Salary guide › New Jersey › HVAC Technician
HVAC Technician salary in New Jersey (2025)
Most HVAC technicians in New Jersey earn $27.26 to $46.59 an hour.
The typical HVAC technician salary in New Jersey is $35.79 an hour, or $74,450 a year. That is 22% more than the national typical pay of $29.33. About 10,330 people do this work in New Jersey.
Pay by job level
| Job | Hourly | Yearly | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $19.82 | $41,230 | BLS median pay for Helpers, Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers. BLS has no apprentice category. Apprentices often start near helper pay, then step up each year toward journeyman pay. Medium |
| Journeyman | $35.79 | $74,450 | Typical pay in the trade. BLS does not split pay by license level. Medium |
| Foreman | $50.73 | $105,510 | BLS pay for construction supervisors across all trades. Medium |
| Superintendent | $66.46 | $138,230 | BLS pay for construction managers, the closest official category. Medium |
| Project Manager | $66.46 | $138,230 | BLS pay for construction managers, the closest official category. Medium |
| Estimator | $38.74 | $80,570 | BLS pay for cost estimators in all industries. Medium |
| Owner Operator | Depends on the business | There is no wage data for owners. They earn from business profit, not a wage. None | |
High exact government figure Medium closest government category Low estimate, method shown None no data
Best paying areas for HVAC technicians in New Jersey
| Area | Typical hourly | Typical yearly |
|---|---|---|
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $37.50 | $77,990 |
| Trenton-Princeton, NJ | $36.17 | $75,240 |
| Vineland, NJ | $32.81 | $68,250 |
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | $31.05 | $64,580 |
| Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ | $30.35 | $63,130 |
Typical means the median: half earn more, half earn less. Only areas where the government publishes a figure are listed.
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New Jersey HVACR Contractor exam prepUnion and prevailing wage pay for HVAC technicians in New Jersey
HVAC, Bergen County: $51.30 an hour + $51.55 benefits = $102.85 total. Medium
This is the SMART (sheet metal workers) Local 25 contract rate, effective 06/01/2024, and the legal minimum on federal building jobs here. Contracts often rise before the government list catches up, so ask the local for its latest wage sheet.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor wage determination NJ20260026 for Bergen County. Other counties have their own rates, and New Jersey may set its own for state jobs (list of state laws).
Union and prevailing figures include benefits and apply to specific jobs. The typical pay above is wages only, for everyone in the trade. They are not directly comparable.
How to earn more
- Get licensed. A license lets you bid work in your own name. See New Jersey HVACR Contractor exam prep.
- Know the steps. Experience, application, exams and what comes after. How to get licensed in New Jersey.
- Run your own company. Many states also require a business and law exam. Business exam prep.
- Move up to foreman. Construction supervisors in New Jersey typically earn $50.73 an hour.
Common questions
How much does a HVAC technician make in New Jersey?
Typical pay is $35.79 an hour, or $74,450 a year, based on government data for May 2025. Most earn between $27.26 and $46.59 an hour. That includes union and non union workers.
What is the starting pay for a HVAC technician apprentice in New Jersey?
Expect about $19.82 an hour to start. That is typical pay for helpers in this trade. Apprentice pay then rises each year. The local union or the New Jersey apprenticeship agency publishes the exact steps.
Do union HVAC technicians make more in New Jersey?
In Bergen County, the union contract rate is $51.30 an hour in wages, plus $51.55 in benefits, effective 06/01/2024 (U.S. Department of Labor). Typical pay for all HVAC technicians statewide is $35.79 an hour in wages. The figures cover different areas and dates, so compare with care.
What is the prevailing wage for HVAC technician in New Jersey?
On federal building jobs in Bergen County, the prevailing wage for the hvac classification is $51.30 an hour + $51.55 benefits = $102.85 total (wage determination NJ20260026). Other counties differ, and New Jersey may set its own rate for state jobs.
What is the highest paying city for HVAC technicians in New Jersey?
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ pays the most, with typical pay of $37.50 an hour, based on government data for May 2025. Smaller areas may be missing because the government does not publish a figure for them.
Ready to get licensed in New Jersey? Start your HVAC technician exam prep with Contractor Pathway.
New Jersey HVACR Contractor exam prepSee the full numbers and sources
HVAC Technician salary in New Jersey: full pay range
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Source | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.09 | $48,020 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 25th percentile | $27.26 | $56,700 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| Median | $35.79 | $74,450 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 75th percentile | $46.59 | $96,910 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
| 90th percentile | $56.03 | $116,550 | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | High |
A percentile shows where pay falls: the 10th percentile means 10% earn less. BLS publishes hourly and yearly figures; yearly assumes 2,080 paid hours (40 hours times 52 weeks). $115.00+ means BLS reports it only as at least that amount.
What affects HVAC technician pay in New Jersey
- Metro area. New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ pays a median of $37.50 an hour, 5% above the New Jersey median.
- Experience and skill. In New Jersey, the top 10% earn at least $56.03 an hour, while the bottom 10% earn $23.09 or less. That gap of $32.94 an hour reflects experience, specialty and responsibility.
- State market. The New Jersey median is 22% above the national median of $29.33 for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers.
- Overtime. BLS figures are straight time pay. Overtime, shift pay and bonuses are not included, so total earnings can be higher.
- Union status and public work. Union contracts and prevailing wage jobs set their own rates. Those are separate from the market figures above.
- License classification. A contractor license lets you bid and run your own jobs instead of earning a wage.
Comparing union, prevailing and market pay
These are not directly comparable. A union total package includes benefits, a prevailing wage applies only to covered public jobs, and the BLS market wage is straight time pay for everyone in the trade.
Methodology
Market figures come from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, state and metro tables, May 2025. We never average across sources or occupations. Full methodology.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, state, metro and national tables. bls.gov/oes/tables.htm
- U.S. Department of Labor wage determination NJ20260026 (Davis-Bacon, building), Bergen, revision 1. sam.gov
- U.S. Department of Labor, state prevailing wage laws. dol.gov/agencies/whd/state/prevailing-wages
Salary information on Contractor Pathway is an estimate for educational purposes only. Figures come from public sources such as the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, state prevailing wage determinations, federal wage determinations, and published union wage sheets. Actual pay depends on your employer, experience, local market, license classification, overtime, benefits, and the date of the data. Market wage data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics includes both union and non union workers. Union, prevailing wage, and market figures come from different sources and are not directly comparable. Some positions do not have official wage data, and those figures are marked as estimates with the method shown. This tool does not guarantee any wage, job offer, or income. Always confirm current rates with your local union, your state labor agency, or a prospective employer before making career or business decisions. Contractor Pathway is not responsible for decisions made based on these estimates.