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

The median hourly wage is $28.32. The middle half earn between $22.83 and $31.42 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Raleigh, NC?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.83 an hour ($39,160 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.83.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Raleigh or Charlotte?

Charlotte pays more: the median is $58,900 in Raleigh and $59,840 in Charlotte, a 2% difference.

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

The Raleigh median of $58,900 is 3% more than the North Carolina median of $57,260.

HVAC technician salary in Raleigh, NC

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Raleigh–Cary, NC area earn a median of $58,900 a year, or $28.32 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $77,830 a year. Across all of North Carolina, the median is $57,260, so Raleigh pays 3% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$58,900

Bottom 10% under$39,160Top 10% over$77,830

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $18.83/hr
Jobs in this area: 2,550
After cost of living: $60,010
Median hourly pay: $28.32/hr
vs U.S. median: −3%
vs North Carolina median: +3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 39580, Raleigh-Cary, 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	$39,160–$47,480$18.83–$22.83/hr
Experienced technician	$58,900$28.32/hr
Senior / top earners	$65,350–$77,830$31.42–$37.42/hr

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

How Raleigh, NC compares

Raleigh ranks 4th of 16 North Carolina metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians are more concentrated in the Raleigh area than nationally: 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.3 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,830, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,160: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Raleigh, NC

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Raleigh, NC?: HVAC technicians in the Raleigh–Cary, NC area earn a median of $58,900 a year, or $28.32 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $77,830 a year.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Raleigh, NC?: The median hourly wage is $28.32. The middle half earn between $22.83 and $31.42 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Raleigh, NC?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.83 an hour ($39,160 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.83.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Raleigh or Charlotte?: Charlotte pays more: the median is $58,900 in Raleigh and $59,840 in Charlotte, a 2% difference.
How does Raleigh pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?: The Raleigh median of $58,900 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 39580 (Raleigh-Cary, 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 (98.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures