Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $76,260 at the median, or about $36.66 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $136K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.67), that's roughly $73,560 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,960/month, about 37% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $76K get you in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater’s Regional Price Parity (103.67). 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.
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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater sits well above the national pay line for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, local pay runs about 25% higher than the U.S. median of $61K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,960/month, which is 37.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.67) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in metros near Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, 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 |
| Bellingham | $72K | $70K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $76K. Top earners bring in $136K or more, a $89K 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
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $76K, rent takes 37.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,960/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,600/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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
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 $2,819/month. At HUD’s $1,960/month FMR, rent would take 70% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Local pay is 25% above the national median — $76K here vs. $61K nationally.
How does Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater pays $76K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +25%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.67), the purchasing-power equivalent is $74K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA?
The median is $76,260 a year, that works out to about $37 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,980, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $135,580. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $76K enough to live in Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,170/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,960/month, which eats 37.9% 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 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater?
Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater has a Regional Price Parity of 103.67 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary is worth about $73,560 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.