HVAC technician salary in Portland, OR
HVAC technicians in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro metro earn a median $31.38 an hour ($65,260 a year), 4% above the Oregon median and 7% above the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $28.93–$39.11. Portland ranks the best-paid of Oregon's 8 metros and 69th of 385 US metros.
$31.38
Median hourly pay
4% above Oregon
$65,260
Median annual pay
$61,905 at US prices
1st of 8
Among Oregon metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Portland, Oregon and the US
BLS counts 2,580 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.0 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($47.50 against $23.39 an hour). The average, $34.95, sits above the median: a smaller group of high earners pulls it up. HVAC techs are a thinner slice of the workforce here: 2.1 per 1,000 jobs, 19% under the national share.
| Percentile | Portland | Oregon | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $23.39 | $22.59 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $28.93 | $27.09 | $23.25 |
| Median | $31.38 | $30.26 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $39.11 | $37.93 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $47.50 | $45.44 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Portland ranks
At $31.38, Portland is the best-paid of Oregon's 8 metros and 69th of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in Oregon: Salem ($31.27), Corvallis ($30.63) and Bend ($29.40). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the Oregon HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in Oregon.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Portland
A tech at the Portland median earns $31.38 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $121 here ($80–$160), 7% above the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much higher.
Of each $121 billed, about $31 is the technician's wage and $90 covers the shop's overhead and margin, $3 more than across Oregon ($87).
Take a typical Portland AC repair at $420: about $259 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.1 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $67.
- AC repair cost in Portland: typical $420, of which $259 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Portland: typical $380, of which $269 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Portland: typical $450, of which $264 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Portland: typical $170, of which $170 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Portland.
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
Oregon's graduated income tax (top rate 9.9%) takes about $5,169 of the $65,260 median, leaving $60,091, or 92% of gross. The metro crosses into WA; the figure uses OR tax.
Prices in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro area run 5% above the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), which trims the median's buying power to about $61,905 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 Portland
Next to HVAC techs in Portland, electricians earn $19.15 more an hour and plumbers earn $17.18 more an hour. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Portland, across every occupation, earns $29.18 an hour, so HVAC pays 8% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Portland) | $31.38 | — |
| Electricians | $50.53 | +$19.15 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $48.56 | +$17.18 |
| Sheet metal workers | $38.26 | +$6.88 |
| Home appliance repairers | $28.10 | −$3.28 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $28.25 | −$3.13 |
| All occupations | $29.18 | −$2.20 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Portland?
A median $31.38 an hour, or $65,260 a year, across 2,580 jobs in the Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $28.93–$39.11; the top tenth over $47.50.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Portland than elsewhere in Oregon?
Yes. The Portland median of $31.38 is 4% above the Oregon figure of $30.26, making it the best-paid of Oregon's 8 metros.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Portland?
About $121 in our price model ($80–$160), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Portland runs $420, $259 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Portland compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $19.15 more an hour and plumbers earn $17.18 more an hour than HVAC techs' $31.38 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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