HVAC technician salary in Indianapolis, IN
HVAC technicians in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood metro earn a median $29.89 an hour ($62,160 a year), 3% above the Indiana median and 2% above the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $24.03–$42.25. Indianapolis ranks 2nd of 12 metros in Indiana and 124th of 385 US metros.
$29.89
Median hourly pay
3% above Indiana
$62,160
Median annual pay
$64,953 at US prices
2nd of 12
Among Indiana metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Indianapolis, Indiana and the US
BLS counts 3,080 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.2 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($47.47 against $21.90 an hour). The average, $33.03, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up. That is 2.8 per 1,000 jobs, close to the national share.
| Percentile | Indianapolis | Indiana | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $21.90 | $19.45 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $24.03 | $23.33 | $23.25 |
| Median | $29.89 | $29.05 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $42.25 | $38.09 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $47.47 | $47.02 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Indianapolis ranks
At $29.89, Indianapolis is 2nd of 12 metros in Indiana and 124th of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in Indiana: Kokomo ($31.16), Lafayette-West Lafayette ($29.53) and Bloomington ($29.29). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the Indiana HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in Indiana.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Indianapolis
A tech at the Indianapolis median earns $29.89 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $115 here ($76–$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 and $85 covers the shop's overhead and margin, $2 more than across Indiana ($83).
Take a typical Indianapolis AC repair at $390: about $246 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.1 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $64.
- AC repair cost in Indianapolis: typical $390, of which $246 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Indianapolis: typical $350, of which $252 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Indianapolis: typical $410, of which $247 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Indianapolis: typical $160, of which $160 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Indianapolis.
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
Indiana's flat 3% income tax, after a $1,000 standard deduction, takes about $1,835 of the $62,160 median and leaves $60,325.
Prices in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood area run 4% below the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the $62,160 median buys what $64,953 would nationally.
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 Indianapolis
Next to HVAC techs in Indianapolis, electricians earn $1.42 more an hour and plumbers earn $7.12 more an hour. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Indianapolis, across every occupation, earns $23.72 an hour, so HVAC pays 26% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Indianapolis) | $29.89 | — |
| Electricians | $31.31 | +$1.42 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $37.01 | +$7.12 |
| Sheet metal workers | $31.66 | +$1.77 |
| Home appliance repairers | $23.99 | −$5.90 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $23.81 | −$6.08 |
| All occupations | $23.72 | −$6.17 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Indianapolis?
A median $29.89 an hour, or $62,160 a year, across 3,080 jobs in the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $24.03–$42.25; the top tenth over $47.47.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Indianapolis than elsewhere in Indiana?
Yes. The Indianapolis median of $29.89 is 3% above the Indiana figure of $29.05, making it 2nd of 12 metros in Indiana.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Indianapolis?
About $115 in our price model ($76–$153), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Indianapolis runs $390, $246 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Indianapolis compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $1.42 more an hour and plumbers earn $7.12 more an hour than HVAC techs' $29.89 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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