HVAC technician salary in Fresno, CA
HVAC technicians in the Fresno metro earn a median $30.09 an hour ($62,580 a year), 14% below the California median and 3% above the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $24.77–$38.40. Fresno ranks the lowest-paid of California's 25 metros and 109th of 385 US metros.
$30.09
Median hourly pay
14% below California
$62,580
Median annual pay
$61,257 at US prices
25th of 25
Among California metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Fresno, California and the US
BLS counts 1,300 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Fresno, CA metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.3 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($48.89 against $21.12 an hour). The average, $33.29, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up. That is 2.7 per 1,000 jobs, close to the national share.
| Percentile | Fresno | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $21.12 | $22.57 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $24.77 | $28.02 | $23.25 |
| Median | $30.09 | $34.88 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $38.40 | $43.65 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $48.89 | $52.44 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Fresno ranks
At $30.09, Fresno is the lowest-paid of California's 25 metros and 109th of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in California: Chico ($30.25), Yuba City ($30.22) and Hanford-Corcoran ($30.13). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the California HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in California.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Fresno
A tech at the Fresno median earns $30.09 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $116 here ($77–$154), 3% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $116 billed, about $30 is the technician's wage and $86 covers the shop's overhead and margin, $13 less than across California ($99).
Take a typical Fresno AC repair at $410: about $249 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.1 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $65.
- AC repair cost in Fresno: typical $410, of which $249 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Fresno: typical $370, of which $259 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Fresno: typical $430, of which $248 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Fresno: typical $160, of which $160 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Fresno.
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).
Take-home and cost of living
California's graduated income tax (top rate 12.3%) takes about $2,023 of the $62,580 median, leaving $60,557, or 97% of gross.
Prices in the Fresno area sit within 3% of the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the median buys about what it says: $61,257 in national terms.
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 Fresno
Next to HVAC techs in Fresno, electricians earn $4.39 more an hour and plumbers earn $0.87 more an hour. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Fresno, across every occupation, earns $22.55 an hour, so HVAC pays 33% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Fresno) | $30.09 | — |
| Electricians | $34.48 | +$4.39 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $30.96 | +$0.87 |
| Sheet metal workers | $35.51 | +$5.42 |
| Home appliance repairers | $27.01 | −$3.08 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $24.73 | −$5.36 |
| All occupations | $22.55 | −$7.54 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Fresno?
A median $30.09 an hour, or $62,580 a year, across 1,300 jobs in the Fresno, CA metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $24.77–$38.40; the top tenth over $48.89.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Fresno than elsewhere in California?
No. The Fresno median of $30.09 is 14% below the California figure of $34.88, making it the lowest-paid of California's 25 metros.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Fresno?
About $116 in our price model ($77–$154), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Fresno runs $410, $249 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Fresno compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $4.39 more an hour and plumbers earn $0.87 more an hour than HVAC techs' $30.09 median.
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)
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