National salary comparison — BLS OES 2024-2025 data
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HVAC Technicians earn a national median of $57,620/year vs Nurses at $89,010/year. Nurses earn 54% more nationally. The gap is $31,390 per year — or $2,616 per month.
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HVAC Technician
$57,620
national median/year
$4,802/mo • $28/hr
VS
Nurse
$89,010
national median/year
$7,418/mo • $43/hr
Annual salary gap
$31,390
Nurses earn 54% more per year nationally. Over 30 years at 7% investment return that gap compounds to approximately $355,815.
Best states for Nurses
vs HVAC Technicians
California+$57,850
Oregon+$32,700
Connecticut+$30,700
Hawaii+$29,700
Washington+$29,700
Best states for HVAC Technicians
vs Nurses
South Dakota+$-13,700
Illinois+$-15,700
Indiana+$-15,700
Kansas+$-15,700
Michigan+$-15,700
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Nurses earn more nationally. The median annual salary for HVAC Technicians is $57,620 versus $89,010 for Nurses — a difference of $31,390 per year or $2,616 per month.
The national median salary gap between HVAC Technicians and Nurses is $31,390 per year. Nurses earn 54% more. Over a 30-year career this difference, if invested at 7% annual return, compounds to approximately $355,815.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, Hawaii pays HVAC Technicians the highest median salary at $74,620 per year.
Based on BLS OES 2024-2025 data, California pays Nurses the highest median salary at $131,470 per year.
Salary is one factor — Nurses earn more nationally. But career choice involves job satisfaction, work-life balance, education requirements, and job growth. Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers and Registered Nurses 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, HVAC Technicians earn approximately $28 per hour nationally and Nurses earn approximately $43 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.
