How Much Do HVAC Technicians Make in Virginia?

Virginia’s HVAC pay story has two parts. Statewide, the numbers are close to the national middle. In Northern Virginia, they’re well above it. Where you plan to live and work will shape your paycheck more than almost any other choice you make.

Every figure here comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey for May 2025, which covers heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers.

Virginia HVAC Pay by the Numbers

Virginia’s median of $59,730 sits just under the national $61,010, and the bottom of the range is nearly identical. The gap opens at the top, where the national 90th percentile is well above Virginia’s $83,420.

The mean of $61,190 is higher than the median, which tells you a group of high earners is pulling the average up. The metro table below shows where many of them are.

Northern Virginia Pays the Most

The Washington-Arlington-Alexandria metro stands apart from the rest of the state:

• Median: $71,920, the highest of any metro that includes Virginia.
• 90th percentile: $105,180, above even the national 90th percentile.
• 10th percentile: $46,920, higher than the 10th percentile in any other Virginia metro.
• Jobs: 8,730 HVAC mechanics and installers, although that count spans DC and parts of Maryland and West Virginia too.

If you’re willing to work in Northern Virginia, the pay ceiling is far higher than elsewhere in the state.

Northern Virginia Community College runs all three of its HVAC programs at the Woodbridge campus: a 61 to 64 credit AAS, a 33 to 34 credit certificate and a 23-credit career studies certificate. The degree is accredited by HVAC Excellence and meets the education requirements for a Virginia HVAC-R tradesperson license. In-state tuition and fees were $5,891 for a full-time year in 2024-25. See the Annandale HVAC schools page for other programs within reach.

Pay Across the Rest of Virginia

Outside Northern Virginia, medians fall into a fairly tight band:

Three things stand out:

1. Hampton Roads and Richmond are the big job markets after Northern Virginia, with 2,840 and 2,700 HVAC workers. Their medians sit right around the statewide figure.
2. The Shenandoah Valley pays well for its size. Staunton-Stuarts Draft ($62,350) and Harrisonburg ($60,210) both have medians above the state’s.
3. Southwest Virginia pays the least. Roanoke, Blacksburg and Kingsport-Bristol all have medians near $50,030 or below.

Where to Train in Each Region

Hampton Roads. This region has the most private options. Advanced Technology Institute in Virginia Beach reports a 79% graduation rate and prepares students for EPA 608, A2L safety and NATE. Centura College in Newport News runs day and night classes, and Tidewater Tech-Trades in Norfolk rounds out the list. For community college prices, Virginia Peninsula Community College in Hampton offers a path from a 16-credit certificate to a 63-credit degree. Paul D Camp Community College in Franklin says its HVAC graduates receive job placement with local companies, including paid apprenticeships. See the Norfolk HVAC schools page.

Richmond. Fortis College in Richmond conferred 118 HVAC awards in 2024-25, the most in Virginia, and has an evening section from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m. Brightpoint Community College in Chester offers a 19-credit certificate that fulfills the education requirements for the journeyman exam.

Lynchburg. Central Virginia Community College ties its two 16-credit certificates to NCCER Core and HVAC Levels 1 and 2, and its AAS adds an internship opportunity for certificate completers. The Lynchburg metro median is $58,500, close to the state figure.

Winchester and the northern Valley. Laurel Ridge Community College in Middletown runs a four-level workforce apprenticeship program that meets one evening a week, aimed at working adults headed for Virginia licensing.

Southwest Virginia. Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke offers a residential certificate in 7-week sessions and a commercial certificate with internship opportunities. New River Community College in Dublin, near Blacksburg, runs a one-year certificate that pairs air conditioning with industrial wiring and DC/AC fundamentals, and it’s aimed partly at technicians already working in the field. Its in-state tuition of $4,979 is the lowest in Virginia. Virginia Highlands in Abingdon and Mountain Empire in Big Stone Gap serve the Kingsport-Bristol side; Mountain Empire offers its certificate part-time in the evening, and Virginia Highlands alternates day and evening cohorts by year. Browse Roanoke HVAC schools.

Starting Pay and Top Pay, Region by Region

The median only tells you the middle. If you’re changing careers, the 10th percentile is closer to what a brand-new tech can expect, and the 90th percentile shows how far the work can take you.

• Charlottesville has the second-highest floor in the state: a 10th percentile of $43,110, behind only the Washington metro. Its 90th percentile is $76,860.
• Richmond has a lower floor ($38,270) but a higher ceiling ($78,620). The spread rewards experience.
• Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk runs from $39,220 at the 10th percentile to $76,960 at the 90th, a similar shape to Richmond.
• Roanoke has a modest median of $49,230, yet its 90th percentile reaches $75,040. Experienced techs there can earn close to what their Richmond counterparts do at the top.
• Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford has the tightest range in the table, from $39,280 to $68,710, and Kingsport-Bristol has the lowest ceiling at $65,790.

In short, the Washington metro is the only Virginia market where both the floor and the ceiling are well above the state. Elsewhere, where you start matters less than how long you stay and how much you learn.

Licensing and Credentials on the Way Up

Many Virginia programs tie their training directly to state licensing. Several schools say their training counts toward the Virginia journeyman exam, including Brightpoint, Virginia Western, Eastern Shore and Advanced Technology Institute. Northern Virginia Community College’s degree meets the education requirements for a Virginia HVAC-R tradesperson license, and Tidewater Tech-Trades says its training prepares students toward a future DPOR journeyman certification. Laurel Ridge’s four workforce levels satisfy the vocational training hours required before sitting for Virginia DPOR licensing exams.

On the certification side, most programs include EPA 608 preparation, which you need to handle refrigerant. The EPA 608 certification guide explains the exam types. Wytheville Community College builds six industry credentials into its degree, from EPA 608 Universal to A2L refrigerant safety.

If you’d rather earn while you learn, the HVAC apprenticeship guide explains how registered apprenticeships work, and the national HVAC technician salary guide shows how Virginia fits into the bigger picture.

What Training Costs Against This Pay

In-state tuition and fees at Virginia’s community colleges ran from $4,979 at New River Community College to $5,891 at Northern Virginia Community College for a full-time year in 2024-25. Set that against a statewide median of $59,730, and the math favors training for most people. The full school-by-school breakdown is in how much HVAC school costs in Virginia.

To compare every program in the state, start at the Virginia HVAC schools page.

More HVAC Guides

All posts →

Virginia · Cost

How Much Does HVAC School Cost in Virginia?

Virginia community colleges charge $4,979 to $5,891 a year in-state for HVAC. Private programs in Richmond and Hampton Roads run $14,568 to $16,637 a year.

Georgia · Salary

How Much Do HVAC Technicians Make in Georgia?

Georgia HVAC technicians earned a median $56,390 in May 2025 ($27.11 an hour). See the pay range, metro medians from Dalton to Columbus, and where to train.

Ohio · Salary

How Much Do HVAC Technicians Make in Ohio?

Ohio HVAC technicians earn a median $62,510 a year ($30.06 an hour), above the national median, per May 2025 BLS data. Pay by metro, Columbus to Toledo.