Careers / Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers — Career Decision Dashboard
United States
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Report generated from official BLS OEWS and O*NET data — United States.
Median annual wage
$61,010
United States, 2025
Employment
409,670
United States, 2025
Typical education
Not recorded
Job Zone 3
Skills identified
35
10 related careers
Career overview
Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
- O*NET code
- 49-9021.00
- Job zone
- 3
- Experience required
- Over 4 years, up to and including 6 years
Typical tasks
- Discuss heating or cooling system malfunctions with users to isolate problems or to verify that repairs corrected malfunctions.
- Test electrical circuits or components for continuity, using electrical test equipment.
- Repair or replace defective equipment, components, or wiring.
- Lay out and connect electrical wiring between controls and equipment, according to wiring diagrams, using electrician's hand tools.
- Schedule work with customers and initiate work orders, house requisitions, and orders from stock.
- Estimate, order, pick up, deliver, and install materials and supplies needed to maintain equipment in good working condition.
- Install, connect, or adjust thermostats, humidistats, or timers.
- Comply with all applicable standards, policies, or procedures, such as safety procedures or the maintenance of a clean work area.
Choose a location
Salary analysis — United States
10th percentile
$40,050
25th percentile
$48,360
75th percentile
$77,060
90th percentile
$95,210
Most important skills
- Troubleshooting3.8
- Operations Monitoring3.8
- Critical Thinking3.6
- Repairing3.4
- Equipment Maintenance3.3
- Reading Comprehension3.3
- Installation3.3
- Equipment Selection3.1
- Systems Evaluation3.1
- Complex Problem Solving3.1
- Systems Analysis3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making3.1
What skills do you need?
Select the skills you already have
Skills listed are those O*NET rates at importance 3.0 or above for this occupation. Set your own level on the same 0–7 O*NET scale.
Skill coverage
0%
0 of 21 identified skills
Matched
0
Missing
21
Your selected skills cover approximately 0% of the skills identified for this occupation in O*NET. This is a coverage measure of listed skills only — it is not a qualification, hiring or interview outcome.
Skills to develop
| Skill | Importance | Required level | Your level | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troubleshooting | 3.8 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.8 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.6 | 3.8 | Not selected | 3.8 |
| Installation | 3.3 | 4.0 | Not selected | 4.0 |
| Repairing | 3.4 | 3.6 | Not selected | 3.6 |
| Equipment Maintenance | 3.3 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 3.3 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.0 | 3.3 | Not selected | 3.3 |
| Equipment Selection | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.1 | 3.1 | Not selected | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.1 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Coordination | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Active Learning | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Operation and Control | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 3.0 | 3.0 | Not selected | 3.0 |
| Time Management | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.0 | 2.9 | Not selected | 2.9 |
Ordered by required level gap multiplied by O*NET importance. No prediction or recommendation is implied.
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Compare with Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and InstallersHow salary varies by location
| Location | Median | Employment | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks, AK | $93,820 | 90 | 2025 |
| Anchorage, AK | $85,620 | 330 | 2025 |
| Napa, CA | $84,570 | 70 | 2025 |
| DC | $84,390 | 400 | 2025 |
| San Jose, CA | $82,050 | 1,740 | 2025 |
| Seattle, WA | $80,100 | 3,940 | 2025 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $79,510 | 560 | 2025 |
| Peoria, IL | $78,710 | 370 | 2025 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $78,640 | 260 | 2025 |
| Boston, MA | $78,530 | 6,050 | 2025 |
| San Francisco, CA | $78,490 | 3,980 | 2025 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $78,330 | 210 | 2025 |
| New York, NY | $77,990 | 21,820 | 2025 |
| Chicago, IL | $77,960 | 7,210 | 2025 |
| Decatur, IL | $77,770 | 90 | 2025 |
| Rochester, MN | $77,500 | 190 | 2025 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $77,490 | 2,420 | 2025 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $77,490 | 1,050 | 2025 |
| AK | $77,430 | 610 | 2025 |
| IL | $77,410 | 9,740 | 2025 |
Career transition paths
Compare the skills of a career you hold today with Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers to see shared skills, target-only skills and skill overlap.
Build a transition comparisonCareer and skills data: O*NET 31.0.
Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, 2025 (May 2025 release).
Figures are periodic published survey snapshots, not real-time market rates.