How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Riverside, CA?

The median hourly wage is $30.92. The middle half earn between $24.99 and $37.65 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Riverside, CA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.48 an hour ($46,760 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.99.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Riverside or San Jose?

San Jose pays more: the median is $64,300 in Riverside and $82,050 in San Jose, a 22% difference.

How does Riverside pay compare with the rest of California?

The Riverside median of $64,300 is 11% less than the California median of $72,560.

HVAC technician salary in Riverside, CA

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario, CA area earn a median of $64,300 a year, or $30.92 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $95,910. That's 11% less than the California median of $72,560.

Median yearly pay$64,300

Bottom 10% under$46,760Top 10% over$95,910

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $22.48/hr
Jobs in this area: 4,820
After cost of living: $60,410
Median hourly pay: $30.92/hr
vs U.S. median: +5%
vs California median: −11%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 40140, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA). Excludes self-employed HVAC technicians. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Apprentice to senior HVAC technician pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Apprentice / entry level	$46,760–$51,970$22.48–$24.99/hr
Experienced technician	$64,300$30.92/hr
Senior / top earners	$78,320–$95,910$37.65–$46.11/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Riverside, CA compares

Riverside ranks 19th of 25 California metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians hold about the same share of jobs in the Riverside area as nationally: 2.8 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $95,910, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,760: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other California metro areas

Other trades in Riverside, CA

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Riverside, CA?: HVAC technicians in the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario, CA area earn a median of $64,300 a year, or $30.92 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $95,910.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Riverside, CA?: The median hourly wage is $30.92. The middle half earn between $24.99 and $37.65 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Riverside, CA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.48 an hour ($46,760 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.99.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Riverside or San Jose?: San Jose pays more: the median is $64,300 in Riverside and $82,050 in San Jose, a 22% difference.
How does Riverside pay compare with the rest of California?: The Riverside median of $64,300 is 11% less than the California median of $72,560.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 49-9021 (Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers), area code 40140 (Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed HVAC technicians and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (106.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures