California
HVAC/R Technician pay in California
What HVAC and refrigeration technicians earn in California: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 25 metro areas, plus job counts and 143 listed training programs.
- $75,370Average pay (state)
- $46,950Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $72,560Median pay (state)
- $109,060Top 10% earn over
35,130 jobs in California · 143 listed programs. Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025).
BLS wage data
HVAC/R Technician pay in California
Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $46,950 | $58,280 | $72,560 | $90,780 | $109,060 | $75,370 | 35,130 |
| United States | $40,050 | $48,360 | $61,010 | $77,060 | $95,210 | $64,780 | 409,670 |
Metro areas
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Napa, CA | $51,400 | $64,220 | $84,570 | $102,200 | $108,850 | $84,650 | 70 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $57,170 | $63,820 | $82,050 | $106,630 | $136,650 | $91,280 | 1,740 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $49,200 | $62,250 | $79,510 | $99,320 | $122,600 | $84,230 | 560 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $48,550 | $62,520 | $78,640 | $95,310 | $120,430 | $79,640 | 260 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $49,180 | $61,930 | $78,490 | $101,870 | $129,380 | $86,540 | 3,980 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $47,760 | $62,020 | $78,330 | $97,070 | $115,790 | $80,540 | 210 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $47,540 | $59,300 | $75,710 | $88,620 | $102,520 | $74,730 | 390 |
| El Centro, CA | $47,370 | $59,960 | $75,220 | $95,910 | $111,110 | $77,740 | 120 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $48,190 | $60,140 | $75,160 | $90,470 | $112,460 | $75,460 | 200 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $46,710 | $58,330 | $74,880 | $91,690 | $113,990 | $75,960 | 3,210 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $46,590 | $58,220 | $73,830 | $83,490 | $109,010 | $74,630 | 10,720 |
| Salinas, CA | $49,590 | $61,340 | $72,550 | $103,080 | $115,990 | $80,530 | 300 |
Find training
Looking for a school or apprenticeship?
This page covers pay and job outlook. Our sister site RegisteredTradeSchools.com keeps the training directory for HVAC and refrigeration technicians: registered apprenticeship sponsors, how to apply, and school routes.
Programs
Top training programs in California
We matched 143 programs in California: 131 school programs (IPEDS 2023-24) and 12 registered apprenticeship sponsors (DOL). The 10 below are schools with published tuition first; the full directory is on RegisteredTradeSchools.com (links above).
| Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| American College of Healthcare and Technology Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Riverside, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 19 | $36,695 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| American College of Healthcare and Technology Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Huntington Park, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 7 | $17,950 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Antelope Valley Community College District Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician | Lancaster, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 2 | $1,124–$9,548 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0501 |
| Antelope Valley Community College District Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician | Lancaster, CA | Associate degree | 4 | $1,124–$9,548 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0501 |
| Antelope Valley Community College District Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician | Lancaster, CA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 10 | $1,124–$9,548 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0501 |
| ATA College Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | El Cajon, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 28 | $16,990 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Bakersfield College Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician | Bakersfield, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 15 | $1,450–$11,530 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0501 |
| Bakersfield College Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering Technology/Technician | Bakersfield, CA | Associate degree | 5 | $1,450–$11,530 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 15.0501 |
| Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Baldwin Park, CA | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 16 | $1,365 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Brownson Technical School Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Anaheim, CA | Certificate (1-2 years) | 197 | $17,895 Tuition & fees, largest program (program-year school) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
Sources
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (news release USDL-26-0725; data tables). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-03.
- Occupation: O*NET OnLine, 49-9021.00 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, retrieved 2026-11-03 (CC BY 4.0).
- Apprenticeship sponsors: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 (Partner Finder).
- Schools & graduates: U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code (completions file; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
- Tuition: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID (source).
Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades team; last refreshed 2026-11-03.