HVAC technician salary in Raleigh, NC
HVAC technicians in the Raleigh-Cary metro earn a median $28.32 an hour ($58,900 a year), 3% above the North Carolina median and 3% below the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $22.83–$31.42. Raleigh ranks 3rd of 15 metros in North Carolina and 219th of 385 US metros.
$28.32
Median hourly pay
3% above North Carolina
$58,900
Median annual pay
$60,004 at US prices
3rd of 15
Among North Carolina metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Raleigh, North Carolina and the US
BLS counts 2,550 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.0 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($37.42 against $18.83 an hour). The average, $28.12, is close to the median, so a few high earners don't skew the picture. HVAC work is unusually common here: 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 30% above the national share.
| Percentile | Raleigh | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $18.83 | $18.16 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $22.83 | $22.52 | $23.25 |
| Median | $28.32 | $27.53 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $31.42 | $30.92 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $37.42 | $37.10 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Raleigh ranks
At $28.32, Raleigh is 3rd of 15 metros in North Carolina and 219th of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in North Carolina: Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia ($28.77), Durham-Chapel Hill ($28.45) and Greensboro-High Point ($28.14). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the North Carolina HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in North Carolina.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Raleigh
A tech at the Raleigh median earns $28.32 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $109 here ($72–$145), 3% below the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much lower.
Of each $109 billed, about $28 is the technician's wage and $81 covers the shop's overhead and margin, $2 more than across North Carolina ($78).
Take a typical Raleigh AC repair at $390: about $239 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $62.
- AC repair cost in Raleigh: typical $390, of which $239 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Raleigh: typical $340, of which $239 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Raleigh: typical $400, of which $233 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Raleigh: typical $150, of which $150 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Raleigh.
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
North Carolina's flat 4.25% income tax, after a $12,750 standard deduction, takes about $1,961 of the $58,900 median and leaves $56,939.
Prices in the Raleigh-Cary area sit within 3% of the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the median buys about what it says: $60,004 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 Raleigh
Next to HVAC techs in Raleigh, electricians earn $1.01 less an hour and plumbers earn $0.78 more an hour. HVAC out-earns four of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Raleigh, across every occupation, earns $24.99 an hour, so HVAC pays 13% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Raleigh) | $28.32 | — |
| Electricians | $27.31 | −$1.01 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $29.10 | +$0.78 |
| Sheet metal workers | $24.31 | −$4.01 |
| Home appliance repairers | $23.02 | −$5.30 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $23.98 | −$4.34 |
| All occupations | $24.99 | −$3.33 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Raleigh?
A median $28.32 an hour, or $58,900 a year, across 2,550 jobs in the Raleigh-Cary, NC metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $22.83–$31.42; the top tenth over $37.42.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Raleigh than elsewhere in North Carolina?
Yes. The Raleigh median of $28.32 is 3% above the North Carolina figure of $27.53, making it 3rd of 15 metros in North Carolina.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Raleigh?
About $109 in our price model ($72–$145), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Raleigh runs $390, $239 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Raleigh compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $1.01 less an hour and plumbers earn $0.78 more an hour than HVAC techs' $28.32 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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