2026’s Top Women in HVACR: Thirteen Leaders Share Their Success

An industry group has named its 2026 list of top women working in heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR), spotlighting thirteen leaders in the field. The recognition points to a workforce trend worth knowing about if you're planning a home energy upgrade: the trade is growing. Federal labor data cited in the honor cites projected 40,100 job openings a year in HVACR through 2034, with employment expected to grow 8.1% over the decade, adding 34,500 jobs. The field's 2024 median annual wage was $59,810.

For homeowners, this isn't a program or rebate announcement, but it does speak to something practical: as more people, including more women, enter HVACR careers, the pool of technicians and installers who service furnaces, air conditioners, and heat pumps should keep expanding. That matters if you've ever struggled to book a timely appointment for a repair, replacement, or an efficiency upgrade like a heat pump install.

The honorees themselves work across the industry in roles from business ownership to engineering to sales, showing the range of paths within HVACR work. There's no specific action for homeowners here, no deadline or rebate tied to this story. It's simply a sign that the workforce responsible for keeping home heating and cooling systems running, and for helping homeowners transition to more efficient equipment, continues to grow and diversify.