Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Maine, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $63,170 at the median, or about $30.37 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $82K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 97.7), that's roughly $64,657 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,281/month, about 31.1% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Maine. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $63K get you in Maine?
About heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Maine
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers pay in Maine tracks closely to the national median, $63K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 4% difference. Rent runs $1,281/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 30.9% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 97.7) 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.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Maine
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $63K. Top earners bring in $82K or more, a $35K spread from bottom to top.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary by metro in Maine
3 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewiston-Auburn | $67K | +6% | 160 |
| Portland-South Portland | $64K | +1% | 920 |
| Bangor | $61K | -3% | 210 |
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 Maine numbers change.
Related careers in Repair & Maintenance
Frequently asked questions
Can a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Maine?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $63K, rent takes 30.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,281/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 Maine?
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 $2,825/month. At HUD’s $1,281/month FMR, rent would take 45% 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 Maine?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $63K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 4% difference.
How does Maine compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Maine pays $63K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +4%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Maine?
The median is $63,170 a year, that works out to about $30 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $47,090, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $82,090. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $63K enough to live in Maine?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,146/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,281/month, which eats 30.9% 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 Maine?
Maine has a Regional Price Parity of 97.7 (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 $64,657 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.