HVAC technician salary in San Jose, CA
HVAC technicians in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara metro earn a median $39.45 an hour ($82,050 a year), 13% above the California median and 35% above the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $30.69–$51.26. San Jose ranks 2nd of 25 metros in California and 4th of 385 US metros, in the top tenth.
$39.45
Median hourly pay
13% above California
$82,050
Median annual pay
$74,307 at US prices
2nd of 25
Among California metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in San Jose, California and the US
BLS counts 1,740 HVAC mechanics and installers in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.4 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($65.70 against $27.49 an hour). The average, $43.89, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up. HVAC techs are a thinner slice of the workforce here: 1.5 per 1,000 jobs, 42% under the national share.
| Percentile | San Jose | California | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $27.49 | $22.57 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $30.69 | $28.02 | $23.25 |
| Median | $39.45 | $34.88 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $51.26 | $43.65 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $65.70 | $52.44 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where San Jose ranks
At $39.45, San Jose is 2nd of 25 metros in California and 4th of 385 US metros, in the top tenth. Nearest in pay elsewhere in California: Napa ($40.66), Santa Rosa-Petaluma ($38.23) and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara ($37.81). 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 San Jose
A tech at the San Jose median earns $39.45 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $152 here ($101–$202), 35% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $152 billed, about $39 is the technician's wage and $113 covers the shop's overhead and margin, $13 more than across California ($99).
Take a typical San Jose AC repair at $490: about $328 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $85.
- AC repair cost in San Jose: typical $490, of which $328 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in San Jose: typical $450, of which $339 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in San Jose: typical $510, of which $327 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in San Jose: typical $220, of which $220 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in San Jose.
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 $3,658 of the $82,050 median, leaving $78,392, or 96% of gross.
Prices in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara area run 10% above the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), which trims the median's buying power to about $74,307 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 San Jose
Next to HVAC techs in San Jose, electricians earn $4.32 more an hour and plumbers earn $12.26 more an hour. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed. The median worker in San Jose, across every occupation, earns $40.41 an hour, 2% more than HVAC techs here.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (San Jose) | $39.45 | — |
| Electricians | $43.77 | +$4.32 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $51.71 | +$12.26 |
| Sheet metal workers | $52.54 | +$13.09 |
| Home appliance repairers | $29.61 | −$9.84 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $30.39 | −$9.06 |
| All occupations | $40.41 | +$0.96 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in San Jose?
A median $39.45 an hour, or $82,050 a year, across 1,740 jobs in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $30.69–$51.26; the top tenth over $65.70.
Do HVAC techs earn more in San Jose than elsewhere in California?
Yes. The San Jose median of $39.45 is 13% above the California figure of $34.88, making it 2nd of 25 metros in California.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in San Jose?
About $152 in our price model ($101–$202), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in San Jose runs $490, $328 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in San Jose compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $4.32 more an hour and plumbers earn $12.26 more an hour than HVAC techs' $39.45 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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