HVAC technician salary in Minnesota
HVAC technicians in Minnesota earn a median $36.71 an hour ($76,350 a year), 25% above the US median of $29.33 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Most earn between $23.18 and $48.09. That ranks Minnesota 6th of the 50 states and DC, in the top ten by median pay; Rochester pays the most of its metros at $37.26.
$36.71
Median hourly pay
25% above the US
$76,350
Median annual pay
$72,622 after state income tax
4,200
HVAC techs employed
1.4 per 1,000 jobs
Pay in Minnesota, from entry level to the top
BLS counts 4,200 HVAC mechanics and installers on Minnesota payrolls. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.1 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($48.09 against $23.18 an hour). The average, $35.57, sits below the median, held down by a long tail of lower-paid starters.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | US hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $23.18 | $48,220 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $28.30 | $58,860 | $23.25 |
| Median | $36.71 | $76,350 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $41.92 | $87,190 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $48.09 | $100,030 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Annual pay is hourly × 2,080 hours.
How Minnesota compares
The $36.71 median is 25% above the national figure and ranks 6th of the 50 states and DC, in the top ten. HVAC techs are a thinner slice of the workforce here: 1.4 per 1,000 jobs, 46% under the national share. The median worker in Minnesota, across every occupation, earns $27.36 an hour, so HVAC pays 34% more than the local norm. See every state on the US HVAC technician salary page.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Across Minnesota's metro areas
Rochester pays the most ($37.26 an hour) and St. Cloud the least ($35.78), a gap of $1.48. Outside the metros, 4 nonmetropolitan areas report $35.04, $34.00, $30.48 and $29.14. The metro with its own salary page is linked.
| Area | Median hourly | HVAC techs |
|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | $37.26 | 190 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $37.25 | 2,420 |
| Mankato, MN | $36.86 | 120 |
| Duluth, MN-WI | $36.40 | 170 |
| St. Cloud, MN | $35.78 | 250 |
| Southeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $35.04 | 260 |
| Northwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $34.00 | 410 |
| Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $30.48 | 80 |
| Southwest Minnesota nonmetropolitan area | $29.14 | 180 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Areas with fewer than 100 techs are rough estimates.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Minnesota
A tech at the Minnesota median earns $36.71 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $141 here ($94–$188), 25% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $141 billed, about $37 is the technician's wage. The other $104 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 Minnesota AC repair at $460: about $305 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $79.
- AC repair cost in Minnesota: typical $460, of which $305 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Minnesota: typical $420, of which $314 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Minnesota: typical $480, of which $305 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Minnesota: typical $200, of which $200 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Minnesota.
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
Minnesota's graduated income tax (top rate 9.85%) takes about $3,728 of the $76,350 median, leaving $72,622, or 95% of gross. That leaves Minnesota 9th of 51 after state tax.
Prices in Minnesota sit within 3% of the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the median buys about what it says: $77,418 in national terms. On that measure Minnesota ranks 3rd 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 Minnesota
Next to HVAC techs in Minnesota, electricians earn $0.87 more an hour and plumbers earn $8.68 more an hour. HVAC out-earns three of the five related trades listed.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Minnesota) | $36.71 | — |
| Electricians | $37.58 | +$0.87 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $45.39 | +$8.68 |
| Sheet metal workers | $35.08 | −$1.63 |
| Home appliance repairers | $29.50 | −$7.21 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $28.46 | −$8.25 |
| All occupations | $27.36 | −$9.35 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing and training in Minnesota
Minnesota has no statewide HVAC contractor license; cities and counties set their own rules (No state HVAC contractor license; mechanical contractor bond filed with DLI; high-pressure piping and plumbing licensed by state).
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 Minnesota.
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 Minnesota?
A median $36.71 an hour, or $76,350 a year, across 4,200 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The lowest-paid tenth earn under $23.18 and the top tenth over $48.09.
Where in Minnesota do HVAC technicians earn the most?
Rochester has the highest median ($37.26 an hour) and St. Cloud the lowest ($35.78), among the 5 Minnesota metros with their own BLS estimate.
How much HVAC pay is left after Minnesota income tax?
Minnesota's graduated income tax (top rate 9.85%) takes about $3,728 of the $76,350 median, leaving $72,622, or 95% of gross. 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 Minnesota?
Minnesota has no statewide HVAC contractor license; cities and counties set their own rules (No state HVAC contractor license; mechanical contractor bond filed with DLI; high-pressure piping and plumbing licensed by state). Anyone handling refrigerant also needs EPA Section 608 certification.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Minnesota?
About $141 in our price model ($94–$188), which scales national billable rates by Minnesota HVAC wages. A typical AC repair here runs $460, $305 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)
- local (cities such as Minneapolis and St. Paul) plus Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry for bonds and gas/pipefitting: license lookup
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