Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Florida, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $56,670 at the median, or about $27.24 an hour. The range runs from $38K at the entry level to $78K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 98.58), that's roughly $57,486 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,658/month, about 42.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Florida. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $57K get you in Florida?
About heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
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What this looks like in Florida
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers pay in Florida tracks closely to the national median, $57K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,658/month, which is 41.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 98.58) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Florida
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $38K. Mid-career wages sit at $57K. Top earners bring in $78K or more, a $40K spread from bottom to top.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary by metro in Florida
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naples-Marco Island | $60K | +5% | 910 |
| North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota | $59K | +4% | 1,870 |
| Jacksonville | $59K | +3% | 3,340 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers | $58K | +3% | 2,110 |
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach | $58K | +2% | 9,140 |
| Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent | $58K | +2% | 950 |
| Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville | $57K | +1% | 1,130 |
| Port St. Lucie | $57K | +1% | 830 |
| Punta Gorda | $57K | +1% | 290 |
| Lakeland-Winter Haven | $57K | +0% | 1,120 |
| Gainesville | $56K | -2% | 480 |
| Tallahassee | $54K | -5% | 620 |
| Panama City-Panama City Beach | $52K | -9% | 450 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford | $51K | -9% | 5,140 |
| Wildwood-The Villages | $51K | -10% | 200 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater | $51K | -11% | 6,090 |
| Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor | $50K | -11% | 340 |
| Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach | $49K | -13% | 820 |
| Ocala | $49K | -13% | 600 |
| Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin | $49K | -14% | 570 |
| Homosassa Springs | $47K | -16% | 170 |
| Sebring | $45K | -21% | 170 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
Compare to other states
Track heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Florida 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 Florida?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $57K, rent takes 41.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,658/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 Florida?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers typically earn — is $38K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,302/month. At HUD’s $1,658/month FMR, rent would take 72% 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 Florida?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $57K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Florida compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Florida pays $57K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 98.58), the purchasing-power equivalent is $57K — below the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Florida?
The median is $56,670 a year, that works out to about $27 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,370, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $78,210. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $57K enough to live in Florida?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,964/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,658/month, which eats 41.8% 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 Florida?
Florida has a Regional Price Parity of 98.58 (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 $57,486 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.