HVAC technician salary in Virginia Beach, VA-NC
Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
HVAC technicians in the Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk, VA-NC area earn a median of $59,470 a year, or $28.59 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $76,960 a year. Across all of Virginia, the median is $59,730, so Virginia Beach pays about the same as the state as a whole.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $18.85/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 2,840
- After cost of living
- $60,720
- Median hourly pay
- $28.59/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −3%
- vs Virginia median
- 0%
Apprentice to senior HVAC technician pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $39,220–$47,880$18.85–$23.02/hr | |
| Experienced technician | $59,470$28.59/hr | |
| Senior / top earners | $70,280–$76,960$33.79–$37.00/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Virginia Beach, VA-NC compares
- Virginia Beach ranks 5th of 11 Virginia metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
- HVAC technicians are more concentrated in the Virginia Beach area than nationally: 3.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $76,960, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,220: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Virginia metro areas
Other trades in Virginia Beach, VA-NC
Questions
- How much do HVAC technicians make in Virginia Beach, VA-NC?
- HVAC technicians in the Virginia Beach–Chesapeake–Norfolk, VA-NC area earn a median of $59,470 a year, or $28.59 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $76,960 a year.
- How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Virginia Beach, VA-NC?
- The median hourly wage is $28.59. The middle half earn between $23.02 and $33.79 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Virginia Beach, VA-NC?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.85 an hour ($39,220 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.02.
- Do HVAC technicians make more in Virginia Beach or Washington?
- Washington pays more: the median is $59,470 in Virginia Beach and $71,920 in Washington, a 17% difference.
- How does Virginia Beach pay compare with the rest of Virginia?
- The Virginia Beach median of $59,470 is about the same as the Virginia median of $59,730.
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 47260 (Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-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 (97.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures