HVAC technician salary in Riverside, CA
HVAC technicians in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro earn a median $30.92 an hour ($64,300 a year), 11% below the California median and 5% above the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $24.99–$37.65. Riverside ranks 19th of 25 metros in California and 82nd of 385 US metros.
$30.92
Median hourly pay
11% below California
$64,300
Median annual pay
$60,410 at US prices
19th of 25
Among California metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Riverside, California and the US
BLS counts 4,820 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.1 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($46.11 against $22.48 an hour). The average, $33.01, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up. That is 2.8 per 1,000 jobs, close to the national share.
| Percentile | Riverside | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $22.48 | $22.57 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $24.99 | $28.02 | $23.25 |
| Median | $30.92 | $34.88 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $37.65 | $43.65 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $46.11 | $52.44 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Riverside ranks
At $30.92, Riverside is 19th of 25 metros in California and 82nd of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in California: Visalia ($31.24), Modesto ($31.13) and Merced ($30.79). 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 Riverside
A tech at the Riverside median earns $30.92 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $119 here ($79–$158), 5% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $119 billed, about $31 is the technician's wage and $88 covers the shop's overhead and margin, $11 less than across California ($99).
Take a typical Riverside AC repair at $410: about $255 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.1 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $66.
- AC repair cost in Riverside: typical $410, of which $255 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Riverside: typical $370, of which $263 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Riverside: typical $430, of which $255 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Riverside: typical $170, of which $170 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Riverside.
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 $2,161 of the $64,300 median, leaving $62,139, or 97% of gross.
Prices in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario area run 6% above the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), which trims the median's buying power to about $60,410 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 Riverside
Next to HVAC techs in Riverside, electricians earn $4.08 more an hour and plumbers earn about the same. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Riverside, across every occupation, earns $23.27 an hour, so HVAC pays 33% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Riverside) | $30.92 | — |
| Electricians | $35.00 | +$4.08 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $30.73 | −$0.19 |
| Sheet metal workers | $33.07 | +$2.15 |
| Home appliance repairers | $27.70 | −$3.22 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $25.75 | −$5.17 |
| All occupations | $23.27 | −$7.65 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Riverside?
A median $30.92 an hour, or $64,300 a year, across 4,820 jobs in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $24.99–$37.65; the top tenth over $46.11.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Riverside than elsewhere in California?
No. The Riverside median of $30.92 is 11% below the California figure of $34.88, making it 19th of 25 metros in California.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Riverside?
About $119 in our price model ($79–$158), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Riverside runs $410, $255 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Riverside compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $4.08 more an hour and plumbers earn about the same as HVAC techs' $30.92 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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