Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Salary

About 245,000 people were employed installing and repairing heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems in 2009.

The heating, ventilation and air conditioning maintenance and installation occupation is expected to grow 28 percent from 2008 levels by 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Salaries in this field range from less than $25,000 to over $70,000.

Average Salary

Heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers made an average of $21 per hour, or $43,670 per year, in May 2009, according to a survey by the BLS. Salaries ranged from $25,750 or less for the lowest-paid 10 percent of workers in this occupation to $65,580 and more for the best-paid tenth of heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers.

Top Industries

Most heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers were employed by building equipment contractors in May 2009, the BLS reports. This industry employed 166,050 workers in this occupation, more than 10 times as many as the second-biggest industry for employment, which was direct selling establishments. The average salary for a heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanic and installer employed by a direct building contractor was $42,310 per year. The highest-paying industry for this occupation was motor vehicle manufacturing, which had an average annual salary of $66,220 in May 2009.

Best-Paying Areas

The District of Columbia was the highest-paying state or territory for heating, air conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and installers in May 2009, BLS figures show, with an average yearly salary of $56,540. The best-paying metropolitan area in the country for workers in this occupation was Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, where the average salary was $70,220 per year.

References

• Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2009: Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
• Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition:Heating, Air-conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers