How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Buffalo, NY?

The median hourly wage is $29.89. The middle half earn between $23.99 and $37.33 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Buffalo, NY?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.86 an hour ($39,240 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.99.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Buffalo or New York?

New York pays more: the median is $62,180 in Buffalo and $77,990 in New York, a 20% difference.

How does Buffalo pay compare with the rest of New York?

The Buffalo median of $62,180 is 16% less than the New York median of $74,430.

HVAC technician salary in Buffalo, NY

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Buffalo–Cheektowaga, NY area earn a median of $62,180 a year, or $29.89 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $91,820. Statewide, HVAC technicians earn a median of $74,430; Buffalo is 16% below it.

Median yearly pay$62,180

Bottom 10% under$39,240Top 10% over$91,820

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $18.86/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,370
After cost of living: $64,880
Median hourly pay: $29.89/hr
vs U.S. median: +2%
vs New York median: −16%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 15380, Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY). 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	$39,240–$49,900$18.86–$23.99/hr
Experienced technician	$62,180$29.89/hr
Senior / top earners	$77,640–$91,820$37.33–$44.15/hr

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

How Buffalo, NY compares

Buffalo ranks 9th of 13 New York metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians hold about the same share of jobs in the Buffalo area as nationally: 2.6 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $91,820, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,240: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New York metro areas

Other trades in Buffalo, NY

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Buffalo, NY?: HVAC technicians in the Buffalo–Cheektowaga, NY area earn a median of $62,180 a year, or $29.89 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $91,820.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Buffalo, NY?: The median hourly wage is $29.89. The middle half earn between $23.99 and $37.33 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Buffalo, NY?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.86 an hour ($39,240 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.99.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Buffalo or New York?: New York pays more: the median is $62,180 in Buffalo and $77,990 in New York, a 20% difference.
How does Buffalo pay compare with the rest of New York?: The Buffalo median of $62,180 is 16% less than the New York median of $74,430.

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 15380 (Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY). 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 (95.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures