HVAC technician salary in Santa Rosa, CA
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
HVAC technicians in the Santa Rosa–Petaluma, CA area earn a median of $79,510 a year, or $38.23 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $122,600. Statewide, HVAC technicians earn a median of $72,560; Santa Rosa is 10% above it.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $23.65/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 560
- After cost of living
- $73,770
- Median hourly pay
- $38.23/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +30%
- vs California median
- +10%
Apprentice to senior HVAC technician pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $49,200–$62,250$23.65–$29.93/hr | |
| Experienced technician | $79,510$38.23/hr | |
| Senior / top earners | $99,320–$122,600$47.75–$58.94/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Santa Rosa, CA compares
- Santa Rosa ranks 3rd of 25 California metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
- HVAC technicians hold about the same share of jobs in the Santa Rosa area as nationally: 2.8 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $122,600, is 2.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $49,200: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other California metro areas
Other trades in Santa Rosa, CA
Questions
- How much do HVAC technicians make in Santa Rosa, CA?
- HVAC technicians in the Santa Rosa–Petaluma, CA area earn a median of $79,510 a year, or $38.23 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $122,600.
- How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Santa Rosa, CA?
- The median hourly wage is $38.23. The middle half earn between $29.93 and $47.75 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Santa Rosa, CA?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $23.65 an hour ($49,200 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $29.93.
- Do HVAC technicians make more in Santa Rosa or San Francisco?
- Santa Rosa pays more: the median is $79,510 in Santa Rosa and $78,490 in San Francisco, a 1% difference.
- How does Santa Rosa pay compare with the rest of California?
- The Santa Rosa median of $79,510 is 10% more 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 42220 (Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 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 (107.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures