How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Columbia, MO?

The median hourly wage is $28.31. The middle half earn between $22.46 and $35.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Columbia, MO?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.96 an hour ($39,430 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.46.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Columbia or St. Louis?

St. Louis pays more: the median is $58,880 in Columbia and $63,000 in St. Louis, a 7% difference.

How does Columbia pay compare with the rest of Missouri?

The Columbia median of $58,880 is 2% less than the Missouri median of $59,950.

HVAC technician salary in Columbia, MO

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Columbia, MO area earn a median of $58,880 a year, or $28.31 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $82,870. Across all of Missouri, the median is $59,950, so Columbia pays 2% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$58,880

Bottom 10% under$39,430Top 10% over$82,870

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $18.96/hr
Jobs in this area: 330
After cost of living: $65,830
Median hourly pay: $28.31/hr
vs U.S. median: −3%
vs Missouri median: −2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 17860, Columbia, MO). 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	$39,430–$46,710$18.96–$22.46/hr
Experienced technician	$58,880$28.31/hr
Senior / top earners	$74,100–$82,870$35.63–$39.84/hr

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

How Columbia, MO compares

Columbia ranks 4th of 8 Missouri metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians are more concentrated in the Columbia area than nationally: 3.0 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $82,870, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,430: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Missouri metro areas

Other trades in Columbia, MO

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Columbia, MO?: HVAC technicians in the Columbia, MO area earn a median of $58,880 a year, or $28.31 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $82,870.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Columbia, MO?: The median hourly wage is $28.31. The middle half earn between $22.46 and $35.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Columbia, MO?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.96 an hour ($39,430 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.46.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Columbia or St. Louis?: St. Louis pays more: the median is $58,880 in Columbia and $63,000 in St. Louis, a 7% difference.
How does Columbia pay compare with the rest of Missouri?: The Columbia median of $58,880 is 2% less than the Missouri median of $59,950.

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 17860 (Columbia, MO). 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 (89.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures