HVAC technician salary in Nashville-Davidson, TN
HVAC technicians in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin metro earn a median $28.97 an hour ($60,270 a year), 9% above the Tennessee median and in line with the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $23.31–$34.30. Nashville-Davidson ranks the best-paid of Tennessee's 9 metros and 177th of 385 US metros.
$28.97
Median hourly pay
9% above Tennessee
$60,270
Median annual pay
$62,560 at US prices
1st of 9
Among Tennessee metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Nashville-Davidson, Tennessee and the US
BLS counts 3,500 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.0 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($43.83 against $22.41 an hour). The average, $29.39, is close to the median, so a few high earners don't skew the picture. HVAC work is unusually common here: 3.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 21% above the national share.
| Percentile | Nashville-Davidson | Tennessee | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $22.41 | $18.53 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $23.31 | $22.59 | $23.25 |
| Median | $28.97 | $26.68 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $34.30 | $31.53 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $43.83 | $39.23 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Nashville-Davidson ranks
At $28.97, Nashville-Davidson is the best-paid of Tennessee's 9 metros and 177th of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in Tennessee: Memphis ($27.30), Knoxville ($27.30) and Jackson ($26.03). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the Tennessee HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in Tennessee.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Nashville-Davidson
A tech at the Nashville-Davidson median earns $28.97 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $112 here ($74–$148), at the national level, because local HVAC wages match the US median.
Of each $112 billed, about $29 is the technician's wage and $83 covers the shop's overhead and margin, $7 more than across Tennessee ($76).
Take a typical Nashville-Davidson AC repair at $390: about $242 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 Nashville-Davidson: typical $390, of which $242 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Nashville-Davidson: typical $350, of which $248 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Nashville-Davidson: typical $410, of which $242 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Nashville-Davidson: typical $160, of which $160 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Nashville-Davidson.
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
Tennessee has no state income tax on wages, so the whole $60,270 median is still there before federal tax and FICA.
Prices in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin area run 4% below the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the $60,270 median buys what $62,560 would nationally.
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 Nashville-Davidson
Next to HVAC techs in Nashville-Davidson, electricians earn $1.48 more an hour and plumbers earn about the same. HVAC out-earns two of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Nashville-Davidson, across every occupation, earns $24.23 an hour, so HVAC pays 20% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Nashville-Davidson) | $28.97 | — |
| Electricians | $30.45 | +$1.48 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $28.90 | −$0.07 |
| Sheet metal workers | $29.91 | +$0.94 |
| Home appliance repairers | $25.82 | −$3.15 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $23.45 | −$5.52 |
| All occupations | $24.23 | −$4.74 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Nashville-Davidson?
A median $28.97 an hour, or $60,270 a year, across 3,500 jobs in the Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $23.31–$34.30; the top tenth over $43.83.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Nashville-Davidson than elsewhere in Tennessee?
Yes. The Nashville-Davidson median of $28.97 is 9% above the Tennessee figure of $26.68, making it the best-paid of Tennessee's 9 metros.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Nashville-Davidson?
About $112 in our price model ($74–$148), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Nashville-Davidson runs $390, $242 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Nashville-Davidson compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $1.48 more an hour and plumbers earn about the same as HVAC techs' $28.97 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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