Salary for an Air Conditioning Residential Technician

Residential air-conditioning technicians can increase their salary potential by gaining certifications.

The job outlook for residential air-conditioning technicians is excellent, with job growth in the field projected to increase by 28 percent between 2008 and 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Two factors fuel growth in the occupation: the expectation of environmental comfort and new home construction. When a residential air-conditioning unit breaks down or needs replacing, homeowners usually find a way to cover the costs, regardless of economic conditions. The need for comfort and projected increases in earnings equate to a financially stable future for air-conditioning technicians.

Average Salary

In 2009, the average salary for a residential air-conditioning technician was $42,530 annually according to published BLS data. Technicians in the bottom 50 percent of the pay scale earned between $12 and $21 an hour and technicians in the top 10 percent earned over $30 per hour. According to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, apprentice heating, air-conditioning and refrigeration mechanics and Installers earn about 50 percent of the pay rate of experienced technicians. The pay rate of apprentices increases along with their experience and skill levels. In addition to salary, air-conditioning technicians generally receive additional employer-sponsored benefits such as insurance, training, tools and company-supplied transportation.

Salary by State

Alaska, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Massachusetts and New Jersey pay the highest wages for air-conditioning technicians. The annual mean wage in Alaska is $57,960; in the District of Columbia, $57,720; Hawaii, $55,080; Massachusetts, $54,600; and in New Jersey, $53,900. Texas, Florida, California, New York and Pennsylvania have the highest number of persons working in the industry. Of these, New York has the highest average salary of $52,210 and Florida’s average salary of $39,570 is the lowest.

Highest Paying Locations

The 10 metropolitan areas with the highest paid air-conditioning technicians are: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois; Napa, California; Oakland-Fremont-Hayward Metropolitan Division, California; Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor, Ohio; Vallejo-Fairfield, California; San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, California; Kankakee-Bradley, Illinois; Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, MA-NH NECTA Division, New England; Olympia, Washington; and Saginaw-Saginaw Township North, Michigan. The Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, metropolitan area pays the highest average salary of $75,200. The Saginaw-Saginaw Township North metropolitan area in Michigan pays the lowest of the top 10 with an average salary of $60,960. Railbelt/Southwest Alaska is the highest paying nonmetropolitan area in the U.S. with an average air-conditioning technician salary of $80,850.

Titles

A residential air-conditioning technician is known by a number of job titles, including HVAC technician, service technician, maintenance technician, HVAC installer, maintenance tech and HVAC field technician. The average salary of technicians varies according to job title. For example, HVAC technicians earn an average salary of $40,000; HVAC service technicians earn about $39,000; and maintenance technicians earn $29,000. The average salary for technicians with the title of manager is $54,000.

References

• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition, Heating, Air-conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
• Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2010, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
• Simply Hired: Average Hvac Residential Technician Salaries

Resources

• Education-Portal.com: Air Conditioning Tech Schools and Colleges with Program Overview