HVAC technician salary in Illinois
HVAC technicians in Illinois earn a median $37.21 an hour ($77,410 a year), 27% above the US median of $29.33 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Most earn between $22.45 and $56.51. That ranks Illinois 3rd of the 50 states and DC, in the top ten by median pay; Peoria pays the most of its metros at $37.84.
$37.21
Median hourly pay
27% above the US
$77,410
Median annual pay
$73,716 after state income tax
9,740
HVAC techs employed
1.6 per 1,000 jobs
Pay in Illinois, from entry level to the top
BLS counts 9,740 HVAC mechanics and installers on Illinois payrolls. Pay is spread wide: the best-paid tenth earn at least 2.5 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($56.51 against $22.45 an hour). The average, $37.29, is close to the median, so a few high earners don't skew the picture.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | US hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $22.45 | $46,690 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $28.94 | $60,200 | $23.25 |
| Median | $37.21 | $77,410 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $46.17 | $96,030 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $56.51 | $117,550 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Annual pay is hourly × 2,080 hours.
How Illinois compares
The $37.21 median is 27% above the national figure and ranks 3rd of the 50 states and DC, in the top ten. HVAC techs are a thinner slice of the workforce here: 1.6 per 1,000 jobs, 39% under the national share. The median worker in Illinois, across every occupation, earns $24.98 an hour, so HVAC pays 49% more than the local norm. See every state on the US HVAC technician salary page.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Across Illinois's metro areas
Peoria pays the most ($37.84 an hour) and Kankakee the least ($30.08), a gap of $7.76. Outside the metros, 4 nonmetropolitan areas report $32.02, $29.41, $29.17 and $28.57. The metro with its own salary page is linked.
| Area | Median hourly | HVAC techs |
|---|---|---|
| Peoria, IL | $37.84 | 370 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $37.48 | 7,210 |
| Decatur, IL | $37.39 | 90 |
| Rockford, IL | $36.09 | 190 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $36.00 | 240 |
| Springfield, IL | $34.00 | 110 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $32.02 | 230 |
| Bloomington, IL | $30.79 | 140 |
| Kankakee, IL | $30.08 | 50 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $29.41 | 260 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $29.17 | 420 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $28.57 | 250 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Areas with fewer than 100 techs are rough estimates.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Illinois
A tech at the Illinois median earns $37.21 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $143 here ($95–$190), 27% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $143 billed, about $37 is the technician's wage. The other $106 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 Illinois AC repair at $470: about $310 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $81.
- AC repair cost in Illinois: typical $470, of which $310 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Illinois: typical $430, of which $320 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Illinois: typical $490, of which $309 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Illinois: typical $200, of which $200 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Illinois.
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
Illinois's flat 4.95% income tax, after a $2,775 standard deduction, takes about $3,694 of the $77,410 median and leaves $73,716. That leaves Illinois 6th of 51 after state tax.
Prices in Illinois sit within 3% of the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the median buys about what it says: $77,441 in national terms. On that measure Illinois ranks 2nd 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 Illinois
Next to HVAC techs in Illinois, electricians earn $10.66 more an hour and plumbers earn $10.84 more an hour. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Illinois) | $37.21 | — |
| Electricians | $47.87 | +$10.66 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $48.05 | +$10.84 |
| Sheet metal workers | $41.65 | +$4.44 |
| Home appliance repairers | $27.34 | −$9.87 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $27.27 | −$9.94 |
| All occupations | $24.98 | −$12.23 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing and training in Illinois
Illinois has no statewide HVAC contractor license; cities and counties set their own rules (No state HVAC contractor license).
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 Illinois.
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 Illinois?
A median $37.21 an hour, or $77,410 a year, across 9,740 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The lowest-paid tenth earn under $22.45 and the top tenth over $56.51.
Where in Illinois do HVAC technicians earn the most?
Peoria has the highest median ($37.84 an hour) and Kankakee the lowest ($30.08), among the 8 Illinois metros with their own BLS estimate.
How much HVAC pay is left after Illinois income tax?
Illinois's flat 4.95% income tax, after a $2,775 standard deduction, takes about $3,694 of the $77,410 median and leaves $73,716. 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 Illinois?
Illinois has no statewide HVAC contractor license; cities and counties set their own rules (No state HVAC contractor license). Anyone handling refrigerant also needs EPA Section 608 certification.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Illinois?
About $143 in our price model ($95–$190), which scales national billable rates by Illinois HVAC wages. A typical AC repair here runs $470, $310 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)
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