How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Columbus, IN?

The median hourly wage is $26.20. The middle half earn between $22.50 and $31.77 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Columbus, IN?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.00 an hour ($41,590 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.50.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Columbus or Chicago?

Chicago pays more: the median is $54,490 in Columbus and $77,960 in Chicago, a 30% difference.

How does Columbus pay compare with the rest of Indiana?

The Columbus median of $54,490 is 10% less than the Indiana median of $60,430.

HVAC technician salary in Columbus, IN

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Columbus, IN area earn a median of $54,490 a year, or $26.20 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $95,380 a year. That's 10% less than the Indiana median of $60,430.

Median yearly pay$54,490

Bottom 10% under$41,590Top 10% over$95,380

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $20.00/hr
Jobs in this area: 70
After cost of living: $58,590
Median hourly pay: $26.20/hr
vs U.S. median: −11%
vs Indiana median: −10%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 18020, Columbus, IN). 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	$41,590–$46,810$20.00–$22.50/hr
Experienced technician	$54,490$26.20/hr
Senior / top earners	$66,080–$95,380$31.77–$45.86/hr

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

How Columbus, IN compares

Columbus ranks 14th of 15 Indiana metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians are less concentrated in the Columbus area than nationally: 1.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.55 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $95,380, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $41,590: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Indiana metro areas

Other trades in Columbus, IN

Electrician Welder Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Columbus, IN?: HVAC technicians in the Columbus, IN area earn a median of $54,490 a year, or $26.20 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $95,380 a year.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Columbus, IN?: The median hourly wage is $26.20. The middle half earn between $22.50 and $31.77 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Columbus, IN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.00 an hour ($41,590 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.50.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Columbus or Chicago?: Chicago pays more: the median is $54,490 in Columbus and $77,960 in Chicago, a 30% difference.
How does Columbus pay compare with the rest of Indiana?: The Columbus median of $54,490 is 10% less than the Indiana median of $60,430.

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 18020 (Columbus, IN). 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 (93.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures