Mid-career commercial HVAC project managers typically earn roughly $99,500 to $126,000 in base salary nationally, with entry-level roles around $78,500 to $99,500 and senior project managers reaching $126,000 to $173,000. These ranges come from Gulfstream's salary guides, anchored to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics median of $104,900 for Construction Managers (SOC 11-9021, May 2023) and adjusted by metro.
By Eric Dickerson, Founder, Gulfstream Strategic Placements. Last updated: September 6, 2026.
The honest answer is a range, not a number, because HVAC project manager pay moves with three things: the metro you work in, the size of the projects you run, and whether you manage one job at a time or a portfolio. A PM running a single $2 million tenant-improvement job and a PM carrying $30 million across four hospital projects both hold the same title.
| Level | Typical base range | Who this describes |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | $78,500 – $99,500 | First PM seat after project engineering or field supervision |
| Mid-career | $99,500 – $126,000 | Running your own jobs, roughly 5 to 12 years in |
| Senior | $126,000 – $173,000 | Portfolio responsibility, key accounts, mentoring junior PMs |
Metro matters more than most candidates expect. The same mid-career role pays about $102,500 in Jacksonville and about $152,500 in San Francisco, because local wage levels and cost of living differ. Our metro-by-metro table shows all 35 markets we track.
Boise sits close to the national wage baseline, so expect mid-career HVAC project manager base pay near the national mid-career range of $99,500 to $126,000. For context on local field wages, the U.S. Department of Labor's Davis-Bacon determination for the Boise metro lists UA Local 296 journeyman plumbers at $39.90 per hour base plus $18.67 in fringe — about $83,000 a year in base wages at full-time hours. Project managers are salaried and negotiate above journey-level field scale, but the union sheet is a useful floor for understanding what the local market pays for mechanical work.
One caveat: these are base salary ranges, not total compensation. Bonuses, vehicle allowances and profit sharing commonly add 10 to 25 percent at the senior level, and they vary too much by company to quote honestly as a single figure.
Nationally, roughly $78,500 to $99,500 in base salary, based on BLS-anchored ranges in Gulfstream's salary guides. Most people reach a first PM seat after time as a project engineer, estimator or field supervisor.
Boise tracks close to the national baseline, so expect mid-career base pay near $99,500 to $126,000. For local context, the federal Davis-Bacon determination lists UA Local 296 journeyman plumbers at $39.90 per hour base plus $18.67 fringe in the Boise metro.
Usually, yes. Bonus, vehicle allowance and profit sharing commonly add 10 to 25 percent at senior levels, but structures vary widely by contractor, so compare total compensation rather than base alone.
Total compensation is often comparable. Union-side packages shift more value into pension and health benefits; open-shop offers tend to weight base salary and bonus. Compare the full package, not the hourly or base figure alone.
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