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Licensed HVAC technicians in Caldwell County, NC, Greater Hickory Metro Area: Workforce, Wages & Demand

Licensed supply, credential mix, wages and demand outlook for HVAC technicians in Caldwell County, NC, updated nightly from the state register and BLS.

Caldwell County, NC carries 22 licensed HVAC technicians and a median wage of $50,300/yr ($24.18/hr).

22
licensed HVAC technicians
$50,300
median annual wage (BLS OEWS, metro area)
58
construction demand index

See where HVAC technicians earn more near you

A free report on your market: what the trade pays here, where your credential sits against the local licensed workforce, and the nearby counties that pay more, with the difference and the distance. No account needed.

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How the pay compares

This county sits at the 13th percentile nationally for HVAC technicians pay, below the median US county. Average weekly wages across the county's construction trades fell 0.4% year over year (BLS QCEW).

Where HVAC technicians earn more near Caldwell County

Counties within 150 miles whose published median for this occupation is higher than Caldwell County's. Medians from the same BLS OEWS series shown above, not offers, and pay is only one reason to move.

CountyMedianDifferenceDistance
Iredell County, NC$59,840+$9,54037 mi
Lincoln County, NC$59,840+$9,54037 mi
Gaston County, NC$59,840+$9,54050 mi
Rowan County, NC$59,840+$9,54060 mi
Mecklenburg County, NC$59,840+$9,54063 mi

Licensed workforce by level

Journeyman11
Contractor11

Licensed HVAC Technician contractors near Caldwell County

Active, licensed firms and master-tier individuals on the NC register.

NameTier
Clyde McMillonContractor
Dh ServicesContractor
Frst Response Heating & Cooling (dba)Contractor
Gragg Heating & Air Cond.Contractor
James Christopher LowdermilkContractor
John Henry AllisonContractor
Maynard Huston Annas IIIContractor
Phil Eugene InmanContractor
Randy Daniel AnnasContractor
Robert D. GilbertContractor

Caldwell County within the Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC metro

Caldwell County holds 17% of the metro area's 129 licensed HVAC technicians (the third-largest HVAC technicians pool among its 4 counties), at 2.7 per 10,000 residents against 3.5 metro-wide; the largest pool is Catawba County with 65.

Who entered and left in the last 12 months

Counted from ATI's nightly diff of the NC register itself, over the trailing year. Runs that failed a data-quality gate are excluded, so a scraper outage is never reported as workers leaving.

MovementWorkersWhat it means
New licences issued1People who entered the licensed workforce here.
Licences lapsed0Expired or not renewed. Retirement, relocation or leaving the trade.
Moved up a credential tier0Apprentice to journeyman, journeyman to master, and so on.
Net change1New licences minus lapsed. Negative means the licensed base shrank.

Who employs HVAC technicians here

Employment from the BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages for the industry this trade sits in; payroll from the Census County Business Patterns. Establishment counts are QCEW where the county is disclosed and an ATI estimate otherwise.

MeasureValueWhat it counts
Employer establishments11Physical business locations in this industry.
Annual industry payroll$5MTotal wages paid across those establishments (Census CBP, 2023).

How much work is in Caldwell County

County-wide construction activity, across all trades rather than HVAC technicians specifically. Each figure names its source and the period it covers.

MeasureValueWhat it means for you
New housing units permitted501Last full year, county-wide. 62 per 10,000 residents. Permits lead construction hiring by months, so this is the earliest honest signal of work arriving (Census Building Permits Survey).
Construction employment649Everyone working in construction in this county, all trades and office staff. Average pay $1,025 per week. BLS QCEW.
Median year homes were built1980Older stock means more repair, replacement and retrofit work, which is steadier than new build and does not stop in a downturn (Census ACS).
Net migration+443People who moved in minus people who moved out, from IRS address changes. Arrivals need housing, wiring, plumbing and heat.

Density and pipeline

2.7 licensed HVAC technicians per 10,000 residents. A thin pipeline against an ageing licensed base is how a shortage forms years before it shows up in wages.

Common questions

How many licensed HVAC technicians are in Caldwell County, NC?
Caldwell County has 22 licensed HVAC technicians on the NC register.
What do HVAC technicians earn in Caldwell County?
The median annual wage for this occupation in this market is $50,300 ($24.18/hour), per BLS OEWS.
Is this a job board?
No. This page is ATI's own licensed-workforce and market data for this county and trade. Job listings above, where present, are an additive real-time layer, not the page's core content.
Is this page for Hickory specifically?
This page covers all of Caldwell County, NC, which is part of the Greater Hickory metro area (the Census-defined metro this county belongs to), so it includes but is not limited to Hickory proper.

License register: 2026-09-17; Wages: 2025-05-31; Demand: 2026-09-17.

Related pages

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Caldwell County, NC skilled trades market
Electrician
Electricians in Caldwell County, NC
Fire Sprinkler Fitter
Fire Sprinkler Fitters in Caldwell County, NC
Plumber
Plumbers in Caldwell County, NC
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