HVAC technician salary in Baltimore, MD
HVAC technicians in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metro earn a median $30.38 an hour ($63,180 a year), 10% below the Maryland median and 4% above the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $25.54–$40.84. Baltimore ranks the best-paid of Maryland's 4 metros and 91st of 385 US metros.
$30.38
Median hourly pay
10% below Maryland
$63,180
Median annual pay
$60,465 at US prices
1st of 4
Among Maryland metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Baltimore, Maryland and the US
BLS counts 3,960 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.3 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($49.67 against $21.65 an hour). The average, $33.87, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up. That is 2.9 per 1,000 jobs, close to the national share.
| Percentile | Baltimore | Maryland | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $21.65 | $22.20 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $25.54 | $27.06 | $23.25 |
| Median | $30.38 | $33.67 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $40.84 | $46.05 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $49.67 | $51.32 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Baltimore ranks
At $30.38, Baltimore is the best-paid of Maryland's 4 metros and 91st of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in Maryland: Lexington Park ($29.73), Salisbury ($29.43) and Hagerstown-Martinsburg ($28.08). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the Maryland HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in Maryland.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Baltimore
A tech at the Baltimore median earns $30.38 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $117 here ($78–$155), 4% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $117 billed, about $30 is the technician's wage and $87 covers the shop's overhead and margin, $10 less than across Maryland ($96).
Take a typical Baltimore AC repair at $410: about $253 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $66.
- AC repair cost in Baltimore: typical $410, of which $253 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Baltimore: typical $370, of which $261 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Baltimore: typical $430, of which $252 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Baltimore: typical $170, of which $170 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Baltimore.
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
Maryland's graduated income tax (top rate 5.75%) takes about $2,820 of the $63,180 median, leaving $60,360, or 96% of gross.
Prices in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson area run 4% above the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), which trims the median's buying power to about $60,465 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 Baltimore
Next to HVAC techs in Baltimore, electricians earn $1.16 more an hour and plumbers earn about the same. HVAC out-earns three of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Baltimore, across every occupation, earns $28.40 an hour, so HVAC pays 7% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Baltimore) | $30.38 | — |
| Electricians | $31.54 | +$1.16 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $30.38 | same |
| Sheet metal workers | $28.58 | −$1.80 |
| Home appliance repairers | $25.70 | −$4.68 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $25.05 | −$5.33 |
| All occupations | $28.40 | −$1.98 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Baltimore?
A median $30.38 an hour, or $63,180 a year, across 3,960 jobs in the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $25.54–$40.84; the top tenth over $49.67.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Baltimore than elsewhere in Maryland?
No. The Baltimore median of $30.38 is 10% below the Maryland figure of $33.67, making it the best-paid of Maryland's 4 metros.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Baltimore?
About $117 in our price model ($78–$155), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Baltimore runs $410, $253 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Baltimore compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $1.16 more an hour and plumbers earn about the same as HVAC techs' $30.38 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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