Why a $68K HVAC job pays more than $86K

Pulled the new BLS numbers this week, and the highest-paying HVAC metros aren't who you'd think.

Here's the comparison that should change how you read a job offer:

San Francisco HVAC tech — $86,540 mean gross wage St. Louis HVAC tech — $68,000 mean gross wage

The SF tech earns $18K more on paper. So far, so obvious.

After federal income tax, FICA, state income tax, and a 2-bedroom rent in each market:

That's a $22,000 swing. Same skills, same trade — different zip code.

If you're getting recruited out of state, the gross salary isn't the offer. Disposable income is. We just published a full breakdown that runs this math for 391 metros, with a state-by-state and percentile view that takes about 30 seconds to find where your wage actually sits.

→ See the full salary breakdown →

The salary page also shows what HVAC's upper tier earns: the 90th percentile clears $90,700 nationally. These five open roles are squarely in that band — senior service, engineering, and leadership positions paying $100K+:

HVAC Controls Project Manager Abstrakt Marketing Group LLC · Anaheim, CA · $120,000 – $140,000 / yr → View job

Building Automation HVAC Service Operations Supervisor Siemens · Dallas, TX · $75,684 – $129,744 / yr → View job

Design Engineer — HVAC Tremco CPG Inc. · Clearwater, FL · $91,000 – $113,000 / yr → View job

HVAC Field Service Supervisor Unique Indoor Comfort · King of Prussia, PA · $90,000 – $105,000 / yr → View job

HVAC Service & Install Manager Malek Service Company · Houston, TX · $100,000 / yr → View job

→ Browse all open HVAC jobs →

Anchorage HVAC techs earn $85,290 mean and keep $47,401 in disposable income. San Francisco techs earn $86,540 and keep $14,983.

Same paycheck. Three times the spending power.

Full state and metro breakdown → findhvacjobs.com/salary

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