The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) publishes wage data every year from its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. The latest release, published May 15, 2026, covers May 2025. Here's what it says about the three core home-service trades in Texas's two biggest metros.
The short version
- In both Dallas–Fort Worth and Houston, the median HVAC tech, plumber and electrician earns about $28 to $29.50 an hour, roughly $59,000 to $61,000 a year.
- Local medians sit at or slightly above the Texas median, and a little below the national median.
- The spread is wide: the 90th percentile earns $39 to $41 an hour. Experienced service technicians are not paid like entry-level hires.
HVAC mechanics and installers
| Area | Jobs | 10th pct. | 25th pct. | Median | 75th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas–Fort Worth | 10,910 | $19.37 | $23.01 | $28.63 | $35.71 | $40.81 |
| Houston | 7,680 | $18.65 | $22.61 | $28.34 | $35.53 | $39.96 |
| Texas | 34,730 | $27.77 | ||||
| United States | 409,670 | $29.33 |
Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters
| Area | Jobs | 10th pct. | 25th pct. | Median | 75th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas–Fort Worth | 11,980 | $18.92 | $23.04 | $29.45 | $36.20 | $39.53 |
| Houston | 10,980 | $19.19 | $23.68 | $29.47 | $36.39 | $41.19 |
| Texas | 44,090 | $28.77 | ||||
| United States | 465,840 | $30.67 |
Electricians
| Area | Jobs | 10th pct. | 25th pct. | Median | 75th pct. | 90th pct. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas–Fort Worth | 20,930 | $18.63 | $22.85 | $28.37 | $34.32 | $39.26 |
| Houston | 19,730 | $18.66 | $22.71 | $28.45 | $35.44 | $40.61 |
| Texas | 76,770 | $28.16 | ||||
| United States | 757,220 | $30.38 |
Hourly wages, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. "Jobs" is the BLS employment estimate for the metro area.
Demand isn't slowing down
BLS projects employment growth from 2025 to 2035 of 11% for HVAC mechanics ("much faster than average"), 9% for electricians and 7% for plumbers, with about 40,600, 72,700 and 42,000 openings a year nationally (HVAC, electricians, plumbers). Many openings come from people retiring or leaving the trade, not just growth.
How to use these numbers when you hire
- Pay for the tech you actually need. A maintenance tech can sit near the 25th percentile. A service tech who diagnoses alone and sells repairs is a 75th-percentile hire or above.
- Compare total earnings, not just the hourly rate. Commission, spiffs, flat-rate pay, overtime in peak season and a take-home truck all count, and good candidates do this math.
- Put the range in the job ad. Technicians skip ads without pay, and it saves both sides time.
- Expect to pay above median to move someone who's employed. The best candidates already have a job. A clear step up in pay, schedule or growth is what gets them to switch.
Need help pricing a role? Tell us about it and we'll share what we're seeing from candidates. Technicians wondering what they're worth can send us their details.