Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary in Detroit, MI
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area earn a median $63,170 a year — 4% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $50,503 take-home, or $4,209 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in Detroit, MI. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$5,400
- Social Security (6.2%)$3,917
- Medicare (1.45%)$916
- Michigan income tax$2,434
- Take-home pay$50,503
Marginal rate: 12% federal + 4.25% state
Living in Detroit? City residents also pay Detroit’s city income tax — about $1,516 a year on this salary — which lowers take-home pay to $48,987 ($4,082 a month). Choose “Detroit” 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 Detroit, MI
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $42,840 | $20.60 | $35,032 | $2,919 |
| 25th percentile | $48,240 | $23.19 | $39,141 | $3,262 |
| Median (50th) | $63,170 | $30.37 | $50,503 | $4,209 |
| 75th percentile | $80,780 | $38.84 | $62,476 | $5,206 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $95,610 | $45.97 | $72,279 | $6,023 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, Michigan resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $63,170 buys in Detroit, MI
Prices in Detroit, MI are 0.3% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 5% below the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers's $50,503 take-home pay has the buying power of $50,353 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 Detroit, MI as in the U.S. overall (location quotient 1.14).
Best-paying cities for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, adjusted for cost of living
Detroit, MI ranks #22 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 |
| 22 | Detroit, MI | $63,170 | $50,503 | $50,353 |
*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.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make in Detroit, MI?
The median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in the Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI metro area is $63,170 a year, or about $30.37 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $48,240 and $80,780.
What is a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers’s take-home pay in Detroit, MI?
On the median $63,170 salary, a single filer living in Michigan takes home about $50,503 a year ($4,209 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $2,434 in Michigan taxes in 2026.
Is Detroit, MI a good place to work as a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Pay here is 4% above the national median of $61,010. Local prices are 0.3% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $50,353 would in a typical U.S. city. Detroit, MI ranks #22 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 Detroit, MI?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in Detroit, MI is $1,128 a month ($1,413 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%.
Related jobs in Detroit, MI
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers — $79,200
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic — $71,100
- Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist — $63,360
- Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic — $56,000
- Maintenance and Repair Workers, General — $48,380
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other — $47,450
- Tire Repairer and Changer — $37,610