How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Des Moines, IA?

The median hourly wage is $30.11. The middle half earn between $23.82 and $38.50 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Des Moines, IA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.13 an hour ($46,020 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.82.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Des Moines or Davenport?

Davenport pays more: the median is $62,640 in Des Moines and $65,190 in Davenport, a 4% difference.

How does Des Moines pay compare with the rest of Iowa?

The Des Moines median of $62,640 is 3% more than the Iowa median of $60,680.

HVAC technician salary in Des Moines, IA

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA area earn a median of $62,640 a year, or $30.11 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $98,460. Across all of Iowa, the median is $60,680, so Des Moines pays 3% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$62,640

Bottom 10% under$46,020Top 10% over$98,460

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $22.13/hr
Jobs in this area: 900
After cost of living: $68,310
Median hourly pay: $30.11/hr
vs U.S. median: +3%
vs Iowa median: +3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 19780, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA). 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	$46,020–$49,540$22.13–$23.82/hr
Experienced technician	$62,640$30.11/hr
Senior / top earners	$80,080–$98,460$38.50–$47.34/hr

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

How Des Moines, IA compares

Des Moines ranks 3rd of 9 Iowa metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians are less concentrated in the Des Moines area than nationally: 2.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.85 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $98,460, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,020: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Iowa metro areas

Other trades in Des Moines, IA

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Des Moines, IA?: HVAC technicians in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA area earn a median of $62,640 a year, or $30.11 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $98,460.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Des Moines, IA?: The median hourly wage is $30.11. The middle half earn between $23.82 and $38.50 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Des Moines, IA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.13 an hour ($46,020 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.82.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Des Moines or Davenport?: Davenport pays more: the median is $62,640 in Des Moines and $65,190 in Davenport, a 4% difference.
How does Des Moines pay compare with the rest of Iowa?: The Des Moines median of $62,640 is 3% more than the Iowa median of $60,680.

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 19780 (Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA). 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 (91.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures