Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Charleston-North Charleston, SC, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $58,410 at the median, or about $28.08 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $77K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 100.96), that's roughly $57,855 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,787/month, about 46.6% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $58K get you in Charleston-North Charleston?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Charleston-North Charleston’s Regional Price Parity (100.96). 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 Charleston-North Charleston
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers pay in Charleston-North Charleston tracks closely to the national median, $58K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 4% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,787/month, which is 45.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 100.96) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in metros near Charleston-North Charleston, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbia | $58K | $62K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $59K | $63K |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach | $54K | $58K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $58K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Charleston-North Charleston, SC
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $58K. Top earners bring in $77K or more, a $37K 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $58K, rent takes 45.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,787/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/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 Charleston-North Charleston?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,417/month. At HUD’s $1,787/month FMR, rent would take 74% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $58K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Charleston-North Charleston compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Charleston-North Charleston pays $58K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 100.96), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — below the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Charleston-North Charleston, SC?
The median is $58,410 a year, that works out to about $28 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,280, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $77,060. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $58K enough to live in Charleston-North Charleston?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,905/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,787/month, which eats 45.8% 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 Charleston-North Charleston?
Charleston-North Charleston has a Regional Price Parity of 100.96 (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 $57,855 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.