HVAC technician salary in Colorado
HVAC technicians in Colorado earn a median $31.35 an hour ($65,200 a year), 7% above the US median of $29.33 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Most earn between $23.18 and $49.83. That ranks Colorado 16th of the 50 states and DC by median pay; Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays the most of its metros at $34.41.
$31.35
Median hourly pay
7% above the US
$65,200
Median annual pay
$63,050 after state income tax
8,940
HVAC techs employed
3.1 per 1,000 jobs
Pay in Colorado, from entry level to the top
BLS counts 8,940 HVAC mechanics and installers on Colorado payrolls. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.1 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($49.83 against $23.18 an hour). The average, $34.29, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | US hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $23.18 | $48,220 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $27.91 | $58,050 | $23.25 |
| Median | $31.35 | $65,200 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $39.43 | $82,010 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $49.83 | $103,640 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Annual pay is hourly × 2,080 hours.
How Colorado compares
The $31.35 median is 7% above the national figure and ranks 16th of the 50 states and DC. HVAC work is unusually common here: 3.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 18% above the national share. The median worker in Colorado, across every occupation, earns $28.75 an hour, so HVAC pays 9% more than the local norm. See every state on the US HVAC technician salary page.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Across Colorado's metro areas
Denver-Aurora-Centennial pays the most ($34.41 an hour) and Pueblo the least ($28.42), a gap of $5.99. Outside the metros, 3 nonmetropolitan areas report $30.40, $29.30 and $29.30. The metro with its own salary page is linked.
| Area | Median hourly | HVAC techs |
|---|---|---|
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $34.41 | 4,360 |
| Boulder, CO | $34.17 | 340 |
| Fort Collins-Loveland, CO | $31.87 | 930 |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $30.40 | 940 |
| Greeley, CO | $29.82 | 410 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $29.55 | 950 |
| Eastern and Southern Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $29.30 | 140 |
| Southwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | $29.30 | 420 |
| Grand Junction, CO | $29.11 | 260 |
| Pueblo, CO | $28.42 | 160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Areas with fewer than 100 techs are rough estimates.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Colorado
A tech at the Colorado median earns $31.35 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $121 here ($80–$160), 7% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $121 billed, about $31 is the technician's wage. The other $90 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 Colorado AC repair at $410: about $259 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.1 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $67.
- AC repair cost in Colorado: typical $410, of which $259 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Colorado: typical $370, of which $267 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Colorado: typical $430, of which $259 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Colorado: typical $170, of which $170 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Colorado.
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
Colorado's flat 4.25% income tax, after a $14,600 standard deduction, takes about $2,150 of the $65,200 median and leaves $63,050. That leaves Colorado 15th of 51 after state tax.
Prices in Colorado run 3% above the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), which trims the median's buying power to about $63,270 in national terms. On that measure Colorado ranks 30th 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 Colorado
Next to HVAC techs in Colorado, electricians earn $1.43 less an hour and plumbers earn $0.95 less an hour. HVAC out-earns every other trade in the table.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Colorado) | $31.35 | — |
| Electricians | $29.92 | −$1.43 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $30.40 | −$0.95 |
| Sheet metal workers | $27.83 | −$3.52 |
| Home appliance repairers | $25.11 | −$6.24 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $24.65 | −$6.70 |
| All occupations | $28.75 | −$2.60 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing and training in Colorado
Colorado has no statewide HVAC contractor license; cities and counties set their own rules (No state HVAC license; Denver issues mechanical contractor licenses by class).
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 Colorado.
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 Colorado?
A median $31.35 an hour, or $65,200 a year, across 8,940 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The lowest-paid tenth earn under $23.18 and the top tenth over $49.83.
Where in Colorado do HVAC technicians earn the most?
Denver-Aurora-Centennial has the highest median ($34.41 an hour) and Pueblo the lowest ($28.42), among the 7 Colorado metros with their own BLS estimate.
How much HVAC pay is left after Colorado income tax?
Colorado's flat 4.25% income tax, after a $14,600 standard deduction, takes about $2,150 of the $65,200 median and leaves $63,050. 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 Colorado?
Colorado has no statewide HVAC contractor license; cities and counties set their own rules (No state HVAC license; Denver issues mechanical contractor licenses by class). Anyone handling refrigerant also needs EPA Section 608 certification.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Colorado?
About $121 in our price model ($80–$160), which scales national billable rates by Colorado HVAC wages. A typical AC repair here runs $410, $259 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)
- local (city/county; e.g., Denver Community Planning and Development): license lookup
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