Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, aged to 2026 using compounded market movement. State selections show BLS state-level figures where published. Actual pay varies with experience, industry, and organization size.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary by state
Base salary plus target annual bonus. Target bonus opportunity scales with role level, so a higher base carries a higher target percentage.
Base salary
$67,000
National baseline
Target bonus
$7,000
10.2% of base
Total target cash
$74,000
Base plus target bonus
Bonus percentiles:25th$4,00050th$7,00075th$11,500
Long-term incentive is not shown for this role. Equity awards are only disclosed publicly for the named executive officers of public companies, so no market figure exists for most jobs. See executive pay disclosures.
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About this role
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers is a professional role within the function in the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair job family.
Typical entry preparation: Post-Secondary Certificate and up to 1 year of related work experience, per O*NET occupational data. Advancement typically requires additional years in role.
What Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installerss do
Typical education: Post-Secondary Certificate
Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.
Study blueprints, design specifications, or manufacturers' recommendations to ascertain the configuration of heating or cooling equipment components and to ensure the proper installation of components.
Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.
Connect heating or air conditioning equipment to fuel, water, or refrigerant source to form complete circuit.
Top skills:Operations MonitoringTroubleshootingCritical ThinkingRepairingReading ComprehensionInstallation
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers pay by experience level
Entry level$41,500
Typical starting pay (about the 10th percentile)
Early career$50,000
A few years in (about the 25th percentile)
Experienced$63,000
Mid-career median pay
Senior$80,000
Seasoned professionals (about the 75th percentile)
Top earners$98,500
Highest earners (about the 90th percentile)
Experience tiers are derived from the BLS wage percentile distribution for this occupation, aged to 2026. Actual pay varies by employer, location, and specialization.
Job outlook
+8.1%
projected change in jobs, 2024–2034
40,100
projected openings per year
Growing faster than average
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program (2024–2034). Openings include growth and replacement needs.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary by industry
Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS
10,420 workers
$76,500
Repair and Maintenance
10,130 workers
$66,000
Administrative and Support Services
9,410 workers
$67,500
Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers
8,480 workers
$68,000
Fuel Dealers
8,480 workers
$68,000
National sector-level figures, BLS OEWS May 2025, aged to 2026.
Who works in this role
About 561,000 people held this occupation in the United States in 2025.
Women
2.7%
White
80.9%
Black or African American
10.4%
Asian
4.4%
Hispanic or Latino
26.7%
Race categories and Hispanic or Latino ethnicity overlap, so shares can sum to more than 100 percent. Figures describe this occupation across the national workforce, not any single employer. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, Annual Averages, Table 11, 2025.
Pay trend
National median annual wage, 2020 to 2025: $50,590 to $61,010.
+20.6% over this period
Medians as published each May in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics national estimates. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS.
Pay by experience level
How annual pay for this occupation spreads from newcomers to the highest paid, aged to 2026.
Entry10th percentile
$41,500
Early career25th percentile
$50,000
Median50th percentile
$63,000
Experienced75th percentile
$80,000
Top earners90th percentile
$98,500
Bands are the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentile annual wages for this occupation nationally. Percentiles reflect the full mix of tenure, employer, and location, so they approximate but do not equal years of experience. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS national estimates.
Where this job pays most
Top-paying states for this occupation, average annual wage aged to 2026.
State averages for this occupation from the BLS OEWS state estimates. Cost of living differs by state; a higher wage does not always mean more buying power.
Source: U.S. Department of Labor, O*NET occupational database.
Typical duties and FLSA status
Core duties
Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.
Study blueprints, design specifications, or manufacturers' recommendations to ascertain the configuration of heating or cooling equipment components and to ensure the proper installation of components.
Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.
Connect heating or air conditioning equipment to fuel, water, or refrigerant source to form complete circuit.
FLSA classification (typical)
Typically Non-exempt · Service, trades, or production work
Occupations in this SOC group are typically classified as Non-exempt and eligible for overtime pay under FLSA rules. Actual classification depends on the specific job duties, salary basis, and any applicable state or local rules. The current federal salary threshold for exemption is $684 per week ($35,568 per year), per the 2020 Department of Labor rule; the 2024 rule that would have raised the threshold was struck down by federal court in November 2024.
Pay outlook
Five-year pay outlook for this title
2026$67,000
2027$69,500
2028$72,000
2029$74,500
2030$77,000
2031$79,500
Projection assumes market wages keep rising about 3.5% a year, consistent with recent wage growth measured by the BLS Employment Cost Index. It reflects market movement for the title, not individual raises or promotions, which vary.
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Sources and assumptions
Modeled market estimate, aged to 2026. Underlying source families are BLS OEWS May 2025 for BLS-mapped occupations and the 2018–19 collection for corporate titles. Annual aging is compounded at approximately 3–4%; geographic, industry and company-size repricing are modeled. See the role details and methodology for the applicable source and assumptions.
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How much does a Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers make?
The median market pay for a Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the United States is about $67,000 per year in 2026, based on WePayFairly's market model.
What is the salary range for a Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers?
Most Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers pay falls between about $50,000 (25th percentile) and $80,000 (75th percentile), with top earners above $98,500.
What does a Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers do?
Core responsibilities include: test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment; and comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.
Is pay for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers roles growing?
Yes. The national median wage for this occupation moved from $50,590 in 2020 to $61,010 in 2025, a change of +20.6% in nominal dollars.
How this role compares
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers pays 1% above the average across 52 roles in the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair job family (family average $66,500).
Similar-paying roles in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Related occupations from O*NET OnLine, U.S. Department of Labor.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers make?
The average base salary for a Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the United States is $67,000 per year, or about $32.21 per hour.
What is the typical salary range?
Pay typically falls between $50,000 and $80,000 per year (25th to 75th percentile) depending on experience, location, industry, and organization size.
How does this compare with other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair roles?
The Installation, Maintenance, and Repair job family averages $66,500 across 52 roles tracked by WePayFairly.
Need a defensible market price for this role? WePayFairly data is compiled from published survey sources and maintained by compensation professionals.
Need Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers pay benchmarked for your organization, or defensible compensation analysis for a dispute or valuation? Grahall builds it from primary sources, backed by an expert who testifies.
