How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Durham, NC?

The median hourly wage is $28.45. The middle half earn between $23.27 and $30.54 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Durham, NC?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.02 an hour ($39,560 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.27.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Durham or Charlotte?

Charlotte pays more: the median is $59,180 in Durham and $59,840 in Charlotte, a 1% difference.

How does Durham pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?

The Durham median of $59,180 is 3% more than the North Carolina median of $57,260.

HVAC technician salary in Durham, NC

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Durham–Chapel Hill, NC area earn a median of $59,180 a year, or $28.45 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $77,360. Statewide, HVAC technicians earn a median of $57,260; Durham is 3% above it.

Median yearly pay$59,180

Bottom 10% under$39,560Top 10% over$77,360

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $19.02/hr
Jobs in this area: 750
After cost of living: $60,650
Median hourly pay: $28.45/hr
vs U.S. median: −3%
vs North Carolina median: +3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 20500, Durham-Chapel Hill, NC). 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	$39,560–$48,390$19.02–$23.27/hr
Experienced technician	$59,180$28.45/hr
Senior / top earners	$63,520–$77,360$30.54–$37.19/hr

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

How Durham, NC compares

Durham ranks 3rd of 16 North Carolina metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians are less concentrated in the Durham area than nationally: 2.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.83 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,360, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,560: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Durham, NC

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Durham, NC?: HVAC technicians in the Durham–Chapel Hill, NC area earn a median of $59,180 a year, or $28.45 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $77,360.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Durham, NC?: The median hourly wage is $28.45. The middle half earn between $23.27 and $30.54 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Durham, NC?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.02 an hour ($39,560 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.27.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Durham or Charlotte?: Charlotte pays more: the median is $59,180 in Durham and $59,840 in Charlotte, a 1% difference.
How does Durham pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?: The Durham median of $59,180 is 3% more than the North Carolina median of $57,260.

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 20500 (Durham-Chapel Hill, NC). 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 (97.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures