Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary in San Francisco, CA
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area earn a median $78,490 a year — 29% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $59,957 take-home, or $4,996 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in San Francisco, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$8,438
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,866
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,138
- California income tax$3,070
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$1,020
- Take-home pay$59,957
Marginal rate: 22% federal + 9.30% 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 San Francisco, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $49,180 | $23.64 | $40,057 | $3,338 |
| 25th percentile | $61,930 | $29.77 | $49,370 | $4,114 |
| Median (50th) | $78,490 | $37.74 | $59,957 | $4,996 |
| 75th percentile | $101,870 | $48.98 | $73,927 | $6,161 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $129,380 | $62.20 | $90,213 | $7,518 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $78,490 buys in San Francisco, CA
Prices in San Francisco, CA are 15.6% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.95× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers's $59,957 take-home pay has the buying power of $51,860 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 less concentrated in San Francisco, CA than nationally (location quotient 0.64), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, adjusted for cost of living
San Francisco, CA ranks #17 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 |
| 17 | San Francisco, CA | $78,490 | $59,957 | $51,860 |
*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 Diego, CA — $74,880
- Los Angeles, CA — $73,830
- Sacramento, CA — $66,670
- Riverside, CA — $64,300
Frequently asked questions
How much does a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in San Francisco, CA?
The median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area is $78,490 a year, or about $37.74 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $61,930 and $101,870.
What is a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers’s take-home pay in San Francisco, CA?
On the median $78,490 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $59,957 a year ($4,996 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $4,090 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Francisco, CA a good place to work as a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Pay here is 29% above the national median of $61,010. Local prices are 15.6% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $51,860 would in a typical U.S. city. San Francisco, CA ranks #17 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 San Francisco, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Francisco, CA is $2,620 a month ($3,187 for two bedrooms) — 52% 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 San Francisco, CA
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers — $102,360
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines — $95,410
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic — $90,580
- Automotive Body and Related Repairer — $76,740
- Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic — $76,030
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General — $63,630
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other — $58,140