Explore national salary, projected growth, education requirements, and career opportunities across the United States.
A concise view of this occupation’s national scale, compensation, and projected demand.
National median annual wage for this occupation.
Estimated jobs currently supported nationwide.
Projected employment change through 2034.
Estimated openings created each year.
The typical education, prior experience, and on-the-job training associated with entry into this career.
Postsecondary nondegree award
None
Long-term on-the-job training
These are the highest-rated capabilities associated with success in this occupation. Scores are derived from occupational skill analysis and are measured on a 100-point scale.
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Explore the states and metropolitan areas offering the strongest combination of salary, employment, demand, and long-term opportunity.
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Understand the salary, outlook, education, and geographic opportunities shaping this career.
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers work in a skilled technical trade with solid national demand and structured training expectations. National employment stands at 425,000, and projected employment growth of 8.1% suggests continued need for these professionals. Each year, about 40,000 openings are expected, reflecting both new positions and turnover. The national median annual salary is $59,810, with higher median pay available in certain states and metro areas. Career paths can benefit from strong mechanical ability, problem solving and decision making, and physical strength and stamina, as well as fine motor skills for precise work. Leadership, project management, and being detail oriented can support advancement or more complex assignments. Creativity and innovation, along with science knowledge and critical and analytical thinking, can also be useful in handling challenging systems or unusual situations. Overall, this career combines hands-on mechanical work with steady employment prospects and clear skill expectations.
The national median annual salary for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers is $59,810, but earnings vary across states and metro areas. Among the top states by CareerGPS opportunity score, median salaries range from $65,200 in Colorado to $77,300 in Massachusetts. New York mechanics earn a median of $74,430, California $72,560, and Washington $75,660. At the metro level, pay is often higher: the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro shows a median salary of $82,050, while the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro reports $77,990. Other strong metros include San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA at $78,490 and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH at $78,530. These figures indicate that both state and metro choice can significantly influence earning potential within this occupation.
This occupation shows a combination of sizable current employment and steady projected growth. National employment for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers is 425,000, indicating a large existing workforce. Projected employment growth of 8.1% points to continued expansion over time. In addition, there are an estimated 40,000 annual openings, which reflects ongoing hiring needs across the country. States such as California, Massachusetts, New York, Colorado, and Washington all share the same 8.1% growth estimate, aligning with the national projection. Major metro areas highlighted for this occupation, including San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ, also show 8.1% growth. For students and job seekers, this combination of a large employment base, projected growth, and regular annual openings supports a stable outlook for entering or advancing in this field.
Location choices can shape both earnings and overall opportunity for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers. Among states, California, Massachusetts, and New York have the highest CareerGPS opportunity scores, at 67.38, 65.87, and 65.78 respectively. These states also post relatively high median salaries, from $72,560 in California to $77,300 in Massachusetts and $74,430 in New York. Colorado and Washington offer slightly lower opportunity scores, at 56.97 and 56.29, with median salaries of $65,200 and $75,660. Employment levels differ as well: California employs 35,130 mechanics, while New York employs 24,430 and Massachusetts 8,200. At the metro level, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA and New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ stand out with the highest opportunity scores (77.42 and 77.27) and strong median pay above $77,000. Other notable metros include San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA; Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV; and Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH.
The typical education requirement for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers is a postsecondary nondegree award. This indicates that many people enter the field after completing a focused program that does not result in a college degree but provides career-specific preparation. Success in this occupation also depends on a broad mix of technical and personal skills. Mechanical ability, physical strength and stamina, and fine motor skills support the hands-on nature of the work. Science knowledge, critical and analytical thinking, and problem solving and decision making help mechanics understand and address system issues. Being detail oriented is important for accuracy, while creativity and innovation can assist in tackling unusual situations. Leadership and project management skills may be especially valuable for coordinating tasks, overseeing jobs, or moving into roles with greater responsibility over time. Together, the education and skills create a clear, structured pathway into this trade.
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