HVAC technician salary in San Antonio, TX
HVAC technicians in the San Antonio-New Braunfels metro earn a median $28.17 an hour ($58,590 a year), in line with the Texas median and 4% below the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $22.38–$35.58. San Antonio ranks 4th of 25 metros in Texas and 228th of 385 US metros.
$28.17
Median hourly pay
in line with Texas
$58,590
Median annual pay
$61,856 at US prices
4th of 25
Among Texas metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in San Antonio, Texas and the US
BLS counts 3,160 HVAC mechanics and installers in the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.2 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($39.62 against $18.25 an hour). The average, $28.44, is close to the median, so a few high earners don't skew the picture. That is 2.8 per 1,000 jobs, close to the national share.
| Percentile | San Antonio | Texas | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $18.25 | $18.32 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $22.38 | $22.50 | $23.25 |
| Median | $28.17 | $27.77 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $35.58 | $33.59 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $39.62 | $39.36 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where San Antonio ranks
At $28.17, San Antonio is 4th of 25 metros in Texas and 228th of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in Texas: Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington ($28.63), Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands ($28.34) and Odessa ($28.17). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the Texas HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in Texas.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in San Antonio
A tech at the San Antonio median earns $28.17 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $109 here ($72–$144), 4% 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 Texas ($79).
Take a typical San Antonio AC repair at $380: about $235 of it is labor, the equivalent of 2.2 billed hours, and the technician's own pay for that time comes to roughly $61.
- AC repair cost in San Antonio: typical $380, of which $235 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in San Antonio: typical $340, of which $241 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in San Antonio: typical $400, of which $236 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in San Antonio: typical $150, of which $150 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in San Antonio.
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
Texas has no state income tax on wages, so the whole $58,590 median is still there before federal tax and FICA.
Prices in the San Antonio-New Braunfels area run 5% below the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the $58,590 median buys what $61,856 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 San Antonio
Next to HVAC techs in San Antonio, electricians earn $0.76 less an hour and plumbers earn about the same. HVAC out-earns three of the five related trades listed. The median worker in San Antonio, across every occupation, earns $22.60 an hour, so HVAC pays 25% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (San Antonio) | $28.17 | — |
| Electricians | $27.41 | −$0.76 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $27.97 | −$0.20 |
| Sheet metal workers | $27.59 | −$0.58 |
| Home appliance repairers | $30.00 | +$1.83 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $21.82 | −$6.35 |
| All occupations | $22.60 | −$5.57 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in San Antonio?
A median $28.17 an hour, or $58,590 a year, across 3,160 jobs in the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $22.38–$35.58; the top tenth over $39.62.
Do HVAC techs earn more in San Antonio than elsewhere in Texas?
About the same. The San Antonio median of $28.17 is in line with the Texas figure of $27.77, making it 4th of 25 metros in Texas.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in San Antonio?
About $109 in our price model ($72–$144), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in San Antonio runs $380, $235 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in San Antonio compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $0.76 less an hour and plumbers earn about the same as HVAC techs' $28.17 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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