HVAC Technicians in the Houston area earn a median of $58,940 a year, 1% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #217 of 389 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Austin, but less in Beaumont.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for hvac technicians here is about average compared with other U.S. metros, and below average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.5%) and the population is growing faster than most (+10.3% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 7,987 one-person plumbing & HVAC contracting businesses averaging $74,123 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $74/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Houston scorecard for hvac technicians Our calculation
Grades compare Houston 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 Houston area went from $51,870 in 2020 to $58,940 in 2025, up 13.6%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -9.4% — 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 Houston Our calculation
Prices in Houston run 1% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $59,759 would in a typical place, ranking #265 of 385 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. 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.
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 Texas Official source
The main state licensing office in Texas is the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. Plumbers are licensed by the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners. It can point you to the right license for hvac technicians.
Official Texas 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 TX metros for hvac technicians
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| AustinTEXAS · TX | $60,820 | $62,019 | 3,140 |
| DallasTEXAS · TX | $59,560 | $57,775 | 10,910 |
| HoustonTEXAS · TX | $58,940 | $59,759 | 7,680 |
| San AntonioTEXAS · TX | $58,590 | $61,859 | 3,160 |
| OdessaTEXAS · TX | $58,580 | $62,388 | 160 |
| MidlandTEXAS · TX | $57,800 | $60,345 | 260 |
| BeaumontTEXAS · TX | $56,720 | $62,990 | 390 |
| ShermanTEXAS · TX | $56,330 | $60,072 | 170 |
| WacoTEXAS · TX | $55,860 | $60,357 | 440 |
| LongviewTEXAS · TX | $55,050 | $61,519 | 350 |
See every metro in Texas.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Houston area's unemployment rate was 4.5% in 2025 (all workers, not just hvac technicians), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Houston area is 31 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 25% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 72% drive alone, 2% take transit and 12% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Houston area's population grew 10.3% from 2020 to 2025 (7,169,284 → 7,904,627), ranking #35 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +517,047) account for most of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Houston
The Houston area has about 3,044,006 homes. 29% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is newer than most; 27% were built in 2010 or later. 61% of households own their home, and the median home value is $327,400.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Houston are down 6% from 2021 to 2025 (69,263 → 65,075).
In 2025 the Houston area approved permits for 65,075 new homes (46,219 single-family), or 8.7 per 1,000 residents, ranking #39 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 7,987 one-person businesses (no employees) in plumbing & HVAC contracting, averaging $74,123 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 1,909 plumbing & HVAC contracting companies that have employees (about 25,783 workers in total). 57% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $58,940 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. 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 Houston with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.