Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Salem, OR, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $65,050 at the median, or about $31.27 an hour. The range runs from $47K at the entry level to $91K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.65), that's roughly $62,759 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,560/month, about 36.7% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $65K get you in Salem?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Salem’s Regional Price Parity (103.65). 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 Salem
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers pay in Salem tracks closely to the national median, $65K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,560/month, which is 38.2% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.65) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in metros near Salem, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro | $65K | $62K |
| Eugene-Springfield | $60K | $59K |
| Bend | $61K | $59K |
| Medford | $60K | $59K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Salem, OR
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $47K. Mid-career wages sit at $65K. Top earners bring in $91K or more, a $45K 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 Salem 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 Salem?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $65K, rent takes 38.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,560/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 Salem?
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 $2,809/month. At HUD’s $1,560/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Salem?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $65K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Salem compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Salem pays $65K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.65), the purchasing-power equivalent is $63K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Salem, OR?
The median is $65,050 a year, that works out to about $31 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $46,810, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $91,330. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $65K enough to live in Salem?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,082/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,560/month, which eats 38.2% 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 Salem?
Salem has a Regional Price Parity of 103.65 (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 $62,759 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.