How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Charleston, SC?

The median hourly wage is $28.08. The middle half earn between $22.59 and $31.27 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Charleston, SC?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.37 an hour ($40,280 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.59.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Charleston or Charlotte?

Charlotte pays more: the median is $58,410 in Charleston and $59,840 in Charlotte, a 2% difference.

How does Charleston pay compare with the rest of South Carolina?

The Charleston median of $58,410 is 3% more than the South Carolina median of $56,610.

HVAC technician salary in Charleston, SC

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Charleston–North Charleston, SC area earn a median of $58,410 a year, or $28.08 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $77,060. Across all of South Carolina, the median is $56,610, so Charleston pays 3% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$58,410

Bottom 10% under$40,280Top 10% over$77,060

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $19.37/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,270
After cost of living: $57,850
Median hourly pay: $28.08/hr
vs U.S. median: −4%
vs South Carolina median: +3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 16700, Charleston-North Charleston, SC). 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	$40,280–$46,990$19.37–$22.59/hr
Experienced technician	$58,410$28.08/hr
Senior / top earners	$65,040–$77,060$31.27–$37.05/hr

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

How Charleston, SC compares

Charleston ranks 4th of 10 South Carolina metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians are more concentrated in the Charleston area than nationally: 3.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,060, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $40,280: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other South Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Charleston, SC

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Charleston, SC?: HVAC technicians in the Charleston–North Charleston, SC area earn a median of $58,410 a year, or $28.08 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $77,060.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Charleston, SC?: The median hourly wage is $28.08. The middle half earn between $22.59 and $31.27 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Charleston, SC?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.37 an hour ($40,280 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.59.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Charleston or Charlotte?: Charlotte pays more: the median is $58,410 in Charleston and $59,840 in Charlotte, a 2% difference.
How does Charleston pay compare with the rest of South Carolina?: The Charleston median of $58,410 is 3% more than the South Carolina median of $56,610.

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 16700 (Charleston-North Charleston, SC). 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 (101.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures