How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Kingsport, TN-VA?

The median hourly wage is $23.54. The middle half earn between $20.99 and $29.29 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Kingsport, TN-VA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.12 an hour ($35,600 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.99.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Kingsport or Nashville?

Nashville pays more: the median is $48,950 in Kingsport and $60,270 in Nashville, a 19% difference.

How does Kingsport pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?

The Kingsport median of $48,950 is 12% less than the Tennessee median of $55,490.

HVAC technician salary in Kingsport, TN-VA

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA area earn a median of $48,950 a year, or $23.54 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $65,790. Statewide, HVAC technicians earn a median of $55,490; Kingsport is 12% below it.

Median yearly pay$48,950

Bottom 10% under$35,600Top 10% over$65,790

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $17.12/hr
Jobs in this area: 290
After cost of living: $56,620
Median hourly pay: $23.54/hr
vs U.S. median: −20%
vs Tennessee median: −12%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 28700, Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA). 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	$35,600–$43,660$17.12–$20.99/hr
Experienced technician	$48,950$23.54/hr
Senior / top earners	$60,920–$65,790$29.29–$31.63/hr

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

How Kingsport, TN-VA compares

Kingsport ranks 7th of 9 Tennessee metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians hold about the same share of jobs in the Kingsport area as nationally: 2.4 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $65,790, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $35,600: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Tennessee metro areas

Other trades in Kingsport, TN-VA

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Kingsport, TN-VA?: HVAC technicians in the Kingsport–Bristol, TN-VA area earn a median of $48,950 a year, or $23.54 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $65,790.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Kingsport, TN-VA?: The median hourly wage is $23.54. The middle half earn between $20.99 and $29.29 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Kingsport, TN-VA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.12 an hour ($35,600 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.99.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Kingsport or Nashville?: Nashville pays more: the median is $48,950 in Kingsport and $60,270 in Nashville, a 19% difference.
How does Kingsport pay compare with the rest of Tennessee?: The Kingsport median of $48,950 is 12% less than the Tennessee median of $55,490.

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 28700 (Kingsport-Bristol, TN-VA). 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 (86.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures