Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $62,240 at the median, or about $29.92 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $96K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 95.37), that's roughly $65,262 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,353/month, about 33.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $62K get you in Cincinnati?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Cincinnati’s Regional Price Parity (95.37). 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 Cincinnati
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers pay in Cincinnati tracks closely to the national median, $62K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 2% difference. Rent runs $1,353/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.8% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 95.37) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Cincinnati, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Columbus | $64K | $67K |
| Cleveland | $63K | $67K |
| Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek | $63K | $67K |
| Akron | $61K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $62K. Top earners bring in $96K or more, a $57K 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 Cincinnati?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $62K, rent takes 31.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,353/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Cincinnati?
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 $2,385/month. At HUD’s $1,353/month FMR, rent would take 57% 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 Cincinnati?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $62K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Cincinnati compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Cincinnati pays $62K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 95.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN?
The median is $62,240 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,750, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $96,400. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $62K enough to live in Cincinnati?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,253/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,353/month, which eats 31.8% 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 Cincinnati?
Cincinnati has a Regional Price Parity of 95.37 (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 $65,262 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.