Blog>Trade>Starting a Business>What is the average HVAC technician salary in the UK?
Last updated: 3 January 2025
What is the average HVAC technician salary in the UK?
Thinking of training to be an HVAC technician or getting extra hands for your HVAC installation business? Read our guide to see how much you could earn. As well as the different HVAC technician salary options you could provide.
In this article you'll find:
What does an HVAC technician make?
Maybe you’re looking to get started as an HVAC installer. Or perhaps you need to hire for your HVAC installation business.
Either way, it can be helpful to know the average salary for an HVAC engineer. That way you know what you could potentially earn in the role. And what sort of salary to provide to new staff.
However, how much you could make on an HVAC technician salary will depend on several factors. For example:
Experience
Qualifications
Specialism in certain areas
Outgoings (for sole trader or limited business owner)
So, to give you a better understanding of the average salary for an HVAC engineer, we’ve created this guide. Read on to learn all the details related to HVAC technician earnings throughout such a career.
| Level | Per hour | Per day | Per year | Business Costs* | Approximate Take Home Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | £12.50 | £100 | £21,950 | £0 | £18,420 |
| Newly Qualified | £17 | £136 | £29,852 | £0 | £23,793 |
| Employed | £24 | £192 | £49,920 | £0 | £37,928 |
| Sole Trader | £45 | £360 | £66,377 | £8,297 | £46,244 |
| Business Owner (ltd company) | £49 | £392 | £72,277 | £12,648 | £46,792 |
| *includes estimated costs for business expenses such as vehicle, tools, insurance, fuel etc | |||||
| Last updated: January 2025 Our costs are ballpark averages - get a local tradesperson to quote now | |||||
What is the average salary for an HVAC engineer?
As shown on our table, HVAC engineer earnings naturally vary, so what you take home will often depend on your skill level.
This is certainly true if you run your own HVAC installation business. But when it comes to an average installer’s salary, HVAC technicians can expect to earn £49,920 per year.
Of course, these sorts of earnings indicate a degree of experience.
Looking at the salary for an HVAC apprentice, this is closer to £21,950per year. Or, alternatively, an HVAC business owner salary could be as high as £66,377per yearfor sole traders. And £72,277per year, if you run a limited company.
Find more work with job leads for HVAC technicians
Tap into existing interest of people wanting work done in their homes
What does an HVAC engineer earn per month?
While it’s always handy to know what your yearly income is, it can also help to see a monthly breakdown.
This is especially true if you’re paying employees per month, and you want to see what your overheads are like.
Below is a look at the average HVAC technician salary per month:
Apprentice engineer – £2,166.50per month
Newly qualified engineer – £2,946.44per month
Employed engineer – £4,159.68per month
Sole trader engineer – £7,799.40per month
HVAC installation limited company owner – £8,492.68per month
What does an HVAC engineer earn per day?
Much like monthly earnings, daily earnings can also be very useful to know when paying staff. As well as knowing how much to charge per day on larger client projects and budgeting effectively.
Below is the average HVAC technician salary per day in the UK:
Apprentice engineer – £100per day
Newly qualified engineer – £136per day
Employed engineer – £192per day
Sole trader engineer – £360per day
HVAC installation limited company owner – £392per day
How to devise an HVAC marketing plan
How do I market my HVAC company? Marketing is all about improving your business’ profile. To win more customers, you need to get your name out there. Building your brand is an essential part of any marketing plan. Improving brand awareness will help you to increase your customer base and make more
How to earn more money as an HVAC engineer
When it comes to boosting your income as an HVAC system installer, the process is very similar to other trades. In fact, generally speaking, the best way to earn more money is to gain more experience.
Naturally, this is easier said than done for those just starting out in their careers. But that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. For example, you could set your sights on getting further qualifications and work experience to take on more complex jobs.
Take a look at our top tips below to see just what you can be doing to improve job profitability:
Make sure you're charging enough to cover your outgoings (tools, materials, insurance, marketing, wages, fuel, etc…)
Focus on certain types of jobs that make you the most money and require you to spend the least money to complete
Limit how far you need to travel between jobs to minimise fuel costs
Reduce your outgoings by avoiding excessive loans and business debt
Shop around for the best deals on tools, equipment, materials, and workwear
Get your business name out there through marketing to attract more customers
Provide a good customer experience on every job to boost your reputation
Join a trade directory, like Checkatrade, to access a wider customer base
On the other hand, if you own an HVAC company, you want to check the work you do is profitable. Of course, if your business is only just starting out, you might not know where to start with this.
Our fixed membership option lets you build the plan that’s perfect for you and your business needs.
Starting your Checkatrade journey
Why should tradespeople join Checkatrade? Checkatrade is making it easier for reputable tradespeople to find work and take on more projects. In 2024 alone, there were over 22 million searches for skilled trade jobs on the Checkatrade website.* It highlights how popular the service has become with British homeowners.
Earn more as an HVAC installer with Checkatrade
You should now have a good idea of how much to offer an HVAC technician when it comes to salaries.
But if you want help taking your business to even greater heights, then you could consider joining Checkatrade.
There are a number of reasons to consider becoming a member. Not least because there were over 1 million people looking for central heating work, and 90,000people searched for air conditioning jobs on the Checkatrade website last year.*
For example:
Optimised business profile with all your relevant information
Certain number of job leads throughout the year
Support from membership advice team
Access to dedicated trades app (for job management, offers, quoting and more)
Guaranteed work up to £1,000 (T&Cs apply)
Our fixed term membership plans give you an easier way to help manage marketing spend for a set volume of leads.
Get in touch with the Checkatrade team today to learn more about signing up.
Improve your earnings with Checkatrade
Get more HVAC leads and increase your revenue - starting today!
FAQs
Is heating, ventilation, and air conditioning work profitable?
The HVAC industry has been growing in recent years and doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. So, the answer is yes, HVAC work can be very profitable, provided you take on well-paying jobs.
Of course, just how much profit you can make will depend on your business size and expenditures. Besides salary costs, make sure you account for work vehicle insurance, fuel, materials, tools, insurance, and more.
What is HVAC technician pay?
Quite simply, this is the agreed salary for a technician working on any HVAC system. If you're using paid staff or subcontractors, this will be the agreed amount. Whether that is pay by the hour, day rate, or a monthly salary.
Improve your earnings with Checkatrade
Get more HVAC leads and increase your revenue - starting today!
* Internal data from users of the Checkatrade.com website in 2024