HVAC technician salary in Kentucky
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
HVAC technicians in Kentucky earn a median of $58,620 a year, or $28.18 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $80,020. Nationally the median is $61,010, so Kentucky pays 4% less than the U.S. overall and ranks 37th of 51.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $18.65/hr
- Jobs in Kentucky
- 5,100
- After cost of living
- $65,020
- Median hourly pay
- $28.18/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −4%
- Rank among states
- 37th of 51
Apprentice to senior HVAC technician pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $38,790–$47,780$18.65–$22.97/hr | |
| Experienced technician | $58,620$28.18/hr | |
| Senior / top earners | $67,540–$80,020$32.47–$38.47/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Kentucky compares
- HVAC technicians hold about the same share of jobs in Kentucky as nationally: 2.5 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $80,020, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,790: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Kentucky
- East Kentucky nonmetropolitan area$55,800
- West Kentucky nonmetropolitan area$55,160
- Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area$52,220
- South Central Kentucky nonmetropolitan area$50,010
Other trades in Kentucky
Questions
- How much do HVAC technicians make in Kentucky?
- HVAC technicians in Kentucky earn a median of $58,620 a year, or $28.18 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $80,020.
- How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Kentucky?
- The median hourly wage is $28.18. The middle half earn between $22.97 and $32.47 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Kentucky?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.65 an hour ($38,790 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.97.
- Where in Kentucky do HVAC technicians earn the most?
- Among Kentucky metro areas, Cincinnati has the highest median at $62,240 a year, and Huntington–Ashland the lowest at $48,860.
- Do HVAC technicians in Kentucky earn more than the national average?
- The Kentucky median of $58,620 is 4% less than the U.S. median of $61,010. Prices in Kentucky run 10% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $65,020 would nationally.
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 21. 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 (90.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures