HVAC technician salary in Minneapolis, MN
HVAC technicians in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington metro earn a median $37.25 an hour ($77,490 a year), in line with the Minnesota median and 27% above the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $29.02–$44.55. Minneapolis ranks 2nd of 5 metros in Minnesota and 16th of 385 US metros, in the top tenth.
$37.25
Median hourly pay
in line with Minnesota
$77,490
Median annual pay
$73,927 at US prices
2nd of 5
Among Minnesota metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the US
BLS counts 2,420 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.1 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($48.39 against $23.39 an hour). The average, $36.67, is close to the median, so a few high earners don't skew the picture. HVAC techs are a thinner slice of the workforce here: 1.2 per 1,000 jobs, 53% under the national share.
| Percentile | Minneapolis | Minnesota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $23.39 | $23.18 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $29.02 | $28.30 | $23.25 |
| Median | $37.25 | $36.71 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $44.55 | $41.92 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $48.39 | $48.09 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Minneapolis ranks
At $37.25, Minneapolis is 2nd of 5 metros in Minnesota and 16th of 385 US metros, in the top tenth. Nearest in pay elsewhere in Minnesota: Rochester ($37.26), Mankato ($36.86) and Duluth ($36.40). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the Minnesota HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in Minnesota.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Minneapolis
A tech at the Minneapolis median earns $37.25 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $144 here ($95–$191), 27% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $144 billed, about $37 is the technician's wage and $107 covers the shop's overhead and margin, $2 more than across Minnesota ($104).
Take a typical Minneapolis AC repair at $470: about $311 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $80.
- AC repair cost in Minneapolis: typical $470, of which $311 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Minneapolis: typical $430, of which $321 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Minneapolis: typical $490, of which $310 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Minneapolis: typical $200, of which $200 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Minneapolis.
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
Minnesota's graduated income tax (top rate 9.85%) takes about $3,806 of the $77,490 median, leaving $73,684, or 95% of gross. The metro crosses into WI; the figure uses MN tax.
Prices in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington area run 5% above the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), which trims the median's buying power to about $73,927 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 Minneapolis
Next to HVAC techs in Minneapolis, electricians earn $2.12 more an hour and plumbers earn $11.61 more an hour. HVAC out-earns three of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Minneapolis, across every occupation, earns $28.52 an hour, so HVAC pays 31% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Minneapolis) | $37.25 | — |
| Electricians | $39.37 | +$2.12 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $48.86 | +$11.61 |
| Sheet metal workers | $35.08 | −$2.17 |
| Home appliance repairers | $29.52 | −$7.73 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $29.07 | −$8.18 |
| All occupations | $28.52 | −$8.73 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Minneapolis?
A median $37.25 an hour, or $77,490 a year, across 2,420 jobs in the Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $29.02–$44.55; the top tenth over $48.39.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Minneapolis than elsewhere in Minnesota?
About the same. The Minneapolis median of $37.25 is in line with the Minnesota figure of $36.71, making it 2nd of 5 metros in Minnesota.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Minneapolis?
About $144 in our price model ($95–$191), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Minneapolis runs $470, $311 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Minneapolis compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $2.12 more an hour and plumbers earn $11.61 more an hour than HVAC techs' $37.25 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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