HVAC technician salary in Missouri
HVAC technicians in Missouri earn a median $28.82 an hour ($59,950 a year), 2% below the US median of $29.33 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Most earn between $18.84 and $42.68. That ranks Missouri 31st of the 50 states and DC by median pay; St. Louis pays the most of its metros at $30.29.
$28.82
Median hourly pay
2% below the US
$59,950
Median annual pay
$57,989 after state income tax
7,220
HVAC techs employed
2.5 per 1,000 jobs
Pay in Missouri, from entry level to the top
BLS counts 7,220 HVAC mechanics and installers on Missouri payrolls. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.3 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($42.68 against $18.84 an hour). The average, $30.01, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | US hourly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $18.84 | $39,180 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $22.61 | $47,040 | $23.25 |
| Median | $28.82 | $59,950 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $35.87 | $74,610 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $42.68 | $88,760 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Annual pay is hourly × 2,080 hours.
How Missouri compares
The $28.82 median is 2% below the national figure and ranks 31st of the 50 states and DC. That is 2.5 per 1,000 jobs, close to the national share. The median worker in Missouri, across every occupation, earns $22.98 an hour, so HVAC pays 25% more than the local norm. See every state on the US HVAC technician salary page.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Across Missouri's metro areas
St. Louis pays the most ($30.29 an hour) and Cape Girardeau the least ($22.67), a gap of $7.62. Outside the metros, 4 nonmetropolitan areas report $26.39, $24.51, $23.90 and $23.79. Metros with their own salary page are linked.
| Area | Median hourly | HVAC techs |
|---|---|---|
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $30.29 | 2,980 |
| Kansas City, MO-KS | $30.14 | 3,010 |
| St. Joseph, MO-KS | $29.77 | 170 |
| Columbia, MO | $28.31 | 330 |
| Jefferson City, MO | $27.97 | 190 |
| Springfield, MO | $27.12 | 690 |
| Joplin, MO-KS | $26.61 | 210 |
| Southwest Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $26.39 | 210 |
| Southeast Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $24.51 | 270 |
| North Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $23.90 | 130 |
| Central Missouri nonmetropolitan area | $23.79 | 410 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $22.67 | 110 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Areas with fewer than 100 techs are rough estimates.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Missouri
A tech at the Missouri median earns $28.82 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $111 here ($74–$147), 2% below the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much lower.
Of each $111 billed, about $29 is the technician's wage. The other $82 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 Missouri AC repair at $390: about $241 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $63.
- AC repair cost in Missouri: typical $390, of which $241 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Missouri: typical $350, of which $248 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Missouri: typical $410, of which $241 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Missouri: typical $160, of which $160 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Missouri.
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
Missouri's graduated income tax (top rate 4.7%) takes about $1,961 of the $59,950 median, leaving $57,989, or 97% of gross. That leaves Missouri 30th of 51 after state tax.
Prices in Missouri run 9% below the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the $59,950 median buys what $66,010 would nationally. On that measure Missouri ranks 19th 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 Missouri
Next to HVAC techs in Missouri, electricians earn $2.63 more an hour and plumbers earn $3.29 more an hour. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Missouri) | $28.82 | — |
| Electricians | $31.45 | +$2.63 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $32.11 | +$3.29 |
| Sheet metal workers | $30.56 | +$1.74 |
| Home appliance repairers | $23.33 | −$5.49 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $23.26 | −$5.56 |
| All occupations | $22.98 | −$5.84 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Licensing and training in Missouri
Missouri has no statewide HVAC contractor license; cities and counties set their own rules (No state HVAC license).
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 Missouri.
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 Missouri?
A median $28.82 an hour, or $59,950 a year, across 7,220 jobs (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The lowest-paid tenth earn under $18.84 and the top tenth over $42.68.
Where in Missouri do HVAC technicians earn the most?
St. Louis has the highest median ($30.29 an hour) and Cape Girardeau the lowest ($22.67), among the 8 Missouri metros with their own BLS estimate.
How much HVAC pay is left after Missouri income tax?
Missouri's graduated income tax (top rate 4.7%) takes about $1,961 of the $59,950 median, leaving $57,989, or 97% 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 Missouri?
Missouri has no statewide HVAC contractor license; cities and counties set their own rules (No state HVAC license). Anyone handling refrigerant also needs EPA Section 608 certification.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Missouri?
About $111 in our price model ($74–$147), which scales national billable rates by Missouri HVAC wages. A typical AC repair here runs $390, $241 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)
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