National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
Compare a different job:
VS
QUICK ANSWER
Cloud Engineers earn a national median of $138,000/year vs HVAC Technicians at $57,620/year. Cloud Engineers earn 58% more nationally. The gap is $80,380 per year — or $6,698 per month.
Built by Pierre — MBA, Business Strategist & AI Consultant, Founder of DayblipAbout the author →
Cloud Engineer
$138,000
national median/year
$11,500/mo • $66/hr
VS
HVAC Technician
$57,620
national median/year
$4,802/mo • $28/hr
Annual salary gap
$80,380
Cloud Engineers earn 58% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $911,131.
Best states for HVAC Technicians
vs Cloud Engineers
Alaska+$-47,380
West Virginia+$-47,380
Wyoming+$-47,380
Hawaii+$-49,380
Mississippi+$-49,380
Best states for Cloud Engineers
vs HVAC Technicians
California+$104,380
Washington+$97,380
Virginia+$95,380
Massachusetts+$89,380
Colorado+$87,380
Share Your Result
Surprised by this number? Share it with friends and family
Cloud Engineers earn more nationally. The median annual salary for Cloud Engineers is $138,000 versus $57,620 for HVAC Technicians — a difference of $80,380 per year or $6,698 per month.
The national median salary gap between Cloud Engineers and HVAC Technicians is $80,380 per year. Cloud Engineers earn 58% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $911,131.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Cloud Engineers the highest median salary at $178,000 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Hawaii pays HVAC Technicians the highest median salary at $74,620 per year.
Salary is one factor — Cloud Engineers earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers both have different educational paths, licensing requirements, and long-term growth projections. Use salary as a starting point, not the only factor.
Based on a standard 2,080-hour work year, Cloud Engineers earn approximately $66 per hour nationally and HVAC Technicians earn approximately $28 per hour. Actual hourly rates vary based on overtime, part-time work, and whether the role is salaried or hourly.
Methodology: Salary data from Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) 2024-2025. Figures represent median annual wages for wage and salary workers. Self-employed excluded. Hourly rates calculated at 2,080 hours per year. State salary figures from same BLS OES dataset. Updated annually.
