HVAC technician salary in Delaware
HVAC technicians in Delaware earn a median $29.96 an hour ($62,320 a year), 2% above the US median of $29.33 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Most earn between $21.64 and $46.93. That ranks Delaware 21st of the 50 states and DC by median pay.
$29.96
Median hourly pay
2% above the US
$62,320
Median annual pay
$59,428 after state income tax
1,730
HVAC techs employed
3.6 per 1,000 jobs
Pay in Delaware, from entry level to the top
BLS counts 1,730 HVAC mechanics and installers on Delaware payrolls. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.2 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($46.93 against $21.64 an hour). The average, $31.80, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | US hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $21.64 | $45,000 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $25.51 | $53,060 | $23.25 |
| Median | $29.96 | $62,320 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $36.89 | $76,740 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $46.93 | $97,600 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Annual pay is hourly × 2,080 hours.
How Delaware compares
The $29.96 median is 2% above the national figure and ranks 21st of the 50 states and DC. HVAC work is unusually common here: 3.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 35% above the national share. The median worker in Delaware, across every occupation, earns $25.09 an hour, so HVAC pays 19% more than the local norm. See every state on the US HVAC technician salary page.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Across Delaware's metro areas
Dover is the only Delaware metro with its own BLS estimate ($28.76 an hour). Outside the metros, the nonmetropolitan area reports $28.53.
| Area | Median hourly | HVAC techs |
|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | $28.76 | 180 |
| Sussex Delaware nonmetropolitan area | $28.53 | 500 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Areas with fewer than 100 techs are rough estimates.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Delaware
A tech at the Delaware median earns $29.96 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $115 here ($77–$153), 2% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $115 billed, about $30 is the technician's wage. The other $85 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 Delaware AC repair at $400: about $251 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $65.
- AC repair cost in Delaware: typical $400, of which $251 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Delaware: typical $360, of which $258 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Delaware: typical $420, of which $251 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Delaware: typical $160, of which $160 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Delaware.
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
Delaware's graduated income tax (top rate 6.6%) takes about $2,892 of the $62,320 median, leaving $59,428, or 95% of gross. That leaves Delaware 24th of 51 after state tax.
Prices in Delaware sit within 3% of the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the median buys about what it says: $62,439 in national terms. On that measure Delaware ranks 32nd 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 Delaware
Next to HVAC techs in Delaware, electricians earn $0.67 more an hour and plumbers earn $1.15 more an hour. HVAC out-earns three of the five related trades listed.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Delaware) | $29.96 | — |
| Electricians | $30.63 | +$0.67 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $31.11 | +$1.15 |
| Sheet metal workers | $29.55 | −$0.41 |
| Home appliance repairers | $25.67 | −$4.29 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $24.11 | −$5.85 |
| All occupations | $25.09 | −$4.87 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing and training in Delaware
Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners licenses HVAC contractors across Delaware; the relevant classes are Master HVACR; Master HVACR Restricted; Journeyperson HVACR.
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 Delaware.
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 Delaware?
A median $29.96 an hour, or $62,320 a year, across 1,730 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The lowest-paid tenth earn under $21.64 and the top tenth over $46.93.
How much HVAC pay is left after Delaware income tax?
Delaware's graduated income tax (top rate 6.6%) takes about $2,892 of the $62,320 median, leaving $59,428, 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 Delaware?
Contractors do. Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners licenses HVAC contractors across Delaware; the relevant classes are Master HVACR; Master HVACR Restricted; Journeyperson HVACR. Anyone handling refrigerant also needs EPA Section 608 certification.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Delaware?
About $115 in our price model ($77–$153), which scales national billable rates by Delaware HVAC wages. A typical AC repair here runs $400, $251 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)
- Delaware Division of Professional Regulation, Board of Plumbing, Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Examiners: license lookup
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