Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Lansing-East Lansing, MI, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $60,440 at the median, or about $29.06 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $93K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.99), which stretches that salary to about $63,628 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,268/month, about 31.9% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $60K get you in Lansing-East Lansing?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Lansing-East Lansing’s Regional Price Parity (94.99). 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 Lansing-East Lansing
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers pay in Lansing-East Lansing tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 1% difference. Rent runs $1,268/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 31.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.99 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. 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 Lansing-East Lansing, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $63K | $63K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $60K | $63K |
| Ann Arbor | $75K | $74K |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $61K | $65K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Lansing-East Lansing, MI
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $93K or more, a $53K 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 Lansing-East Lansing?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 31.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,268/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 Lansing-East Lansing?
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 $2,402/month. At HUD’s $1,268/month FMR, rent would take 53% 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 Lansing-East Lansing?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 1% difference.
How does Lansing-East Lansing compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Lansing-East Lansing pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -1%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.99), the purchasing-power equivalent is $64K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Lansing-East Lansing, MI?
The median is $60,440 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $40,030, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $93,480. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Lansing-East Lansing?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,003/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,268/month, which eats 31.7% 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 Lansing-East Lansing?
Lansing-East Lansing has a Regional Price Parity of 94.99 (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 $63,628 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.