Which city is best for your HVAC career?
There is no single best city for every technician. Published wages and the size of the local workforce are useful starting points, but a move also depends on the work you want, living costs, licensing, travel, and the offers available now.
How this comparison works
The figures below come from the BLS May 2025 metro area tables for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (SOC 49-9021). These are selected metros with pages on this site, not a national ranking. Wages cover residential, commercial, and industrial work; employment counts workers, not job openings.
Selected metro benchmarks
Published BLS metro area |
Median hourly |
25th–75th hourly |
Employment |
Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN |
$37.48 |
$29.35–$46.53 |
7,210 |
|
Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI |
$37.25 |
$29.02–$44.55 |
2,420 |
|
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA |
$35.49 |
$27.99–$40.14 |
10,720 |
|
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV |
$34.58 |
$27.72–$42.90 |
8,730 |
|
Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO |
$34.41 |
$28.40–$43.46 |
4,360 |
|
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ |
$29.41 |
$22.80–$36.00 |
8,070 |
|
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX |
$28.63 |
$23.01–$35.71 |
10,910 |
|
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX |
$28.34 |
$22.61–$35.53 |
7,680 |
The BLS boundaries can include suburbs and cross state lines. A higher median does not automatically mean a better after-housing income or a better commercial offer.
What to compare in the actual job
Equipment and buildings
Decide whether you want service on rooftops, central plants, refrigeration, controls, or installation. Compare the building types and systems named in each posting.
Day-to-day travel
In a large metro, a job's service territory can matter as much as its pay rate. Check dispatch area, reporting location, vehicle policy, and overnight travel.
Total offer
Ask about on-call duty, overtime rules, benefits, training, union coverage, and licensing requirements. Use the posted base rate as the starting point for that conversation.
Browse all city job pages or try the salary estimator. Read our wage data methodology for the limits of OEWS estimates.