Do hvac technicians make more than plumbers?

Nationally, plumbers earn more: a median of $63,800 a year vs $61,010 for hvac technicians, a gap of $2,790 (about 5%) (BLS OEWS May 2025).

What is the pay range for hvac technicians vs plumbers?

Hvac technicians earn $48,360 to $77,060 a year between the 25th and 75th percentiles, with a median of $61,010. Plumbers earn $50,190 to $85,110, with a median of $63,800 (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Where do hvac technicians and plumbers earn the most?

Among the states TradesPays covers, hvac technicians earn the highest median in Illinois ($77,410 a year) and plumbers in Illinois ($99,950) (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Is there a union pay scale for hvac technicians or plumbers?

TradesPays has verified union journeyman scales on file for plumbers; the highest is UA Local 38 (San Francisco) journeyman scale at $131,040 a year (2024 CBA base scale). No public union scale for hvac technicians is on file, so that side of the comparison stays BLS-only rather than estimated.

Which trade employs more people, hvac technicians or plumbers?

BLS counts 465,840 plumbers nationwide vs 409,670 hvac technicians (OEWS May 2025).

Which trade pays more in my state?

It varies by state. The HVAC Technician and Plumber pay-by-state tables on TradesPays list the median in every covered state, and the compare tool at tradespays.com/compare puts both trades side by side in any state.

HVAC Technician vs Plumber: which trade pays more?

Both trades side by side on the same BLS OEWS May 2025 data: national percentiles, union scales where a local publishes one, and the metros where both are measured.

In 2026, plumbers out-earn hvac technicians nationally: the median is $63,800 a year for plumbers vs $61,010 for hvac technicians, a gap of $2,790 (about 5%) (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.

HVAC Technician vs Plumber pay, nationally

Measure	HVAC Technician	Plumber
Median pay	$61,010/yr	$63,800/yr
25th percentile	$48,360	$50,190
75th percentile	$77,060	$85,110
Workers nationwide (BLS)	409,670	465,840
Highest-paying state	Illinois ($77,410)	Illinois ($99,950)

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Wages are nominal, not cost-of-living adjusted.

Union scales, where a local publishes one

Verified journeyman base scales (2024 CBA) next to the BLS all-worker median, which blends union and non-union pay. Overtime and the benefits package sit on top of the base scale.

Plumber union scales on file

State · Local	Union scale	BLS median	Gap
California · UA Local 38 (San Francisco) journeyman scale	$131,040	$72,830	+$58,210/yr
New York · UA Local 1 (New York) journeyman scale	$120,640	$77,490	+$43,150/yr
Massachusetts · UA Local 12 (Boston) journeyman scale	$112,320	$93,880	+$18,440/yr
Illinois · UA Local 130 (Chicago) journeyman scale	$108,160	$99,950	+$8,210/yr

No public union scale is on file for hvac technicians, so that side of the union comparison is left out rather than estimated.

Where both trades are measured: metro by metro

Metros where BLS publishes a median for both trades, ranked by combined employment. Gap is the hvac technician median minus the plumber median: positive means hvac technicians earn more in that metro.

Metro	HVAC Technician	Plumber	Gap
New York, NY	$77,990	$78,610	−$620/yr
Los Angeles, CA	$73,830	$71,110	+$2,720/yr
Dallas, TX	$59,560	$61,250	−$1,690/yr
Chicago, IL	$77,960	$103,380	−$25,420/yr
Houston, TX	$58,940	$61,300	−$2,360/yr
Washington, DC	$71,920	$71,860	+$60/yr

Compare by state

National medians hide big state swings. Every covered state's median for each trade is on its hub, and the compare tool puts both trades side by side in any state.

HVAC Technician pay by state →Plumber pay by state →Pick a state and compare →

HVAC Technician vs Plumber: FAQ

Do hvac technicians make more than plumbers?: Nationally, plumbers earn more: a median of $63,800 a year vs $61,010 for hvac technicians, a gap of $2,790 (about 5%) (BLS OEWS May 2025).
What is the pay range for hvac technicians vs plumbers?: Hvac technicians earn $48,360 to $77,060 a year between the 25th and 75th percentiles, with a median of $61,010. Plumbers earn $50,190 to $85,110, with a median of $63,800 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Where do hvac technicians and plumbers earn the most?: Among the states TradesPays covers, hvac technicians earn the highest median in Illinois ($77,410 a year) and plumbers in Illinois ($99,950) (BLS OEWS May 2025).
Is there a union pay scale for hvac technicians or plumbers?: TradesPays has verified union journeyman scales on file for plumbers; the highest is UA Local 38 (San Francisco) journeyman scale at $131,040 a year (2024 CBA base scale). No public union scale for hvac technicians is on file, so that side of the comparison stays BLS-only rather than estimated.
Which trade employs more people, hvac technicians or plumbers?: BLS counts 465,840 plumbers nationwide vs 409,670 hvac technicians (OEWS May 2025).
Which trade pays more in my state?: It varies by state. The HVAC Technician and Plumber pay-by-state tables on TradesPays list the median in every covered state, and the compare tool at tradespays.com/compare puts both trades side by side in any state.

Already in one of these trades?

The negotiation kit is built per trade and state. Below is each trade's highest-paying covered state; for your own state, start from the pay-by-state list on the trade's page above.

HVAC Technicians earn the most in Illinois ($77,410 median).

Want the whole play, not just the number?

The full hvac technician kit for Illinois: pay by metro, the union scale where one is public, three ready scripts, and answers to the pushback you will hear. $19, one time.

Get the full kit for $19

Plumbers earn the most in Illinois ($99,950 median).

Want the whole play, not just the number?

The full plumber kit for Illinois: pay by metro, the union scale where one is public, three ready scripts, and answers to the pushback you will hear. $19, one time.

Get the full kit for $19

Other trade matchups

The amount and bar show each matchup's national median pay gap (BLS OEWS May 2025).