Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In California, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $72,560 at the median, or about $34.88 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $109K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $68,363 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 52.2% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $73K get you in California?
About heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
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What this looks like in California
California sits well above the national pay line for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, local pay runs about 19% higher than the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 52.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $109K or more, a $62K spread from bottom to top.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary by metro in California
25 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Napa | $85K | +17% | 70 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara | $82K | +13% | 1,740 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $80K | +10% | 560 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $79K | +8% | 260 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $78K | +8% | 3,980 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | $78K | +8% | 210 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $76K | +4% | 390 |
| El Centro | $75K | +4% | 120 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $75K | +4% | 200 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $75K | +3% | 3,210 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $74K | +2% | 10,720 |
| Salinas | $73K | -0% | 300 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $70K | -4% | 750 |
| Vallejo | $68K | -6% | 490 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $67K | -8% | 2,940 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $66K | -8% | 680 |
| Visalia | $65K | -10% | 330 |
| Modesto | $65K | -11% | 470 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $64K | -11% | 4,820 |
| Merced | $64K | -12% | 190 |
| Redding | $63K | -13% | 160 |
| Chico | $63K | -13% | 120 |
| Yuba City | $63K | -13% | 90 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $63K | -14% | 80 |
| Fresno | $63K | -14% | 1,300 |
Showing 1–10 of 25 metros
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BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 52.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,400/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 California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers typically earn — is $47K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,817/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 88% 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 California?
Local pay is 19% above the national median — $73K here vs. $61K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 6% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does California compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
California pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +19%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in California?
The median is $72,560 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,950, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $109,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,711/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 52.5% 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 California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary is worth about $68,363 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.