Statewide pay Government data
Hvac technicians in Montana earn a statewide median of $60,850 a year, 2% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #26 of 50 states and DC. About 1,230 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Montana
See all states on the HVAC technicians nationwide.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes HVAC technician pay for 5 Montana metros. The highest-paying is Bozeman at $72,970, followed by Helena and Billings.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BozemanMONTANA · MT | $72,970 | $71,183 | 210 |
| HelenaMONTANA · MT | $62,670 | $65,503 | 100 |
| BillingsMONTANA · MT | $62,240 | $66,548 | 300 |
| Great FallsMONTANA · MT | $60,670 | $62,646 | 150 |
| MissoulaMONTANA · MT | $60,240 | $62,460 | 180 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Pay outside the cities Government data
BLS also reports pay for Montana's rural (nonmetropolitan) regions.
BLS OEWS nonmetropolitan areas, May 2025.
The job (national)
Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 10.9% from 2025 to 2035, with about 40,600 openings a year. Typical training: long-term on-the-job training.
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.
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.
Registered apprenticeships Government data
Of HVAC technician apprentices in Montana who finished or left a registered program in fiscal years 2020–2024, 15% completed (U.S.: 52%), about 4 graduates a year. The typical program runs 8,000 hours, about 4 years of full-time work. Search open registered programs near you on the official Apprenticeship Finder.
U.S. Department of Labor, RAPIDS apprentice records (Completion Rate Analysis), FY2020–2024 exits.
Where to train in Montana Government data
3 schools in Montana offer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montana State University Bozeman, MT · Public | Associate degree | $26,943 | 7 | — |
| Flathead Valley Community College Kalispell, MT · Public | Certificate | $17,956 | 6 | — |
| Montana State University Bozeman, MT · Public | Certificate | $26,943 | 2 | — |
| The University of Montana Missoula, MT · Public | Certificate | $26,512 | 0 | — |
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.
Licensing in Montana Official source
The main state licensing office in Montana is the Montana Department of Labor and Industry (Business Standards). It can point you to the right license for HVAC technicians.
Official Montana licensing site ↗
Requirements for HVAC technicians vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 11.2% of wage and salary workers in Montana were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#19 of 51 states and D.C.), and 12.3% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only HVAC technicians.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Montana
All trades in Montana.