Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Longview-Kelso, WA, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $64,400 at the median, or about $30.96 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $99K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.55), that's roughly $66,017 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,451/month, about 32.4% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $64K get you in Longview-Kelso?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Longview-Kelso’s Regional Price Parity (97.55). 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 Longview-Kelso
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers pay in Longview-Kelso tracks closely to the national median, $64K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 6% difference. Rent runs $1,451/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 32.4% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.55) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. 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 Longview-Kelso, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue | $80K | $72K |
| Spokane-Spokane Valley | $63K | $63K |
| Kennewick-Richland | $76K | $76K |
| Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater | $76K | $74K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Longview-Kelso, WA
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $64K. Top earners bring in $99K or more, a $52K 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 Longview-Kelso?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $64K, rent takes 32.4% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,451/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,300/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 Longview-Kelso?
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 $2,815/month. At HUD’s $1,451/month FMR, rent would take 52% 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 Longview-Kelso?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $64K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 6% difference.
How does Longview-Kelso compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Longview-Kelso pays $64K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +6%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.55), the purchasing-power equivalent is $66K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Longview-Kelso, WA?
The median is $64,400 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,920, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $99,270. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $64K enough to live in Longview-Kelso?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,474/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,451/month, which eats 32.4% 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 Longview-Kelso?
Longview-Kelso has a Regional Price Parity of 97.55 (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 $66,017 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.