How Much Do HVAC Technicians Make in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania pays HVAC technicians a little better than the country as a whole, and it pays new techs noticeably better. Where you live inside the state still matters, and the gap between the Philadelphia area and the smaller central metros is real. Here is what the May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics survey shows.

Is Pennsylvania a Good State for HVAC Pay?

For most people, yes. BLS reported these figures for Pennsylvania’s HVAC mechanics and installers in May 2025:

• Median pay: $62,400 a year, or $30 an hour
• Average (mean) pay: $64,880
• Middle half of earners: $50,840 to $74,620
• Bottom 10%: under $45,970
• Top 10%: over $89,440
• Jobs statewide: 15,880

Compared with the national figures, Pennsylvania’s median is slightly higher ($62,400 against $61,010), and its hourly median is $30 against $29.33 nationally.

The biggest difference is at the entry level. Pennsylvania’s 10th percentile of $45,970 is well above the national $40,050. That matters if you’re changing careers and need your first HVAC paycheck to cover the bills. At the top, though, Pennsylvania trails: its 90th percentile of $89,440 sits below the national $95,210.

Pay in Every Pennsylvania Metro Area

BLS breaks pay out by metro area. Here is every Pennsylvania metro in the data, ranked by median:

Notice how tightly the medians cluster. Eleven of sixteen metros sit within a few thousand dollars of the statewide median. The real differences show up at the top, where the 90th percentile ranges from $73,300 in State College to $100,800 in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia vs Pittsburgh

The two big metros hold most of the jobs, with 8,610 in the Philadelphia area and 2,680 in Pittsburgh.

Philadelphia has the highest median in the state at $64,580, and its top 10% earned more than $100,800. If you want the highest ceiling, this is it. Training options nearby include Orleans Technical College, which runs its diploma as an 8-month day class or a 14-month evening class, and Pennco Tech in Bristol, which conferred 123 HVAC awards in 2024-25, the most in Pennsylvania. Delaware County Community College in Media and All-State Career School in Essington also train students in the area. See the Philadelphia HVAC schools page for more.

Pittsburgh has a median of $62,140 and a 90th percentile of $92,710. The Community College of Allegheny County has the lowest in-district tuition in the state at $4,842 a year (2024-25), and Rosedale Technical College runs a four-day school week with an 81% graduation rate. The Pittsburgh HVAC schools page lists nine programs within 60 miles.

The Lehigh Valley and South Central Pennsylvania

The metros just behind Philadelphia are worth a close look, because some of them pair strong pay with a solid entry-level floor.

Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton

With a median of $63,130 and a 10th percentile of $48,400, the Lehigh Valley has the highest entry-level pay of any Pennsylvania metro. Local options include Northampton County Area Community College in Bethlehem, whose diploma, certificate and AAS stack together, and Lehigh Carbon Community College in Schnecksville, where students can earn more than a dozen industry certifications during the degree. Miller-Motte College’s Allentown campus conferred 107 HVAC awards in 2024-25.

Harrisburg, York and Lancaster

Harrisburg-Carlisle posts a median of $62,570. Harrisburg Area Community College offers a 61-credit AAS, full time during the day or part time in the evening.

York-Hanover ($61,970) has a 90th percentile of $91,270, one of the higher ceilings outside the two big metros. YTI Career Institute in York runs a hybrid diploma with online lectures and campus labs, and York County School of Technology runs an evening program. In Lancaster ($60,530), Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology runs a two-year degree with live service and installation projects on and off campus.

Scranton, Wilkes-Barre and Reading

Scranton-Wilkes-Barre has a median of $61,750 and a 90th percentile of $89,510, right in line with the statewide numbers. Johnson College in Scranton offers a 63-credit HVAC AAS and a 73-credit version that adds residential and light commercial plumbing, with a 55% graduation rate. Nearby, Luzerne County Community College in Nanticoke offers a 30-credit certificate and a 70-credit AAS that combines plumbing with heating and air conditioning.

Reading’s median is $61,740. Miller-Motte College’s Berks Technical Institute campus in Wyomissing conferred 98 HVAC awards in 2024-25 with a 10-month diploma built from four courses: air conditioning, electrical systems and controls, heating and heat pumps, and refrigeration.

How to Use These Numbers as a Career Changer

Salary tables are a starting point, not a job offer. A few ways to put them to work:

• Plan around the lower percentiles first. Your first year will likely look more like the 10th or 25th percentile than the median. In Pennsylvania, that means planning around $45,970 to $50,840, then working up.
• Look at the metro, not just the state. If you can commute to the Lehigh Valley or Harrisburg from a smaller town, the entry pay there is higher than in Altoona or Erie.
• Ask schools about employer connections. All-State Career School lists employment assistance at each campus, and York County School of Technology reports an 86% placement rate for its HVAC program. Those links can shorten the time between finishing school and your first paycheck.
• Think about where the ceiling is. If the top of the range matters to you, the metros with the highest 90th percentiles are Philadelphia, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pittsburgh and York-Hanover.

The HVAC careers guide covers the different jobs inside the trade, from residential service to commercial refrigeration.

Central and Western Pennsylvania’s Smaller Metros

Pay dips in the smaller metros. Johnstown has the lowest median at $54,050, and Altoona, Erie and State College all sit below the Williamsport median of $59,260. Entry pay is lower too: Altoona’s 10th percentile is $38,800 and Erie’s is $39,430.

The upside is that training is cheap. Career and technology centers in these areas offer complete programs at modest whole-program prices, such as the Greater Johnstown Career and Technology Center at $10,985 for a 720-hour program and the Greater Altoona Career and Technology Center at $11,578 for 900 hours. Pennsylvania College of Technology in Williamsport serves the Williamsport metro ($59,260 median).

What Separates the Top Earners

The spread from $45,970 to $89,440 comes down to skills, credentials and the kind of work you do:

• Certifications. EPA Section 608 is required to handle refrigerant. Many Pennsylvania programs build in more, such as NATE, OSHA 10, A2L refrigerant safety and oil burner certifications. The EPA 608 certification guide explains the basics.
• Commercial and controls work. Programs like CCAC’s A.S., which covers direct digital control building automation, and Thaddeus Stevens, whose lab includes chiller systems and rooftop equipment, prepare you for larger commercial systems.
• Apprenticeship and experience. Luzerne County Community College’s AAS includes two internship courses with local contractors. For how paid on-the-job training works, see the HVAC apprenticeship guide.

The HVAC technician salary guide shows how Pennsylvania compares with other states.

Pay Against the Cost of Training

A Pennsylvania HVAC program can cost as little as $7,000 for a whole career-center program or $4,842 for a year at CCAC, or up to $23,750 for a whole program at Pennco Tech. With a statewide median of $62,400, even the pricier options can pay off, but the cheaper routes pay off sooner. For every school’s price, read how much HVAC school costs in Pennsylvania.

To compare every program in the state, visit the Pennsylvania HVAC schools page.

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