Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Rockford, IL, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $75,070 at the median, or about $36.09 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $118K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.15), which stretches that salary to about $81,465 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,175/month, or 23.8% of estimated take-home pay.
Where the paycheck goes
What $75K actually covers in Rockford, month by month
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Rockford’s Regional Price Parity (92.15). 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 Rockford
Rockford sits well above the national pay line for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, local pay runs about 23% higher than the U.S. median of $61K. Housing is manageable: a 2-bedroom at the HUD median costs $1,175/month, 24.5% of take-home, well inside the 30% guideline. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.15 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Combined with manageable housing costs, Rockford offers a genuinely strong financial position for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers at the median.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in metros near Rockford, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $78K | $75K |
| Peoria | $79K | $86K |
| Champaign-Urbana | $75K | $81K |
| Bloomington | $64K | $68K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Rockford, IL
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $75K. Top earners bring in $118K or more, a $71K 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 annually. We'll email you when Rockford numbers change.
Related careers in Repair & Maintenance
Quick answers
The stuff people actually ask about this job
Can a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Rockford?
Yes — at the median salary of $75K, rent takes 24.5% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,175/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in Rockford?
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 $3,120/month. At HUD’s $1,175/month FMR, rent would take 38% 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 Rockford?
Local pay is 23% above the national median — $75K here vs. $61K nationally.
How does Rockford compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Rockford pays $75K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +23%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.15), the purchasing-power equivalent is $81K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Rockford, IL?
The median is $75,070 a year, that works out to about $36 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,960, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $117,550. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $75K enough to live in Rockford?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,790/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,175/month, which eats 24.5% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary go in Rockford?
Rockford has a Regional Price Parity of 92.15 (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 $81,465 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.