HVAC technician salary in Chicago, IL
HVAC technicians in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro earn a median $37.48 an hour ($77,960 a year), in line with the Illinois median and 28% above the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $29.35–$46.53. Chicago ranks 2nd of 8 metros in Illinois and 13th of 385 US metros, in the top tenth.
$37.48
Median hourly pay
in line with Illinois
$77,960
Median annual pay
$75,251 at US prices
2nd of 8
Among Illinois metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Chicago, Illinois and the US
BLS counts 7,210 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area. Pay is spread wide: the best-paid tenth earn at least 2.5 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($56.70 against $22.82 an hour). The average, $38.14, is close to the median, so a few high earners don't skew the picture. HVAC techs are a thinner slice of the workforce here: 1.6 per 1,000 jobs, 39% under the national share.
| Percentile | Chicago | Illinois | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $22.82 | $22.45 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $29.35 | $28.94 | $23.25 |
| Median | $37.48 | $37.21 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $46.53 | $46.17 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $56.70 | $56.51 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Chicago ranks
At $37.48, Chicago is 2nd of 8 metros in Illinois and 13th of 385 US metros, in the top tenth. Nearest in pay elsewhere in Illinois: Peoria ($37.84), Decatur ($37.39) and Rockford ($36.09). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the Illinois HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in Illinois.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Chicago
A tech at the Chicago median earns $37.48 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $144 here ($96–$192), 28% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $144 billed, about $37 is the technician's wage and $107 covers the shop's overhead and margin, the same as across Illinois.
Take a typical Chicago AC repair at $480: about $314 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $82.
- AC repair cost in Chicago: typical $480, of which $314 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Chicago: typical $430, of which $318 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Chicago: typical $500, of which $313 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Chicago: typical $200, of which $200 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Chicago.
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
Illinois's flat 4.95% income tax, after a $2,775 standard deduction, takes about $3,722 of the $77,960 median and leaves $74,238. The metro crosses into IN; the figure uses IL tax.
Prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area run 4% above the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), which trims the median's buying power to about $75,251 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 Chicago
Next to HVAC techs in Chicago, electricians earn $11.73 more an hour and plumbers earn $12.22 more an hour. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Chicago, across every occupation, earns $26.31 an hour, so HVAC pays 42% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Chicago) | $37.48 | — |
| Electricians | $49.21 | +$11.73 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $49.70 | +$12.22 |
| Sheet metal workers | $45.82 | +$8.34 |
| Home appliance repairers | $28.73 | −$8.75 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $27.90 | −$9.58 |
| All occupations | $26.31 | −$11.17 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Chicago?
A median $37.48 an hour, or $77,960 a year, across 7,210 jobs in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $29.35–$46.53; the top tenth over $56.70.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Chicago than elsewhere in Illinois?
About the same. The Chicago median of $37.48 is in line with the Illinois figure of $37.21, making it 2nd of 8 metros in Illinois.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Chicago?
About $144 in our price model ($96–$192), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Chicago runs $480, $314 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Chicago compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $11.73 more an hour and plumbers earn $12.22 more an hour than HVAC techs' $37.48 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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