Which States Are Best for an HVAC Education and Career?

It’s no secret that college is becoming exponentially more expensive and saddling the next generation of the workforce with nearly insurmountable debt.  

In fact, according to new research conducted by Service Direct, since 1963, universities and colleges have raised tuition by more than 747%, making these institutions of higher learning nearly impossible to afford without taking out student loans. And, according to the Education Data Initiative, the average student loan debt out of 42.2 million students was $39,981.  

But there is currently a great opportunity out there for those just graduating high school, or looking for a new lease on life — a chance to start a career in the trades. Young people are also starting to realize Continuing Technical Education (CTE) or a vocational educational course can lead to a stable career that offers a wide array of opportunities. As demand soars and technicians are in short supply, the industry is eager to welcome the next wave of workers.  

As a way to help those looking to embark on this journey, Service Direct’s new report ranks the best states for technicians to get their education, find employment, and make a comfortable living.  

Molly Weybright, content strategist at Service Direct, said they’ve been working with tradespeople for nearly 20 years and know how vital these professionals are to their local economy.  

“As more young people are choosing alternative career paths over college, it’s important that they are equipped with information on where they are likely to see the most success,” Weybright said. “We wanted to help educate aspiring tradespeople on where they would see that success. The biggest takeaway HVAC professionals can glean from the article is that areas with high fluctuations in temperature will be safer bets than areas with consistent, year-round weather like California. Additionally, investing in education on sustainable HVAC practices will only serve to help HVAC professionals across the board. Ultimately, choosing a career in the trades is not only a worthwhile, solid decision — it’s also an exceedingly smart one. Knowing where to aim your goals as a tradesperson will only serve to benefit you and your future customers in the long term.” 

It is more often the case now that a state public education institution or a trade school will provide these courses that can help launch a career in the trades.  

“From here, you can enlist in an internship or apprenticeship and gain certification before applying for a trade position,” Service Direct’s research suggests. “This process is significantly cheaper than the traditional four-year institution — over 50% less, according to Zippia. In addition, many skilled tradespeople start their own businesses, allowing them to boost their financial earnings and career success.” 

So, when looking for a place to get trades certification or to start a business or career, what are the best states to do that in? 

The Ranking System 

To determine where states would fall in their hierarchy, Service Direct examined the varying economic conditions, such as cost of living expenses (groceries, housing, transportation, childcare, etc.), population size, customer pool, unemployment rates, and whether a particular state offers grants or resources.  

By examining these various factors, Service Direct collected the average income of “Construction and Extraction Occupations” from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2023, which included most trades such as construction, manufacturing, farming, and transportation.  

“We then collected the 2023 cost-of-living index for each state,” the report states. “The cost of living index is a parameter that judges how expensive groceries, transportation, housing, childcare, etc., are compared to the rest of the country. As a baseline, the United States cost of living index is 100; therefore, any state with a cost of living index below this number is cheaper to live in than the national average, and any state above this number is more expensive. By dividing the average salary of a skilled trade worker in each state by the corresponding cost of living index, we created a ratio total that indicates the earning potential for each state.” 

States were then ordered with the highest earning totals, which were weighed with CTE certification success rate in the event of a .1 difference.  

How They Stack Up 

According to the data collected and the ranking system applied, Service Direct ranked these states as the best to pursue a career in HVAC: 

1) Illinois: “Illinois is at the top of our list for good reason,” the report states. “Illinois offers nearly perfect economic conditions for anyone wanting to build a trade career.” 

Financial Overview (FO): Average trade income according to BLS: $76,930 (2023). Its cost of living index score is 92.1, which was below the national average of 100, helping to earn a total incoming and cost of living ratio of 835.  

“With this sum, Illinois easily tops the list,” the report states. “Even though Illinois may not offer the highest income out of all the states listed, it has a high enough income for workers to take home more financial gain after paying for essential needs like groceries, housing, transportation, and childcare.” 

Job Market Analysis (JMA): With Chicago being a major manufacturing hub, there are excellent opportunities for employment. However, Illinois’ unemployment rate is 4.4%, higher than the national average of 4%, but that has been slowly declining.  

