HVAC Technician Salary - Southeast
Large employment base across twelve right-to-work states
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.
Florida employs over 39,000 HVAC mechanics in the Southeast, driven by the region's climate, massive residential construction, and tourism infrastructure. However wages across the Southeast cluster near or below the national median of $61,010. Right-to-work laws and non-union contractors are common across the Southeast.
UA union density for HVAC work is low across the Southeast. Non-union residential and light commercial HVAC service is common in the market. UA locals exist in major metros but market share is limited. The notable exception is industrial work. Process cooling, refrigeration, and HVAC systems in manufacturing facilities along the I-85 corridor and Gulf Coast are more likely to involve union contractors. Florida's tourism and resort market drives significant commercial HVAC work, some of which is union.
The Southeast has a low cost of living for HVAC technicians. Tennessee at 88.9, Georgia at 90.6, and most Southeast states are well below the national average. Florida at 100.7 is near the national average. Wages across most of the region are below the national median.
- →Massive residential construction and replacement market across Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and the Carolinas
- →Tourism and resort HVAC infrastructure in Florida: hotels, theme parks, and convention centers
- →Manufacturing facility HVAC and process cooling across the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Georgia automotive corridor
- →Data center HVAC and cooling systems in Northern Virginia and Atlanta
- →Healthcare facility HVAC across major Southeast metros
The Southeast offers high work volume. Florida's commercial and resort HVAC market draws travelers in the region. Controls and BAS specialists are in demand in commercial markets across the region. Check RoadDog Jobs and Where2Bro for current commercial HVAC openings in Florida and Northern Virginia.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | $59,730 -$1,280 vs. national | 99.1 | $60,272 -$738 vs. national |
| Louisiana | $58,650 -$2,360 vs. national | 91.1 | $64,380 +$3,370 vs. national |
| Kentucky | $58,620 -$2,390 vs. national | 92.5 | $63,373 +$2,363 vs. national |
| North Carolina | $57,260 -$3,750 vs. national | 96.6 | $59,275 -$1,735 vs. national |
| Florida | $56,670 -$4,340 vs. national | 100.7 | $56,276 -$4,734 vs. national |
| South Carolina | $56,610 -$4,400 vs. national | 91.9 | $61,600 +$590 vs. national |
| Georgia | $56,390 -$4,620 vs. national | 90.6 | $62,241 +$1,231 vs. national |
| Tennessee | $55,490 -$5,520 vs. national | 88.9 | $62,418 +$1,408 vs. national |
| West Virginia | $48,850 -$12,160 vs. national | 87.9 | $55,575 -$5,435 vs. national |
| Mississippi | $48,680 -$12,330 vs. national | 86.2 | $56,473 -$4,537 vs. national |
| Alabama | $48,370 -$12,640 vs. national | 85.0 | $56,906 -$4,104 vs. national |
| Arkansas | $48,110 -$12,900 vs. national | 89.1 | $53,996 -$7,014 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.