Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Bowling Green, KY, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $55,230 at the median, or about $26.56 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $74K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 90.18), which stretches that salary to about $61,244 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,153/month, about 31.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $55K get you in Bowling Green?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Bowling Green’s Regional Price Parity (90.18). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
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What this looks like in Bowling Green
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers pay in Bowling Green tracks closely to the national median, $55K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 9% difference. Rent runs $1,153/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 90.18 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 10% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in metros near Bowling Green, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Louisville/Jefferson County | $59K | $63K |
| Lexington-Fayette | $60K | $65K |
| Elizabethtown | $56K | $62K |
| Owensboro | $60K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Bowling Green, KY
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $55K. Top earners bring in $74K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $84K | +38% | 400 |
| Alaska | $77K | +27% | 610 |
| Illinois | $77K | +27% | 9,740 |
| Massachusetts | $77K | +27% | 8,200 |
| Connecticut | $77K | +26% | 3,800 |
| Minnesota | $76K | +25% | 4,200 |
| Washington | $76K | +24% | 7,370 |
| North Dakota | $74K | +22% | 970 |
| New Jersey | $74K | +22% | 10,330 |
| New York | $74K | +22% | 24,430 |
| New Hampshire | $74K | +21% | 2,560 |
| California | $73K | +19% | 35,130 |
| Maryland | $70K | +15% | 8,560 |
| Rhode Island | $67K | +10% | 1,450 |
| Hawaii | $65K | +7% | 1,300 |
| Colorado | $65K | +7% | 8,940 |
| Maine | $63K | +4% | 2,250 |
| Oregon | $63K | +3% | 3,980 |
| Ohio | $63K | +2% | 14,150 |
| Pennsylvania | $62K | +2% | 15,880 |
| Delaware | $62K | +2% | 1,730 |
| Vermont | $62K | +2% | 970 |
| Wisconsin | $62K | +1% | 6,630 |
| South Dakota | $61K | +1% | 1,610 |
| Montana | $61K | -0% | 1,230 |
| Michigan | $61K | -0% | 12,590 |
| Iowa | $61K | -1% | 3,840 |
| Nevada | $61K | -1% | 4,170 |
| Kansas | $60K | -1% | 3,770 |
| Indiana | $60K | -1% | 8,530 |
| Missouri | $60K | -2% | 7,220 |
| Nebraska | $60K | -2% | 3,020 |
| Virginia | $60K | -2% | 14,690 |
| Arizona | $59K | -3% | 10,860 |
| Utah | $59K | -4% | 5,580 |
| Louisiana | $59K | -4% | 5,380 |
| Kentucky | $59K | -4% | 5,100 |
| Texas | $58K | -5% | 34,730 |
| Oklahoma | $58K | -6% | 5,650 |
| North Carolina | $57K | -6% | 15,230 |
| Florida | $57K | -7% | 39,160 |
| South Carolina | $57K | -7% | 6,920 |
| Georgia | $56K | -8% | 12,290 |
| Idaho | $56K | -8% | 4,550 |
| Tennessee | $55K | -9% | 9,740 |
| Wyoming | $55K | -10% | 690 |
| New Mexico | $50K | -18% | 1,950 |
| West Virginia | $49K | -20% | 1,690 |
| Mississippi | $49K | -20% | 2,700 |
| Alabama | $48K | -21% | 8,260 |
| Arkansas | $48K | -21% | 4,960 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary changes
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Bowling Green?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $55K, rent takes 31.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,153/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in Bowling Green?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,354/month. At HUD’s $1,153/month FMR, rent would take 49% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installer a high-paying job in Bowling Green?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $55K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 9% difference.
How does Bowling Green compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Bowling Green pays $55K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -9%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 90.18), the purchasing-power equivalent is $61K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Bowling Green, KY?
The median is $55,230 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,240, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $74,260. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $55K enough to live in Bowling Green?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,684/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,153/month, which eats 31.3% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary go in Bowling Green?
Bowling Green has a Regional Price Parity of 90.18 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary is worth about $61,244 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.