SOC 49-9021

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + TX
COL Index: 107.37 (+7.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 78.8% Realized
$46,426 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $58,940 $28.34/hr
Effective Tax Drag 15.23% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$8,977 $345.28/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $28.34 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,536/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$424/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,468
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,654
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$855
Texas Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$0
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$46,426 ($1,785.63 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX HVAC/R Technician Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $58,940
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $38.8k 25th $47.0k Median: $58,940 50th (Median) $58.9k 75th $73.9k 90th $83.1k You: $58,940
10th (Entry) $38,780 $18.64/hr
25th (Junior) $47,040 $22.62/hr
50th (Median) $58,940 $28.34/hr
75th (Senior) $73,900 $35.53/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $83,120 $39.96/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for HVAC/R Technician in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX
1
HVAC Apprentice / HelperEPA 608 Universal Certification, trade school certificate
$36,904$17.74/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Service TechnicianNATE certification, independent diagnostic electrical skills
$56,998$27.40/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Lead Commercial HVAC TechChiller, VRF, and building automation system certifications
$75,837$36.46/hr · 5-9 Years
4
HVAC Mechanical ContractorState Mechanical Contractor license, bonded, business operations
$104,336$50.16/hr · 9+ Years
Scaled to the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX medianView National HVAC/R Technician Salary Data
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
33% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,261/month Requires minimum annual gross of $50,440
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,497/month Requires minimum annual gross of $59,880
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $23.75/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $20.58/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$58,940-$8,977$46,426$1,785.63
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$69,991-$11,069$54,722$2,104.71
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$81,043-$14,129$62,051$2,386.56
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$92,094-$17,260$69,308$2,665.69
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$103,145-$20,391$76,565$2,944.82
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

HVAC/R Technician in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Texas tax codes.

Market Baseline
$58,940/yr
$28.34/hr · SOC 49-9021
Statutory Tax Drag
15.23% Effective
-$8,977 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
33% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,608/mo
Post-$1,261/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 49-9021
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

HVAC/R Technician in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: Market Snapshot

HVAC/R Technician roles in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX report a median annual wage of $58,940, 3.4% below the national median of $61,010. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $38,780 to $83,120, and HUD’s $1,261 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 25.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $23.75 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for HVAC/R Technician

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fairbanks-College, AK$93,820+59.2%
Anchorage, AK$85,620+45.3%
Napa, CA$84,570+43.5%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$82,050+39.2%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,100+35.9%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$79,510+34.9%
Peoria, IL$78,710+33.5%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$78,640+33.4%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,530+33.2%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,490+33.2%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$275,270$132.34/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$172,160$82.77/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$172,020$82.70/hr
Financial Manager$166,910$80.25/hr
Marketing Managers$153,030$73.57/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$148,870$71.57/hr
Human Resources Managers$142,110$68.32/hr
Data Engineer$139,100$66.88/hr
Purchasing Managers$139,050$66.85/hr
Physician Assistant$137,240$65.98/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 389 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX Overview

HVAC/R Technician median pay in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX is $58,940 a year ($28.34/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD. Official 2026 economic data for HVAC/R Technician in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a HVAC/R Technician in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX?

The median annual wage is $58,940 ($28.34 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $38,780 and $83,120. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a HVAC/R Technician in Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX after taxes?

On the median wage of $58,940, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $49,538 a year ($4,128 a month) after $9,402 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 15.95%, using 2026 tax rules.