How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Trenton, NJ?

The median hourly wage is $36.17. The middle half earn between $28.24 and $45.11 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Trenton, NJ?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.95 an hour ($47,730 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.24.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Trenton or New York?

New York pays more: the median is $75,240 in Trenton and $77,990 in New York, a 4% difference.

How does Trenton pay compare with the rest of New Jersey?

The Trenton median of $75,240 is 1% more than the New Jersey median of $74,450.

HVAC technician salary in Trenton, NJ

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Trenton–Princeton, NJ area earn a median of $75,240 a year, or $36.17 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $111,720 a year. Across all of New Jersey, the median is $74,450, so Trenton pays 1% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$75,240

Bottom 10% under$47,730Top 10% over$111,720

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $22.95/hr
Jobs in this area: 430
After cost of living: $72,920
Median hourly pay: $36.17/hr
vs U.S. median: +23%
vs New Jersey median: +1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 45940, Trenton-Princeton, NJ). 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	$47,730–$58,740$22.95–$28.24/hr
Experienced technician	$75,240$36.17/hr
Senior / top earners	$93,820–$111,720$45.11–$53.71/hr

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

How Trenton, NJ compares

Trenton ranks 2nd of 6 New Jersey metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians are less concentrated in the Trenton area than nationally: 1.8 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.68 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $111,720, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $47,730: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New Jersey metro areas

Other trades in Trenton, NJ

Electrician Welder Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Trenton, NJ?: HVAC technicians in the Trenton–Princeton, NJ area earn a median of $75,240 a year, or $36.17 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $111,720 a year.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Trenton, NJ?: The median hourly wage is $36.17. The middle half earn between $28.24 and $45.11 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Trenton, NJ?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.95 an hour ($47,730 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $28.24.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Trenton or New York?: New York pays more: the median is $75,240 in Trenton and $77,990 in New York, a 4% difference.
How does Trenton pay compare with the rest of New Jersey?: The Trenton median of $75,240 is 1% more than the New Jersey median of $74,450.

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 45940 (Trenton-Princeton, NJ). 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 (103.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures