Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $54,230 at the median, or about $26.07 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $73K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.64), which stretches that salary to about $57,913 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,465/month, about 41.1% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $54K get you in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach’s Regional Price Parity (93.64). 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach
Pay for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach runs about 11% below the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,465/month, which is 40.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.64 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Charleston-North Charleston | $58K | $58K |
| Columbia | $58K | $62K |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer | $59K | $63K |
| Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal | $58K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $73K or more, a $34K 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 40.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,465/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,360/month. At HUD’s $1,465/month FMR, rent would take 62% 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Local pay runs 11% below the national median — $54K here vs. $61K nationally. Cost of living is 6% below the national average, which narrows that gap in real purchasing power.
How does Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -11%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.64), the purchasing-power equivalent is $58K — below the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC?
The median is $54,230 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,330, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $72,930. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,648/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,465/month, which eats 40.2% 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 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach?
Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach has a Regional Price Parity of 93.64 (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 $57,913 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.