HVAC technician salary in Detroit, MI
HVAC technicians in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn metro earn a median $30.37 an hour ($63,170 a year), 4% above the Michigan median and 4% above the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $23.19–$38.84. Detroit ranks 2nd of 15 metros in Michigan and 92nd of 385 US metros.
$30.37
Median hourly pay
4% above Michigan
$63,170
Median annual pay
$62,981 at US prices
2nd of 15
Among Michigan metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Detroit, Michigan and the US
BLS counts 5,740 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.2 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($45.97 against $20.60 an hour). The average, $32.06, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up. That is 3.0 per 1,000 jobs, close to the national share.
| Percentile | Detroit | Michigan | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $20.60 | $19.33 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $23.19 | $23.09 | $23.25 |
| Median | $30.37 | $29.26 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $38.84 | $37.40 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $45.97 | $45.81 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Detroit ranks
At $30.37, Detroit is 2nd of 15 metros in Michigan and 92nd of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in Michigan: Ann Arbor ($36.06), Kalamazoo-Portage ($29.46) and Jackson ($29.43). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the Michigan HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in Michigan.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Detroit
A tech at the Detroit median earns $30.37 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, $3 more than across Michigan ($84).
Take a typical Detroit AC repair at $410: about $256 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 Detroit: typical $410, of which $256 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Detroit: typical $360, of which $257 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Detroit: typical $430, of which $256 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Detroit: typical $170, of which $170 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Detroit.
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
Michigan's flat 4.25% income tax, after a $5,600 standard deduction, takes about $2,447 of the $63,170 median and leaves $60,723.
Prices in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn area sit within 3% of the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the median buys about what it says: $62,981 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 Detroit
Next to HVAC techs in Detroit, electricians earn $9.05 more an hour and plumbers earn $11.16 more an hour. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Detroit, across every occupation, earns $25.04 an hour, so HVAC pays 21% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Detroit) | $30.37 | — |
| Electricians | $39.42 | +$9.05 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $41.53 | +$11.16 |
| Sheet metal workers | $36.12 | +$5.75 |
| Home appliance repairers | $26.94 | −$3.43 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $23.26 | −$7.11 |
| All occupations | $25.04 | −$5.33 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Detroit?
A median $30.37 an hour, or $63,170 a year, across 5,740 jobs in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $23.19–$38.84; the top tenth over $45.97.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Detroit than elsewhere in Michigan?
Yes. The Detroit median of $30.37 is 4% above the Michigan figure of $29.26, making it 2nd of 15 metros in Michigan.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Detroit?
About $117 in our price model ($78–$155), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Detroit runs $410, $256 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Detroit compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $9.05 more an hour and plumbers earn $11.16 more an hour than HVAC techs' $30.37 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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