How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Madison, WI?

The median hourly wage is $30.36. The middle half earn between $25.44 and $38.89 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Madison, WI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.85 an hour ($45,450 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $25.44.

Do HVAC technicians make more in Madison or Minneapolis?

Minneapolis pays more: the median is $63,150 in Madison and $77,490 in Minneapolis, a 19% difference.

How does Madison pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

The Madison median of $63,150 is 2% more than the Wisconsin median of $61,710.

HVAC technician salary in Madison, WI

Updated September 26, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

HVAC technicians in the Madison, WI area earn a median of $63,150 a year, or $30.36 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $100,900. Across all of Wisconsin, the median is $61,710, so Madison pays 2% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$63,150

Bottom 10% under$45,450Top 10% over$100,900

Apprentice starting pay (estimate): $21.85/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,020
After cost of living: $64,910
Median hourly pay: $30.36/hr
vs U.S. median: +4%
vs Wisconsin median: +2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 31540, Madison, WI). 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	$45,450–$52,920$21.85–$25.44/hr
Experienced technician	$63,150$30.36/hr
Senior / top earners	$80,900–$100,900$38.89–$48.51/hr

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

How Madison, WI compares

Madison ranks 3rd of 15 Wisconsin metro areas for HVAC technician pay.
HVAC technicians hold about the same share of jobs in the Madison area as nationally: 2.5 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $100,900, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $45,450: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Other trades in Madison, WI

Electrician Welder Lineman Plumber

Questions

How much do HVAC technicians make in Madison, WI?: HVAC technicians in the Madison, WI area earn a median of $63,150 a year, or $30.36 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $100,900.
How much do HVAC technicians make an hour in Madison, WI?: The median hourly wage is $30.36. The middle half earn between $25.44 and $38.89 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do apprentice HVAC technicians make in Madison, WI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.85 an hour ($45,450 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $25.44.
Do HVAC technicians make more in Madison or Minneapolis?: Minneapolis pays more: the median is $63,150 in Madison and $77,490 in Minneapolis, a 19% difference.
How does Madison pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?: The Madison median of $63,150 is 2% more than the Wisconsin median of $61,710.

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 31540 (Madison, WI). 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 (97.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 26, 2026. How we calculate these figures