HVAC Technician Salary - Pacific Coast
High-cost coastal markets with significant employment volume
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.
The Pacific Coast is a high-paying region for HVAC technicians. Washington carries a median of $75,660, California $72,560, and Oregon $62,940. UA and Sheet Metal Workers presence, dense commercial construction, and a growing controls and building automation market support wages across the region.
UA and Sheet Metal Workers locals install commercial HVAC across the Pacific Coast. California is mixed, heavily unionized in major metros, less so in rural markets. Controls and BAS specialists are in demand across the region's commercial market. Alaska and Hawaii maintain union contracts driven by cost of living and project complexity.
Cost of living on the Pacific Coast is high. Washington sits at 114.6 and California at 140.5. Oregon at 109.6 is more moderate. Alaska at 129.0 and Hawaii at 184.8 present extreme dynamics. Travelers should run the numbers carefully.
- →Data center HVAC and precision cooling systems in the Pacific Northwest
- →Semiconductor and high-tech manufacturing facility HVAC and cleanroom systems in Oregon and Washington
- →Commercial office and mixed-use construction HVAC across Seattle, Portland, and the Bay Area
- →Building automation and energy efficiency upgrades driven by state energy codes across California, Oregon, and Washington
- →Cannabis cultivation facility HVAC: a growing niche in California, Oregon, and Washington
The Pacific Coast offers work for traveling HVAC journeymen. Washington and Oregon UA locals actively recruit travelers for major commercial and industrial projects. Controls and BAS specialists are in particularly high demand across the region. California's size means opportunities vary. Check RoadDog Jobs and Where2Bro before making the trip.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | $77,430 +$16,420 vs. national | 129.0 | $60,023 -$987 vs. national |
| Washington | $75,660 +$14,650 vs. national | 114.6 | $66,021 +$5,011 vs. national |
| California | $72,560 +$11,550 vs. national | 140.5 | $51,644 -$9,366 vs. national |
| Hawaii | $65,450 +$4,440 vs. national | 184.8 | $35,417 -$25,593 vs. national |
| Oregon | $62,940 +$1,930 vs. national | 109.6 | $57,427 -$3,583 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.