South Carolina
HVAC/R Technician pay in South Carolina
What HVAC and refrigeration technicians earn in South Carolina: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 10 metro areas, plus job counts and 37 listed training programs.
- $56,460Average pay (state)
- $39,170Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $56,610Median pay (state)
- $75,530Top 10% earn over
6,920 jobs in South Carolina · 37 listed programs. Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025).
BLS wage data
HVAC/R Technician pay in South Carolina
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina | $39,170 | $46,560 | $56,610 | $62,990 | $75,530 | $56,460 | 6,920 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $40,110 | $47,950 | $59,840 | $69,770 | $79,210 | $59,940 | 3,860 |
| Florence, SC | $36,670 | $44,240 | $58,790 | $70,020 | $81,420 | $58,340 | 180 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | $38,520 | $46,490 | $58,760 | $63,160 | $77,520 | $57,440 | 1,160 |
| Charleston-North Charleston, SC | $40,280 | $46,990 | $58,410 | $65,040 | $77,060 | $58,470 | 1,270 |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC | $39,090 | $48,400 | $58,280 | $64,300 | $74,620 | $57,380 | 420 |
| Spartanburg, SC | $40,670 | $47,290 | $57,790 | $65,020 | $76,920 | $57,970 | 390 |
| Columbia, SC | $39,460 | $47,900 | $57,610 | $63,700 | $73,830 | $56,410 | 1,220 |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC | $39,330 | $46,780 | $54,230 | $59,120 | $72,930 | $54,510 | 630 |
| Sumter, SC | $36,190 | $46,890 | $49,880 | $58,240 | $73,990 | $53,350 | 110 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | $36,240 | $39,010 | $48,900 | $60,800 | $72,850 | $51,910 | 620 |
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 South Carolina
We matched 37 programs in South Carolina: 22 school programs (IPEDS 2023-24) and 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken Technical College Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Graniteville, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 4 | $5,300–$8,088 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Central Carolina Technical College Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Sumter, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 8 | $5,829–$9,193 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Florence-Darlington Technical College Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Florence, SC | Associate degree | 15 | $4,636–$6,772 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Florence-Darlington Technical College Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Florence, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 37 | $4,636–$6,772 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Fortis College-Columbia Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Columbia, SC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 67 | $15,535 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Greenville Technical College Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Greenville, SC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 33 | $5,780–$11,060 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Greenville Technical College Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Greenville, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 50 | $5,780–$11,060 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Horry-Georgetown Technical College Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | Conway, SC | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 48 | $6,702–$13,254 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Midlands Technical College Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | West Columbia, SC | Certificate (1-2 years) | 5 | $5,196–$14,988 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 47.0201 |
| Midlands Technical College Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician | West Columbia, SC | Associate degree | 7 | $5,196–$14,988 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | 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.