Learning and Earning (LE): With 78.2% of CTE students earning a certificate or diploma, it is vastly higher than the average of all states (63%).  

2) Minnesota: “Minnesota may have cold winters, but it will feel much warmer for anyone wanting to build a trade career due to its low cost of living, low unemployment rate, and high earnings,” the report states. 

FO: Average income is $70,580, but with a low cost of living score of 94.1, the state’s income and cost of living index ratio is 750.  

JMA: With unemployment at 2.7%, “if you find a job as a trade worker in Minnesota, you’re more likely to keep it or find another one quickly if you lose it,” the report states.  

LE: Over 52% of students in Minnesota CET programs earn a certificate, which, while on the lower side, “90.2% of students find positions within six months of completing their education.” 

Minnesota also utilizes the Perkins V Act, a federal program that provides financial aid to states to educate students on vocational interests. The CTE program also has work-based learning, quality facilities, and leadership programs.  

3) Missouri: “There may be no better metaphor for Missouri’s commitment to trade than the St. Louis Gateway Arch, one of the most iconic Missouri landmarks,” the report states. “At 630 feet, the arch is one of the tallest manufactured monuments, symbolizing the wonders Missouri workers make with the proper support.” 

FO: Missouri ranks in the top three namely due to its low cost of living index score of 88.5, far below the national average of 100. With an average income of $62,340, its ratioed score is 704.  

JMA: With an unemployment rate of 3.4%, Missouri has several lucrative industries, and is investing in growing its cities and buildings.  

LE: “Missouri has a highly interconnected CTE program with over 518 high schools, community colleges, and state agencies to encourage students to build their working experience in trade industries,” the report states. Although its CTE score is only 38.1%, over 97% of students who attend Missouri-funded CTE programs graduate.  

4) New Jersey: “Within our analysis, we continually ranked East Coast states lower because of high unemployment scores and high living costs,” the report states. “However, New Jersey was the only East Coast state that managed to rank higher for multiple reasons.” 

FO:  Although its cost of living score is higher at 113.9, the average income is $77,840, giving them a ratio of 683.  

JMA: Thanks to its ports, the manufacturing industry is strong, contributing $54 billion to its GDP in 2019, but it does have a higher unemployment rate of 4.7%. “However, since New Jersey is such an extensive hub of other industries, including leisure and hospitality, it’s difficult to say where this unemployment comes from,” the report states.  

LE: New Jersey has a CTE and apprenticeship program for various careers, that provides grants for students. Within this program, 44% earned a certification, and 99% graduated.  

5) North Dakota: “As the fourth least densely populated state in the United States, you may not think of North Dakota as a great place to build a career,” the report states. “However, this population may change over time after looking at the statistics that make this state profitable for trade workers.” 

FO: With an average trades income of $64,250 and a cost-of-living index of 94.6, its earning ratio stands at 679.  

JMA: With its status as the second largest producer of fossil fuels, there is plenty of demand for the trades. It also has one of the lowest unemployment rates at just 2.2% 

LE: North Dakota has an “Education and Workforce Initiative,” where students receive ongoing career counseling and receive a CTE education. “Over 45% of students participating in this program receive certification and 96% graduate overall,” the report states. “Again, this discrepancy indicates that although some students may not receive their certificate immediately upon graduation, that doesn’t hinder their success. In fact, 82% of students completed apprenticeship or employment after graduation instead. “ 

Rounding out the rest of the states (and the District of Columbia), the data is presented in the following format: average trades income, cost of living index score, income and cost of living index ratio, unemployment rate, and CTE success rate. 

