HVAC Technician Salary - Southwest
Sustained construction growth across four 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.
The Southwest is a high-volume HVAC market driven by climate and construction growth. Texas employs over 34,000 HVAC mechanics, and Arizona at over 10,000 reflects the Phoenix metro boom. However wages across the region cluster below the national median of $61,010. The hot climate creates year-round cooling demand that keeps employment stable.
The Southwest is predominantly non-union territory for HVAC work. Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, and New Mexico are all right-to-work states with limited UA HVAC market share outside major metros. Non-union residential and light commercial HVAC service is common. Industrial HVAC and process cooling work in Texas refineries and petrochemical facilities is more likely to involve union contractors.
The Southwest offers below-average cost of living except Arizona. Oklahoma at 83.5 and Texas at 90.7 are well below the national average. New Mexico sits at 89.9. Arizona at 107.6 is the outlier. Texas and Oklahoma have steady HVAC work in the region.
- →Year-round cooling demand across the desert Southwest creating consistent residential and commercial HVAC service work
- →Massive residential and commercial construction across Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth metros
- →Semiconductor fabrication plant HVAC and cleanroom systems in Arizona: TSMC and Intel facilities require precision environmental control
- →Data center HVAC and cooling systems across Dallas and Phoenix
- →Industrial process cooling and HVAC in Texas petrochemical and refinery facilities
The Southwest offers steady work. Arizona's semiconductor and data center construction has drawn HVAC contractors from across the country, with controls and precision HVAC specialists in particular demand in the Phoenix metro. Check RoadDog Jobs and Where2Bro for current Arizona and Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $59,400 -$1,610 vs. national | 107.6 | $55,204 -$5,806 vs. national |
| Texas | $57,760 -$3,250 vs. national | 90.7 | $63,682 +$2,672 vs. national |
| Oklahoma | $57,560 -$3,450 vs. national | 83.5 | $68,934 +$7,924 vs. national |
| New Mexico | $50,270 -$10,740 vs. national | 89.9 | $55,918 -$5,092 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.