Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers Salary in San Diego, CA
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area earn a median $74,880 a year — 23% more than the national median. After 2026 taxes, that is $57,756 take-home, or $4,813 a month.
Take-home pay calculator
Pre-filled with the median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in San Diego, CA. Enter your own offer to see your paycheck.
- Federal income tax$7,644
- Social Security (6.2%)$4,643
- Medicare (1.45%)$1,086
- California income tax$2,778
- CA State Disability Insurance (SDI)$973
- Take-home pay$57,756
Marginal rate: 22% 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 San Diego, CA
| Percentile | Salary | Hourly | Take-home / yr | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile (entry level) | $46,710 | $22.46 | $38,247 | $3,187 |
| 25th percentile | $58,330 | $28.04 | $46,741 | $3,895 |
| Median (50th) | $74,880 | $36.00 | $57,756 | $4,813 |
| 75th percentile | $91,690 | $44.08 | $67,844 | $5,654 |
| 90th percentile (top earners) | $113,990 | $54.80 | $81,169 | $6,764 |
Wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Take-home: single filer, California resident, 2026 tax rules.
What $74,880 buys in San Diego, CA
Prices in San Diego, CA are 11.9% higher than the U.S. average (housing costs are 1.79× the national average). Adjusted for local prices, a median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers's $57,756 take-home pay has the buying power of $51,620 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 Diego, CA than nationally (location quotient 0.79), so openings may be scarcer.
Best-paying cities for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, adjusted for cost of living
San Diego, CA ranks #18 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 |
| 18 | San Diego, CA | $74,880 | $57,756 | $51,620 |
*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
- 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 Diego, CA?
The median heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area is $74,880 a year, or about $36.00 an hour, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). The middle half earn between $58,330 and $91,690.
What is a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers’s take-home pay in San Diego, CA?
On the median $74,880 salary, a single filer living in California takes home about $57,756 a year ($4,813 a month) after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare and $3,752 in California taxes in 2026.
Is San Diego, CA a good place to work as a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?
Pay here is 23% above the national median of $61,010. Local prices are 11.9% above the U.S. average, so the take-home pay buys what $51,620 would in a typical U.S. city. San Diego, CA ranks #18 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 Diego, CA?
HUD’s fair market rent for a one-bedroom in San Diego, CA is $2,459 a month ($3,001 for two bedrooms) — 51% 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%.