Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Jacksonville, NC, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $48,570 at the median, or about $23.35 an hour. The range runs from $35K at the entry level to $71K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.08), which stretches that salary to about $52,748 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,173/month, about 34.8% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $49K get you in Jacksonville?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Jacksonville’s Regional Price Parity (92.08). 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 Jacksonville
Pay for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in Jacksonville runs about 20% below the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,173/month, which is 36.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.08 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% 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 Jacksonville, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia | $60K | $61K |
| Raleigh-Cary | $59K | $60K |
| Greensboro-High Point | $59K | $63K |
| Durham-Chapel Hill | $59K | $61K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Jacksonville, NC
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $35K. Mid-career wages sit at $49K. Top earners bring in $71K 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)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Jacksonville?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $49K, rent takes 36.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,173/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/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 Jacksonville?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers typically earn — is $35K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,086/month. At HUD’s $1,173/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Jacksonville?
Local pay runs 20% below the national median — $49K here vs. $61K nationally. Cost of living is 8% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Jacksonville compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Jacksonville pays $49K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -20%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.08), the purchasing-power equivalent is $53K — below the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Jacksonville, NC?
The median is $48,570 a year, that works out to about $23 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,760, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $71,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $49K enough to live in Jacksonville?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,240/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,173/month, which eats 36.2% 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 Jacksonville?
Jacksonville has a Regional Price Parity of 92.08 (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 $52,748 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.