HVAC Technicians in the Grand Rapids area earn a median of $60,190 a year, 1% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #181 of 389 metros for HVAC technicians nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Kalamazoo and Lansing, but less in Muskegon.
It's one of 15 Michigan metros with published pay for this trade; see HVAC technician pay in Michigan.
HVAC Technician pay in Grand Rapids at a glance
- Hvac technicians in the Grand Rapids, MI metro earn a median $60,190 a year ($28.94 an hour), #181 of 389 U.S. metros (BLS, May 2025).
- The middle 80% earn between $43,710 and $94,590.
- After local prices, that median buys what $62,996 would in a typical U.S. place (BEA, 2024).
- A typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,300 a month, 26% of the median pay (HUD, FY2027).
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among HVAC technicians in Grand Rapids.
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What this means Our calculation
Pay for HVAC technicians here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and also about average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.4%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+2.8% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 392 one-person plumbing & HVAC contracting businesses averaging $81,885 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $75/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Grand Rapids scorecard for HVAC technicians Our calculation
Grades compare Grand Rapids with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($59,590).
Pay over time
The median pay for HVAC technicians in the Grand Rapids area went from $56,200 in 2020 to $60,190 in 2025, up 7.1%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -14.6% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Grand Rapids Our calculation
Prices in Grand Rapids run 4% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $62,996 would in a typical place, ranking #192 of 385 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a cost-of-living budget for Grand Rapids from this pay, local rent and prices.
What HVAC technicians do
Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.
- Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
- Repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring.
- Lay out and connect electrical wiring between controls and equipment, according to wiring diagrams, using electrician's hand tools.
- Schedule work with customers and initiate work orders, house requisitions, and orders from stock.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, HVAC technician jobs are projected to grow 10.9% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 40,600 openings a year. About 6% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often HVAC technicians deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in Michigan Official source
The main state licensing office in Michigan is the LARA Bureau of Construction Codes. It can point you to the right license for HVAC technicians.
Official Michigan licensing site ↗
Requirements for HVAC technicians vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, HVAC technicians have 214 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 2.5× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying MI metros for HVAC technicians
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann ArborMICHIGAN · MI | $75,000 | $74,346 | 460 |
| DetroitMICHIGAN · MI | $63,170 | $62,982 | 5,740 |
| KalamazooMICHIGAN · MI | $61,270 | $64,604 | 430 |
| JacksonMICHIGAN · MI | $61,220 | $66,704 | 110 |
| Traverse CityMICHIGAN · MI | $60,590 | $64,891 | 210 |
| LansingMICHIGAN · MI | $60,440 | $63,627 | 490 |
| Grand RapidsMICHIGAN · MI | $60,190 | $62,996 | 1,920 |
| Bay CityMICHIGAN · MI | $60,170 | $65,458 | 70 |
| Battle CreekMICHIGAN · MI | $60,100 | $66,379 | 130 |
| SaginawMICHIGAN · MI | $60,060 | $66,079 | 210 |
See every metro in Michigan.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Grand Rapids area's unemployment rate was 4.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just HVAC technicians), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 4.5% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Grand Rapids area is 22 minutes each way, shorter than the typical metro (24 min). 8% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 76% drive alone, 1% take transit and 11% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Grand Rapids area's population grew 2.8% from 2020 to 2025 (1,151,530 → 1,183,645), ranking #182 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +16,638) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Grand Rapids
The Grand Rapids area has about 475,009 homes. 51% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 12% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 75% of households own their home, and the median home value is $316,600.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Grand Rapids are up 15% from 2021 to 2025 (3,705 → 4,267).
In 2025 the Grand Rapids area approved permits for 4,267 new homes (2,558 single-family), or 3.7 per 1,000 residents, ranking #181 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 392 one-person businesses (no employees) in plumbing & HVAC contracting, averaging $81,885 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Grand Rapids compares among the best cities to start a HVAC technician business.
They compete with 345 plumbing & HVAC contracting companies that have employees (about 5,322 workers in total). 51% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Where to train near Grand Rapids Government data
1 school in or near Grand Rapids offers HVAC/R programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI · Public | Certificate | $11,744 | 17 | — |
| Grand Rapids Community College Grand Rapids, MI · Public | Associate degree | $11,744 | 13 | — |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $60,190 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get HVAC technician pricing & estimate templates →Compare Grand Rapids with another city →
Keep exploring
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ToolBest cities for HVAC techniciansRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in Grand RapidsSee where it falls among local HVAC technicians, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolGrand Rapids budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Grand Rapids metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Grand Rapids against every other metro for HVAC technicians. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.