Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Columbus, IN, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $54,490 at the median, or about $26.2 an hour. The range runs from $42K at the entry level to $95K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93), which stretches that salary to about $58,591 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,415/month, about 38.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Columbus?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Columbus’s Regional Price Parity (93). 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 Columbus
Pay for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in Columbus runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,415/month, which is 38.5% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. That combination, below-market pay with high housing costs, makes this a financially demanding market for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installerss.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in metros near Columbus, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood | $62K | $65K |
| Fort Wayne | $61K | $66K |
| Evansville | $60K | $65K |
| South Bend-Mishawaka | $59K | $64K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Columbus, IN
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $42K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $95K or more, a $54K 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 Columbus?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 38.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,415/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 Columbus?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers typically earn — is $42K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,495/month. At HUD’s $1,415/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 Columbus?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $54K here vs. $61K nationally. Cost of living is 7% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Columbus compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Columbus pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — below the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Columbus, IN?
The median is $54,490 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $41,590, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $95,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Columbus?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,680/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,415/month, which eats 38.5% 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 Columbus?
Columbus has a Regional Price Parity of 93 (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 $58,591 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.