Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers pay range in Boulder
New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,900 a year or less, while the top 10% make $113,670 or more. The middle half of heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in Boulder earn between $59,920 and $89,500.
- $49K10th
- $60K25th
- $71KMedian
- $90K75th
- $114K90th
median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it
| Pay level | Per year | Per month | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average | $75,500 | $6,292 | $36.30 |
| Median | $71,080 | $5,923 | $34.17 |
| Entry level (25th percentile) | $59,920 | $4,993 | $28.81 |
| Experienced (75th percentile) | $89,500 | $7,458 | $43.03 |
*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers pay in Boulder vs. Colorado and the U.S.
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers in Boulder earn 6% more than the Colorado average ($71,330) and 17% more than the U.S. average ($64,780). At the median the gap is +17% against the U.S. median of $61,010.
| Area | Average | Median | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder | $75,500 | $71,080 | $48,900 | $113,670 | 340 |
| Colorado | $71,330 | $65,200 | $48,220 | $103,640 | 8,940 |
| United States | $64,780 | $61,010 | $40,050 | $95,210 | 409,670 |
State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary after taxes in Boulder
On the average salary of $75,500, a single filer in Boulder takes home about $59,331 a year, or $4,944 a month and $2,282 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.
Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Is Boulder a good place for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers? Pay vs. cost of living
Prices in the Boulder area are 5% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 105.2), so the average $75,500 buys what about $71,767 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.0 times the median wage of all jobs in Boulder ($69,580). A typical home costs $727,954, or 9.6 years of this average salary before tax.
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary in other Colorado cities
Boulder ranks 2nd of 7 Colorado metro areas for this job; Fort Collins pays the most ($75,870).
- Fort Collins$75,870
- Boulder$75,500
- Denver$74,310
- Colorado Springs$66,950
- Greeley$66,350
- Grand Junction$63,530
- Pueblo$62,140
All Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salaries in Colorado
Highest-paying cities for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers
San Jose, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($91,280).
- San Jose, CA$91,280
- San Francisco, CA$86,540
- Seattle, WA$85,420
- Anchorage, AK$85,290
- Fairbanks, AK$84,820
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary by city
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Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers salary in Boulder: questions
How much do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make an hour in Boulder?
$36.30 an hour on average, and $34.17 at the median (BLS, May 2025).
What is the entry-level heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary in Boulder?
The lowest-paid 10% earn about $48,900 a year and the 25th percentile is $59,920, a fair guide to starting pay.
What is the heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers take-home pay in Boulder?
About $59,331 a year ($4,944 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $75,500. Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
Do heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers earn more in Boulder than elsewhere?
The average here is 17% more than the U.S. average for this job ($64,780).
Sources and how to read this page
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 49-9021; area Boulder, CO (14500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.9%.
- U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
- Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
- Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
- Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2026 rules). Colorado's FAMLI premium and the flat monthly occupational privilege taxes of Denver, Aurora and a few other cities are not included.
- Job concentration: location quotient 0.67, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.67).
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