How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Rhode Island?

The median hourly wage is $32.39. The middle half earn between $23.44 and $39.23 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Rhode Island?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.32 an hour ($38,100 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.44.

Do HVAC technicians in Rhode Island earn more than the national average?

The Rhode Island median of $67,370 is 10% more than the U.S. median of $61,010. Prices in Rhode Island run 2% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $65,870 would nationally.

HVAC technician salary in Rhode Island

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in Rhode Island earn a median of $67,370 a year, or $32.39 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $104,080. That's 10% more than the national median of $61,010, 14th of 51 states and DC.

Median yearly pay$67,370

Bottom 10% under$38,100Top 10% over$104,080

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $18.32/hr
Jobs in Rhode Island: 1,450
After cost of living: $65,870
Median hourly pay: $32.39/hr
vs U.S. median: +10%
Rank among states: 14th of 51

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 44). 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	$38,100–$48,760$18.32–$23.44/hr
Experienced technician	$67,370$32.39/hr
Senior / top earners	$81,610–$104,080$39.23–$50.04/hr

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

How Rhode Island compares

HVAC technicians are more concentrated in Rhode Island than nationally: 2.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $104,080, is 2.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,100: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Pay by metro area

Providence–Warwick$67,380

Other trades in Rhode Island

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Rhode Island?: HVAC technicians in Rhode Island earn a median of $67,370 a year, or $32.39 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $104,080.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Rhode Island?: The median hourly wage is $32.39. The middle half earn between $23.44 and $39.23 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Rhode Island?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.32 an hour ($38,100 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.44.
Do HVAC technicians in Rhode Island earn more than the national average?: The Rhode Island median of $67,370 is 10% more than the U.S. median of $61,010. Prices in Rhode Island run 2% above the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $65,870 would nationally.

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 44. 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 (102.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures