How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Helena, MT?

The median hourly wage is $30.13. The middle half earn between $23.99 and $36.19 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Helena, MT?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.10 an hour ($45,970 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.99.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Helena or Bozeman?

Bozeman pays more: the median is $62,670 in Helena and $72,970 in Bozeman, a 14% difference.

How does Helena pay compare with the rest of Montana?

The Helena median of $62,670 is 3% more than the Montana median of $60,850.

HVAC technician salary in Helena, MT

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Helena, MT area earn a median of $62,670 a year, or $30.13 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $79,090. Statewide, HVAC technicians earn a median of $60,850; Helena is 3% above it.

Median yearly pay$62,670

Bottom 10% under$45,970Top 10% over$79,090

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $22.10/hr
Jobs in this area: 100
After cost of living: $65,500
Median hourly pay: $30.13/hr
vs U.S. median: +3%
vs Montana median: +3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 25740, Helena, MT). 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	$45,970–$49,890$22.10–$23.99/hr
Experienced technician	$62,670$30.13/hr
Senior / top earners	$75,280–$79,090$36.19–$38.02/hr

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

How Helena, MT compares

Helena ranks 2nd of 5 Montana metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians are less concentrated in the Helena area than nationally: 2.3 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.86 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $79,090, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $45,970: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Montana metro areas

Other trades in Helena, MT

Electrician

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Helena, MT?: HVAC technicians in the Helena, MT area earn a median of $62,670 a year, or $30.13 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $79,090.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Helena, MT?: The median hourly wage is $30.13. The middle half earn between $23.99 and $36.19 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Helena, MT?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.10 an hour ($45,970 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.99.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Helena or Bozeman?: Bozeman pays more: the median is $62,670 in Helena and $72,970 in Bozeman, a 14% difference.
How does Helena pay compare with the rest of Montana?: The Helena median of $62,670 is 3% more than the Montana median of $60,850.

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 25740 (Helena, MT). 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 (95.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures