HVAC technician salary in Tampa, FL
HVAC technicians in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro earn a median $24.30 an hour ($50,540 a year), 11% below the Florida median and 17% below the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $22.47–$29.72. Tampa ranks 16th of 22 metros in Florida and 315th of 385 US metros.
$24.30
Median hourly pay
11% below Florida
$50,540
Median annual pay
$50,094 at US prices
16th of 22
Among Florida metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Tampa, Florida and the US
BLS counts 6,090 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 1.9 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($36.20 against $19.05 an hour). The average, $26.89, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up. HVAC work is unusually common here: 4.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 60% above the national share.
| Percentile | Tampa | Florida | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $19.05 | $18.45 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $22.47 | $22.51 | $23.25 |
| Median | $24.30 | $27.24 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $29.72 | $30.59 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $36.20 | $37.60 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Tampa ranks
At $24.30, Tampa is 16th of 22 metros in Florida and 315th of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in Florida: Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford ($24.74), Wildwood-The Villages ($24.62) and Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor ($24.26). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the Florida HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in Florida.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Tampa
A tech at the Tampa median earns $24.30 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $94 here ($62–$124), 17% below the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much lower.
Of each $94 billed, about $24 is the technician's wage and $70 covers the shop's overhead and margin, $8 less than across Florida ($78).
Take a typical Tampa AC repair at $350: about $203 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $52.
- AC repair cost in Tampa: typical $350, of which $203 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Tampa: typical $310, of which $209 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Tampa: typical $370, of which $203 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Tampa: typical $130, of which $130 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Tampa.
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
Florida has no state income tax on wages, so the whole $50,540 median is still there before federal tax and FICA.
Prices in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater area sit within 3% of the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the median buys about what it says: $50,094 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 Tampa
Next to HVAC techs in Tampa, electricians earn $3.32 more an hour and plumbers earn $0.70 more an hour. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Tampa, across every occupation, earns $23.53 an hour, so HVAC pays 3% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Tampa) | $24.30 | — |
| Electricians | $27.62 | +$3.32 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $25.00 | +$0.70 |
| Sheet metal workers | $23.80 | −$0.50 |
| Home appliance repairers | $26.81 | +$2.51 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $22.12 | −$2.18 |
| All occupations | $23.53 | −$0.77 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Tampa?
A median $24.30 an hour, or $50,540 a year, across 6,090 jobs in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $22.47–$29.72; the top tenth over $36.20.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Tampa than elsewhere in Florida?
No. The Tampa median of $24.30 is 11% below the Florida figure of $27.24, making it 16th of 22 metros in Florida.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Tampa?
About $94 in our price model ($62–$124), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Tampa runs $350, $203 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Tampa compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $3.32 more an hour and plumbers earn $0.70 more an hour than HVAC techs' $24.30 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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