HVAC salary in Australia: year, week and hour
If you work in heating, ventilation, air‑conditioning and refrigeration – the HVAC trades – your pay is likely to sit above the national full‑time average. The most recent data from Jobs and Skills Australia, drawing on the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, puts the median weekly earnings for full‑time Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics at $2,100. That is the figure for non‑managerial adult employees working full‑time hours, and it is the best available snapshot of what a typical HVAC worker earns.
Reading the same pay three ways
The on‑site tool lets you see your salary as a year, a week and an hour, all on a standard 38‑hour week. For the HVAC median:
- Yearly: $2,100 × 52 = about $109,200 before tax.
- Weekly: $2,100.
- Hourly: $2,100 ÷ 38 = about $55.26.
These figures are before tax and before any salary‑sacrifice arrangements. They are a median, not an average, so they represent the middle point of the earnings distribution for full‑time HVAC workers.
How it compares to the national line
The site’s benchmark is the national full‑time adult ordinary‑time average from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey for May 2026: $2,083.70 a week, or about $108,352 a year. The HVAC median of $2,100 a week is a little above that line. But remember: the national average is a mean that includes managers and very high earners, while the HVAC figure is a median that excludes managers. The all‑occupations full‑time median (from the ABS Employee Earnings survey, August 2025) is about $1,741 a week ($90,532 a year), so HVAC workers are comfortably above that typical full‑time worker.
State and territory differences
HVAC pay can vary depending on where you work. The ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey gives full‑time adult ordinary‑time averages for each state and territory. While these are not HVAC‑specific, they show the general earnings landscape:
- New South Wales: about $2,109 a week ($109,658 a year)
- Victoria: about $2,041 a week ($106,137 a year)
- Queensland: about $2,040 a week ($106,064 a year)
- South Australia: about $1,970 a week ($102,450 a year)
- Western Australia: about $2,227 a week ($115,825 a year)
- Tasmania: about $1,846 a week ($96,008 a year)
- Northern Territory: about $1,984 a week ($103,173 a year)
- Australian Capital Territory: about $2,290 a week ($119,090 a year)
If you work in Western Australia or the ACT, you are likely to earn more than the national HVAC median; in Tasmania or South Australia, you may earn less. See the full state and territory breakdown.
Medians and the minimum wage
The national minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is $26.44 an hour, $1,004.90 a week on 38 hours, or about $52,255 a year. That is the legal floor for all employees not covered by an award or registered agreement. Most HVAC workers are covered by a modern award, such as the Building and Construction General On‑site Award or the Manufacturing Award. Award minimum rates are higher than the national minimum and were increased by 4.75% in the 2026 Annual Wage Review. The exact rate depends on your classification – for example, a qualified tradesperson under the Building Award earns a higher minimum than a labourer. You can check the Fair Work Commission’s Modern Awards Pay Database for precise figures.
Tax on an HVAC salary
For the 2026–27 income year, the resident tax rates are:
- Nil on the first $18,200
- 15% on income from $18,201 to $45,000
- 30% on income from $45,001 to $135,000
- 37% on income from $135,001 to $190,000
- 45% on income above $190,000
Plus the Medicare levy of 2% (before any reductions). On a yearly HVAC salary of $109,200, the tax (excluding the Medicare levy) would be roughly:
- $0 on the first $18,200
- 15% on $26,800 ($18,201–$45,000) = $4,020
- 30% on $64,200 ($45,001–$109,200) = $19,260
- Total tax: about $23,280, plus Medicare levy of about $2,184, for a total of about $25,464. That leaves about $83,736 after tax.
Where the figures come from
The HVAC median comes from the ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, customised for Jobs and Skills Australia. The national average comes from the ABS Average Weekly Earnings survey, which is published twice a year (May and November). The minimum wage is set by Fair Work after the Annual Wage Review. Learn more about how the figures are set.
Comparing your own pay
If you are an HVAC worker, you can place your salary on the line to see how it compares to the national full‑time average, the all‑occupations median, and the minimum wage. The tool shows your pay as a year, a week and an hour, and tells you how far above or below the line you sit.
Other HVAC roles
The Airconditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics occupation covers a range of roles, from installation and maintenance to repair of commercial and domestic systems. About 91% of workers in this occupation work full‑time, and the average full‑time hours are 43 per week – slightly above the standard 38‑hour week used in the tool. That means the hourly rate calculated from the median weekly earnings may be a little lower if you work longer hours. The median hourly earnings reported by Jobs and Skills Australia are $51, compared to the $55.26 derived from the weekly median on a 38‑hour week. The difference reflects the fact that many HVAC workers work more than 38 hours.
For a broader view of how different trades compare, see the job medians page. You can also explore industry medians to see how the construction and manufacturing sectors stack up.
Key takeaways
- The median HVAC salary is about $2,100 a week, $109,200 a year, or $55.26 an hour (on 38 hours).
- That is above the national full‑time average of $2,083.70 a week and well above the all‑occupations full‑time median of about $1,741 a week.
- State averages vary widely, with the highest full‑time averages in the ACT and Western Australia.
- The national minimum wage is $26.44 an hour, but award rates for HVAC workers are higher.
- Tax on a typical HVAC salary would be around $25,464 including the Medicare levy.
If you want to see where your own pay sits, use the line tool to get a personalised comparison.