HVAC technician salary in Alabama
HVAC technicians in Alabama earn a median $23.26 an hour ($48,370 a year), 21% below the US median of $29.33 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Most earn between $17.56 and $31.58. That ranks Alabama 50th of the 50 states and DC, in the bottom ten by median pay; Huntsville pays the most of its metros at $24.01.
$23.26
Median hourly pay
21% below the US
$48,370
Median annual pay
$46,142 after state income tax
8,260
HVAC techs employed
3.9 per 1,000 jobs
Pay in Alabama, from entry level to the top
BLS counts 8,260 HVAC mechanics and installers on Alabama payrolls. Pay is tightly bunched: even the best-paid tenth ($31.58 and up) earn under twice what the lowest-paid tenth do ($17.56). The average, $24.67, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | US hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $17.56 | $36,510 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $19.39 | $40,340 | $23.25 |
| Median | $23.26 | $48,370 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $28.86 | $60,020 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $31.58 | $65,690 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Annual pay is hourly × 2,080 hours.
How Alabama compares
The $23.26 median is 21% below the national figure and ranks 50th of the 50 states and DC, in the bottom ten. HVAC work is unusually common here: 3.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 48% above the national share. The median worker in Alabama, across every occupation, earns $21.96 an hour, so HVAC pays 6% more than the local norm. See every state on the US HVAC technician salary page.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Across Alabama's metro areas
Huntsville pays the most ($24.01 an hour) and Dothan the least ($22.22), a gap of $1.79. Outside the metros, 4 nonmetropolitan areas report $24.54, $23.27, $23.15 and $22.03. The metro with its own salary page is linked.
| Area | Median hourly | HVAC techs |
|---|---|---|
| Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $24.54 | 260 |
| Huntsville, AL | $24.01 | 770 |
| Gadsden, AL | $23.70 | 120 |
| Decatur, AL | $23.44 | 330 |
| Birmingham, AL | $23.43 | 2,370 |
| Montgomery, AL | $23.40 | 540 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $23.29 | 450 |
| Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $23.27 | 160 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | $23.16 | 260 |
| Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $23.15 | 360 |
| Mobile, AL | $23.06 | 820 |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | $22.97 | 130 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $22.54 | 540 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $22.38 | 250 |
| Dothan, AL | $22.22 | 250 |
| Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $22.03 | 240 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Areas with fewer than 100 techs are rough estimates.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Alabama
A tech at the Alabama median earns $23.26 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $90 here ($59–$119), 21% below the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much lower.
Of each $90 billed, about $23 is the technician's wage. The other $67 pays for payroll taxes and benefits, insurance, the truck and tools, drive and training time nobody is billed for, and the shop's margin.
Take a typical Alabama AC repair at $340: about $193 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.1 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $50.
- AC repair cost in Alabama: typical $340, of which $193 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Alabama: typical $300, of which $199 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Alabama: typical $360, of which $193 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Alabama: typical $130, of which $130 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Alabama.
Source: wages, BLS OEWS May 2025; billable rate, HomeGuide HVAC repair costs (2026) scaled by local HVAC wages; repair prices, HVACFIND Price Index 2026Q4.2 (model estimates for a 1,500–2,500 sq ft home).
After state tax and local prices
Alabama's graduated income tax (top rate 5%) takes about $2,228 of the $48,370 median, leaving $46,142, or 95% of gross. That leaves Alabama 51st of 51 after state tax.
Prices in Alabama run 11% below the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the $48,370 median buys what $54,458 would nationally. On that measure Alabama ranks 51st of 51.
Source: state income tax at 2026 rates, single filer, standard deduction; federal income tax, FICA and city taxes left out. Price parities: BEA, 2024.
Other trades in Alabama
Next to HVAC techs in Alabama, electricians earn $3.52 more an hour and plumbers earn $4.95 more an hour. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Alabama) | $23.26 | — |
| Electricians | $26.78 | +$3.52 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $28.21 | +$4.95 |
| Sheet metal workers | $22.85 | −$0.41 |
| Home appliance repairers | $24.13 | +$0.87 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $20.97 | −$2.29 |
| All occupations | $21.96 | −$1.30 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing and training in Alabama
Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors licenses HVAC contractors across Alabama; the relevant classes are HVACR contractor certification.
Refrigerant work also needs EPA Section 608 certification. BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award, usually a certificate from a trade school or community college program, as the typical way in, followed by long-term on-the-job training, which BLS defines as more than 12 months. No prior work experience is required. How to check an HVAC contractor's license in Alabama.
Source: HVACFIND licensing list, checked 2026-09-30 (confirm with the board before relying on it); BLS Employment Projections 2025–2035.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Alabama?
A median $23.26 an hour, or $48,370 a year, across 8,260 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The lowest-paid tenth earn under $17.56 and the top tenth over $31.58.
Where in Alabama do HVAC technicians earn the most?
Huntsville has the highest median ($24.01 an hour) and Dothan the lowest ($22.22), among the 12 Alabama metros with their own BLS estimate.
How much HVAC pay is left after Alabama income tax?
Alabama's graduated income tax (top rate 5%) takes about $2,228 of the $48,370 median, leaving $46,142, or 95% of gross. This uses 2026 rates for a single filer with the standard deduction; federal income tax and FICA are not included.
Do you need a license for HVAC work in Alabama?
Contractors do. Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors licenses HVAC contractors across Alabama; the relevant classes are HVACR contractor certification. Anyone handling refrigerant also needs EPA Section 608 certification.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Alabama?
About $90 in our price model ($59–$119), which scales national billable rates by Alabama HVAC wages. A typical AC repair here runs $340, $193 of it labor.
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: HVAC mechanics and installers (49-9021)
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035
- O*NET 31.0: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
- BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
- EPA Section 608 technician certification
- HomeGuide: HVAC repair cost and hourly rates (2026)
- Alabama Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors: license lookup
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