Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $78,490 at the median, or about $37.73 an hour. The range runs from $49K at the entry level to $129K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 115.61), so that salary is closer to $67,892 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $3,604/month, about 70.3% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $78K get you in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont’s Regional Price Parity (115.61). 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont sits well above the national pay line for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, local pay runs about 29% 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 $3,604/month, which is 71.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 16% above the national average (BEA RPP 115.61), so groceries and services cost more too. 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $74K | $65K |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $64K | $60K |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $75K | $67K |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $67K | $63K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $49K. Mid-career wages sit at $78K. Top earners bring in $129K or more, a $80K 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $78K, rent takes 71.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $3,604/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,500/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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers typically earn — is $49K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,951/month. At HUD’s $3,604/month FMR, rent would take 122% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $78K here vs. $61K nationally. Keep in mind cost of living here is 16% above the national average, which offsets some of that premium.
How does San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont pays $78K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 115.61), the purchasing-power equivalent is $68K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA?
The median is $78,490 a year, that works out to about $38 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $49,180, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $129,380. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $78K enough to live in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $5,014/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $3,604/month, which eats 71.9% 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 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont?
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont has a Regional Price Parity of 115.61 (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 $67,892 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.