Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary
In Virginia, heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn $59,730 at the median, or about $28.72 an hour. The range runs from $40K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 94.79), which stretches that salary to about $63,013 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,646/month, about 41.9% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Virginia. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $60K get you in Virginia?
About heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
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What this looks like in Virginia
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers pay in Virginia tracks closely to the national median, $60K locally vs. $61K nationwide, a 2% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,646/month, which is 41.9% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 94.79 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 5% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Virginia
Entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers (10th percentile) start around $40K. Mid-career wages sit at $60K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $44K spread from bottom to top.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary by metro in Virginia
9 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staunton-Stuarts Draft | $62K | +4% | 230 |
| Harrisonburg | $60K | +1% | 340 |
| Charlottesville | $60K | -0% | 420 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk | $59K | -0% | 2,840 |
| Richmond | $59K | -1% | 2,700 |
| Lynchburg | $59K | -2% | 530 |
| Winchester | $56K | -6% | 200 |
| Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford | $50K | -16% | 190 |
| Roanoke | $49K | -18% | 660 |
Compare to other states
Track heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Virginia numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Virginia?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $60K, rent takes 41.9% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,646/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 Virginia?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers typically earn — is $40K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,386/month. At HUD’s $1,646/month FMR, rent would take 69% 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 Virginia?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $60K locally vs. $61K nationally, a 2% difference.
How does Virginia compare to the national average for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Virginia pays $60K median vs. the U.S. average of $61K — that’s -2%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 94.79), 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 Virginia?
The median is $59,730 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,760, and experienced heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers can clear $83,420. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $60K enough to live in Virginia?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,926/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,646/month, which eats 41.9% 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 Virginia?
Virginia has a Regional Price Parity of 94.79 (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 $63,013 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.