Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary in Riverside, CA
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area earn a median $64,300 a year — 5% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $51,077 take-home, or $4,256 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in Riverside, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,536
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,987
- Medicare (1.45%)$932
- California income tax$1,932
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$836
- Take-home pay$51,077
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 8.00% state
Got an offer somewhere else? Compare it with this one after taxes and rent →
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers pay by experience in Riverside, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $46,760 | $22.48 | $38,284 | $3,190 |
| 25th percentile | $51,970 | $24.99 | $42,095 | $3,508 |
| Median (50th) | $64,300 | $30.91 | $51,077 | $4,256 |
| 75th percentile | $78,320 | $37.65 | $59,856 | $4,988 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $95,910 | $46.11 | $70,366 | $5,864 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $64,300 buys in Riverside, CA
Prices in Riverside, CA are 6.4% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.29× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers's $51,077 take-home pay has the buying power of $47,986 in a typical American city.
Rents: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2026 (40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities). Price levels: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers jobs are about as common in Riverside, CA as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.07).
Best-paying cities for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, adjusted for cost of living
Riverside, CA ranks #35 of 41 metro areas once taxes and local prices are taken into account.
| # | Metro area | Median salary | Take-home | Real value* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Seattle, WA | $80,100 | $65,180 | $58,651 |
| 2 | Chicago, IL | $77,960 | $59,961 | $57,880 |
| 3 | Minneapolis, MN | $77,490 | $59,598 | $56,857 |
| 4 | Boston, MA | $78,530 | $60,369 | $55,760 |
| 5 | Columbus, OH | $64,440 | $52,968 | $55,482 |
| 6 | Cleveland, OH | $62,790 | $51,687 | $55,032 |
| 7 | Kansas City, MO | $62,680 | $50,535 | $54,607 |
| 8 | Cincinnati, OH | $62,240 | $51,261 | $53,749 |
| 35 | Riverside, CA | $64,300 | $51,077 | $47,986 |
*Take-home pay divided by the BEA price level, so every city is measured in U.S.-average dollars. See all 41 metros →
About the job: heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, HVAC, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
- Typical education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- Work experience
- None required
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Job outlook, 2025–35
- +10.9% (much faster than average)
Source: BLS Standard Occupational Classification and Employment Projections, 2025–35.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salaries elsewhere in California
- San Francisco, CA — $78,490
- San Diego, CA — $74,880
- Los Angeles, CA — $73,830
- Sacramento, CA — $66,670
Frequently asked questions
How much does a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Riverside, CA?
The median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA metro area is $64,300 a year, or about $30.91 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $51,970 and $78,320.
What is a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers’s take-home pay in Riverside, CA?
On the median $64,300 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $51,077 a year ($4,256 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,768 in California taxes in 2026.
Is Riverside, CA a good place to work as a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Pay here is 5% above the national median of $61,010. Local prices are 6.4% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $47,986 would in a typical U.S. city. Riverside, CA ranks #35 of 41 metro areas for cost-of-living-adjusted pay in this job.
Can a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers afford rent in Riverside, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Riverside, CA is $1,777 a month ($2,201 for two bedrooms) — 42% of a median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers’s monthly take-home pay. Financial planners usually suggest keeping rent under about 30%.
Related jobs in Riverside, CA
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers — $88,690
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines — $76,040
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic — $73,200
- Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist — $71,300
- Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic — $64,210
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General — $53,560
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other — $48,670