand for process cooling specialists. Check RoadDog Jobs and Where2Bro for current Chicago and Midwest industrial openings.
Effective wage adjusts the BLS median for cost of living: what a paycheck buys relative to the national median.
| State | Median Annual | COL Index | Effective Wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $77,410 +$16,400 vs. national | 95.1 | $81,399 +$20,389 vs. national |
| Minnesota | $76,350 +$15,340 vs. national | 93.4 | $81,745 +$20,735 vs. national |
| North Dakota | $74,490 +$13,480 vs. national | 90.7 | $82,128 +$21,118 vs. national |
| Ohio | $62,510 +$1,500 vs. national | 93.7 | $66,713 +$5,703 vs. national |
| Wisconsin | $61,710 +$700 vs. national | 97.4 | $63,357 +$2,347 vs. national |
| South Dakota | $61,390 +$380 vs. national | 94.1 | $65,239 +$4,229 vs. national |
| Michigan | $60,850 -$160 vs. national | 93.9 | $64,803 +$3,793 vs. national |
| Iowa | $60,680 -$330 vs. national | 88.6 | $68,488 +$7,478 vs. national |
| Kansas | $60,460 -$550 vs. national | 87.6 | $69,018 +$8,008 vs. national |
| Indiana | $60,430 -$580 vs. national | 88.3 | $68,437 +$7,427 vs. national |
| Missouri | $59,950 -$1,060 vs. national | 88.6 | $67,664 +$6,654 vs. national |
| Nebraska | $59,850 -$1,160 vs. national | 91.3 | $65,553 +$4,543 vs. national |
Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 - HVAC Technicians - Cross-Industry, All Ownership
Cost of living data provided by the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center (MERIC). The data has been modified for use from its original source, which is the State of Missouri. THE STATE OF MISSOURI MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTY AS TO THE COMPLETENESS, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, OR CONTENT OF ANY DATA MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THIS SITE. THE STATE OF MISSOURI EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Data is subject to change as modifications and updates are complete. Use at your own risk.