Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary in Columbus, OH
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the Columbus, OH metro area earn a median $64,440 a year — 6% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $52,968 take-home, or $4,414 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in Columbus, OH. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,553
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,995
- Medicare (1.45%)$934
- Ohio income tax$990
- Take-home pay$52,968
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 2.75% state
Living in Columbus? City residents also pay Columbus’s city income tax — about $1,611 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $51,357 ($4,280 a month). Choose “Columbus” under City income tax in the calculator. Suburban residents usually don’t pay it.
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 Columbus, OH
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $40,680 | $19.56 | $34,530 | $2,878 |
| 25th percentile | $49,030 | $23.57 | $41,010 | $3,417 |
| Median (50th) | $64,440 | $30.98 | $52,968 | $4,414 |
| 75th percentile | $80,870 | $38.88 | $64,280 | $5,357 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $100,590 | $48.36 | $77,611 | $6,468 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Ohio resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $64,440 buys in Columbus, OH
Prices in Columbus, OH are 4.5% lower than the U.S. average (housing costs are 12% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers's $52,968 take-home pay has the buying power of $55,482 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 Columbus, OH as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.03).
Best-paying cities for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, adjusted for cost of living
Columbus, OH ranks #5 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 |
*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 Ohio
- Cleveland, OH — $62,790
- Cincinnati, OH — $62,240
Frequently asked questions
How much does a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Columbus, OH?
The median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in the Columbus, OH metro area is $64,440 a year, or about $30.98 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $49,030 and $80,870.
What is a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers’s take-home pay in Columbus, OH?
On the median $64,440 salary, a single filer living in Ohio takes home about $52,968 a year ($4,414 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $990 in Ohio taxes in 2026.
Is Columbus, OH a good place to work as a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Pay here is 6% above the national median of $61,010. Local prices are 4.5% below the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $55,482 would in a typical U.S. city. Columbus, OH ranks #5 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 Columbus, OH?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Columbus, OH is $1,179 a month ($1,416 for two bedrooms) — 27% 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%.