HVAC technician salary in Virginia Beach, VA
HVAC technicians in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk metro earn a median $28.59 an hour ($59,470 a year), in line with the Virginia median and 3% below the US median (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $23.02–$33.79. Virginia Beach ranks 4th of 9 metros in Virginia and 202nd of 385 US metros.
$28.59
Median hourly pay
in line with Virginia
$59,470
Median annual pay
$60,721 at US prices
4th of 9
Among Virginia metros
by median hourly pay
Pay in Virginia Beach, Virginia and the US
BLS counts 2,840 HVAC mechanics and installers in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro area. The best-paid tenth earn at least 2.0 times what the lowest-paid tenth do ($37.00 against $18.85 an hour). The average, $28.07, is close to the median, so a few high earners don't skew the picture. HVAC work is unusually common here: 3.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 41% above the national share.
| Percentile | Virginia Beach | Virginia | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th (entry level) | $18.85 | $19.12 | $19.25 |
| 25th | $23.02 | $23.03 | $23.25 |
| Median | $28.59 | $28.72 | $29.33 |
| 75th | $33.79 | $35.31 | $37.05 |
| 90th (top tenth) | $37.00 | $40.11 | $45.78 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wages.
Where Virginia Beach ranks
At $28.59, Virginia Beach is 4th of 9 metros in Virginia and 202nd of 385 US metros. Nearest in pay elsewhere in Virginia: Harrisonburg ($28.95), Charlottesville ($28.63) and Richmond ($28.43). Every metro, the licensing rules and the training path are on the Virginia HVAC technician salary page; to vet a contractor, see how to check an HVAC license in Virginia.
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025; ranks by median hourly pay among metros with an estimate.
What an hour of HVAC work costs in Virginia Beach
A tech at the Virginia Beach median earns $28.59 an hour. Our price model bills that hour at about $110 here ($73–$146), 3% below the national $113, because local HVAC wages are that much lower.
Of each $110 billed, about $29 is the technician's wage and $81 covers the shop's overhead and margin, the same as across Virginia.
Take a typical Virginia Beach AC repair at $390: about $240 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 Virginia Beach: typical $390, of which $240 is labor
- Furnace repair cost in Virginia Beach: typical $350, of which $247 is labor
- Heat pump repair cost in Virginia Beach: typical $410, of which $240 is labor
- HVAC tune-up cost in Virginia Beach: typical $160, of which $160 is labor
Every other local price, wage and climate figure: HVAC prices in Virginia Beach.
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
Virginia's graduated income tax (top rate 5.75%) takes about $2,673 of the $59,470 median, leaving $56,797, or 96% of gross. The metro crosses into NC; the figure uses VA tax.
Prices in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk area sit within 3% of the US average (BEA regional price parities, 2024), so the median buys about what it says: $60,721 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 Virginia Beach
Next to HVAC techs in Virginia Beach, electricians earn $1.39 more an hour and plumbers earn $1.16 more an hour. HVAC out-earns one of the five related trades listed. The median worker in Virginia Beach, across every occupation, earns $23.76 an hour, so HVAC pays 20% more than the local norm.
| Occupation | Median hourly | vs HVAC |
|---|---|---|
| HVAC technicians (Virginia Beach) | $28.59 | — |
| Electricians | $29.98 | +$1.39 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | $29.75 | +$1.16 |
| Sheet metal workers | $30.48 | +$1.89 |
| Home appliance repairers | $38.94 | +$10.35 |
| Maintenance and repair workers | $22.99 | −$5.60 |
| All occupations | $23.76 | −$4.83 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Questions
How much do HVAC technicians make in Virginia Beach?
A median $28.59 an hour, or $59,470 a year, across 2,840 jobs in the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC metro (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half earn $23.02–$33.79; the top tenth over $37.00.
Do HVAC techs earn more in Virginia Beach than elsewhere in Virginia?
About the same. The Virginia Beach median of $28.59 is in line with the Virginia figure of $28.72, making it 4th of 9 metros in Virginia.
What does an hour of HVAC labor cost in Virginia Beach?
About $110 in our price model ($73–$146), which scales national billable rates by local HVAC wages. A typical AC repair in Virginia Beach runs $390, $240 of it labor.
How does HVAC pay in Virginia Beach compare with electricians and plumbers?
Electricians earn $1.39 more an hour and plumbers earn $1.16 more an hour than HVAC techs' $28.59 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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