Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Grand Forks, ND-MN, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $75,470 at the median, or about $36.28 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $96K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 86.66), which stretches that salary to about $87,087 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,089/month, or 21.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $75K get you in Grand Forks?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Grand Forks’s Regional Price Parity (86.66). 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 Grand Forks
Grand Forks sits well above the national pay line for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, local pay runs about 24% higher than the U.S. median of $61K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,089/month, 21.8% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 86.66 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 13% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Grand Forks offers a genuinely strong financial position for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installerss at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in metros near Grand Forks, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Fargo | $76K | $84K |
| Bismarck | $65K | $71K |
| Minot | $64K | $73K |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington | $77K | $74K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Grand Forks, ND-MN
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $96K or more, a $49K 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 Grand Forks?
Yes — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 21.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,089/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in Grand Forks?
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 $2,797/month. At HUD’s $1,089/month FMR, rent would take 39% 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 Grand Forks?
Local pay is 24% above the national median — $75K here vs. $61K nationally.
How does Grand Forks compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Grand Forks pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +24%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 86.66), the purchasing-power equivalent is $87K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Grand Forks, ND-MN?
The median is $75,470 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,610, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $95,700. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in Grand Forks?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,001/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,089/month, which eats 21.8% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary go in Grand Forks?
Grand Forks has a Regional Price Parity of 86.66 (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 $87,087 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.