Licensed supply, credential mix, wages and demand outlook for HVAC technicians in Santa Cruz County, CA, updated nightly from the state register and BLS.
Santa Cruz County, CA carries 57 licensed HVAC technicians and a median wage of $78,330/yr ($37.66/hr).
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This county sits at the 99th percentile nationally for HVAC technicians pay, above the median US county. Average weekly wages across the county's construction trades fell 0.0% year over year (BLS QCEW).
Counties within 150 miles whose published median for this occupation is higher than Santa Cruz County's. Medians from the same BLS OEWS series shown above, not offers, and pay is only one reason to move.
| County | Median | Difference | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa County, CA | $84,570 | +$6,240 | 105 mi |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $82,050 | +$3,720 | 23 mi |
| San Benito County, CA | $82,050 | +$3,720 | 58 mi |
| Sonoma County, CA | $79,510 | +$1,180 | 116 mi |
| San Mateo County, CA | $78,490 | +$160 | 34 mi |
Active, licensed firms and master-tier individuals on the CA register.
| Name | Tier |
|---|---|
| Affordable Heating & Air Service Corp | Contractor |
| Air Cooling Mechanical | Contractor |
| Ba Refrigeration Inc | Contractor |
| Bogner HVAC | Contractor |
| Bogners All Air Corp | Contractor |
| Bruce Mechanical Inc | Contractor |
| Cen - Cal Heating & Air Conditioning | Contractor |
| Coastline Mechanical | Contractor |
| Comfort Mechanical Service Inc | Contractor |
| D.r. Refrigeration And Welding | Contractor |
Counted from ATI's nightly diff of the CA 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.
| Movement | Workers | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New licences issued | 0 | People who entered the licensed workforce here. |
| Licences lapsed | 5 | Expired or not renewed. Retirement, relocation or leaving the trade. |
| Moved up a credential tier | 0 | Apprentice to journeyman, journeyman to master, and so on. |
| Net change | -5 | New licences minus lapsed. Negative means the licensed base shrank. |
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.
| Measure | Value | What it counts |
|---|---|---|
| Employer establishments | 105 | Physical business locations in this industry. |
| Industry employment | 900 | Everyone on those payrolls, not only licensed trades. |
| Annual industry payroll | $72M | Total wages paid across those establishments (Census CBP, 2023). |
County-wide construction activity, across all trades rather than HVAC technicians specifically. Each figure names its source and the period it covers.
| Measure | Value | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| New housing units permitted | 470 | Last full year, county-wide. 18 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 employment | 3,057 | Everyone working in construction in this county, all trades and office staff. Average pay $1,338 per week. BLS QCEW. |
| Median year homes were built | 1974 | Older 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 | -1,331 | People who moved in minus people who moved out, from IRS address changes. Arrivals need housing, wiring, plumbing and heat. |
2.1 licensed HVAC technicians per 10,000 residents; 28 licensed holders per 100 estimated workers in the trade; 3.9 registered apprentices per 100 estimated workers; 0.3 apprentices per 10,000 residents. A thin pipeline against an ageing licensed base is how a shortage forms years before it shows up in wages.
License register: 2026-09-17; Wages: 2025-05-31; Demand: 2026-09-17; Apprenticeship: 2025-12-31.
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