6) Wisconsin: $64,120, 95.1, 674, 2.90%, 70.10%; 7) Indiana: $61,310, 91.0, 674, 3.60%, 100%; 8) Michigan: $60,600, 90.6, 669, 3.20%, 41.40%; 9) Washington: $77,320, 116, 667, 4.80%, 48.70%; 10) Nevada: $65,540, 101.1, 649, 5.10%, 44.70%; 11) Pennsylvania: $61,810, 95.6, 647, 3.40%, 81.70%; 12) Ohio: $61,020, 94.7, 644, 4.00%, 77.20%; 13) Iowa: $57,940, 90.3, 642, 2.80%, 58.60%; 14) Wyoming: $58,880, 92.4, 637, 2.80%, 100%; 15) West Virginia: $55,740, 87.7, 636, 4.30%, 67.70%; 16) Kansas: $55,010, 87.1, 632, 2.80%, 80%; 17) Oklahoma: $52,440, 86.2, 608, 3.50%, 64.60%; 18) Delaware: $61,320, 101.1, 607, 3.20%, 100%; 19) Rhode Island: $67,140, 110.7, 607, 4.10%, 19.90%; 20) Nebraska: $54,430, 90.9, 599, 2.50%, 49.60%; 21) Oregon: $68,740, 114.7, 599, 4.20%, 48.50%; 22) Alaska: $74,650, 125.2, 596, 4.50%, 39.50%; 23) Connecticut: $67,060, 112.8, 595, 4.40%, 97.50%; 24) New York: $73,550, 125.9, 584, 4.20%, 52.40%; 25) Kentucky: $53,650, 92.0, 583, 4.60%, 72.60%; 26) Louisiana: $52,760, 91.0, 580, 4.30%, 56.90%; 27) Georgia: $52,480, 90.8, 578, 4.10%, 61.20%; 28) Colorado: $60,560, 105.1, 576, 3.70%, 100%; 29) Montana: $58,990, 102.9, 573, 3.30%, 100%; 30) Tennessee: $51,440, 90.3, 570, 3.10%, 57.70%; 31) Texas: $52,260, 92.7, 564, 4.00%, 52%; 32) Mississippi: $48,450, 96.3, 561, 2.80%, 86.50%; 33) New Mexico: $52,060, 94.0, 554, 3.30%, 51.80%; 34) Alabama: $48,910, 88.3, 554, 3.10%, 52.40%; 35) South Dakota: $50,080, 92.4, 542, 2.00%, 68.10%; 36) Massachusetts: $79,120, 146.5, 540, 2.20%, 51.60%; 37) Utah: $55,530, 103.2, 538, 2.80%, 64%; 38) Virginia: $54,860, 101.9, 538, 2.80%, 37.20%; 39) California: $74,240, 138.5, 536, 5.30%, 84.60%; 40) North Carolina: $50,980, 95.3, 535, 3.50%, 42.30%; 41) Idaho: $52,260, 98.6, 530, 3.30%, 42.50%; 42) South Carolina: $49,880, 95.3, 523, 3.10%, 100%; 43) New Hampshire: $59,410, 114.3, 521, 2.40%, 88.80%; 44) Arkansas: $46,400, 89.0, 521, 3.40%, 66.70%; 45) Arizona: $56,490, 108.4, 521, 3.60%, 54%; 46) Maryland: $60,530, 109.9, 510, 3.50%, 35.30%; 47) Maine: $56,050, 109.9, 510, 3.10%, 45.90%; 48) Florida: $51,280, 100.7, 509, 3.30%, 58%; 49) Vermont: $69,750, 146.8, 475, 2.10%, 22%; 50) District of Columbia: $69,750, 146.8, 475, 2.10%, 22%; 51) Hawaii: $79,770, 180.3, 442, 3.10%, 68.10%. 

Making Sense of The Numbers 

While there is a lot of data to sort through, one thing that’s clear is any one number on its own isn’t enough to base a conclusion on.  

“Based on our findings, we concluded that even though some states may have a higher average income for trade workers, they may be less advantageous to work in due to a high cost of living, unemployment rates, and education potential. For example, Hawaii has one of the highest average incomes on the list, at $79,770, yet we rated it as the lowest state because of its 180.3 cost of living index, nearly twice the national average,” the report states.  

Service Direct also found Midwest states to often rank high due to low cost of living and strong industrial output. There also was a strong relationship between states with higher average incomes versus those with higher CTE success rates.  

“Earning a certificate in your vocation doesn’t guarantee a high salary,” the report states. “Many people may earn a certificate and build their career elsewhere due to earning potential or lifestyle preferences.” 

The full report can be found at https://blog.servicedirect.com/best-states-for-trades.