Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?

Not necessarily. District of Columbia has the highest headline BLS median for a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers at $84,390, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #5 of 51 on real pay (index 116.2). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.

GeraJobs / US Real Pay Index / Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

Best States to Be a Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers

After 2025 state income tax and 2024 cost of living, a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary goes furthest in North Dakota — a $74,490 BLS median worth $83,494 in real terms (Gera US Real Pay Index 133.1).

Which US states are best for a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers after cost of living and tax?

For a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers, the Gera US Real Pay Index ranks North Dakota #1: a $74,490 BLS median becomes $83,494 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms (index 133.1). Alabama ranks last ($52,032, index 82.9). Real BLS OEWS May 2025 across 51 states; re-dated annually.

Source:U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)·As of May 2025 state estimates · updated annually · last refreshed 19 June 2026

Gera US Real Pay Index

North Dakota ranks #1 of 51 states for a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers. Index 100 = the average state; 133.1 means pay goes 33.1% further after tax and cost of living.

How this is calculated

133.1

Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers — real pay by state (best first)

#	State	BLS median	State tax	Cost (RPP)	Real pay	Index
1	North Dakota	$74,490	$215	89.0	$83,494	133.1
2	Alaska	$77,430	—	102.4	$75,646	120.6
3	Illinois	$77,410	$3,691	100.0	$73,750	117.6
4	Minnesota	$76,350	$3,703	98.6	$73,663	117.4
5	District of Columbia	$84,390	$4,298	109.9	$72,876	116.2
6	Connecticut	$76,610	$2,639	103.6	$71,394	113.8
7	New Hampshire	$73,850	—	104.2	$70,897	113.0
8	Washington	$75,660	—	107.0	$70,702	112.7
9	Massachusetts	$77,300	$3,645	105.8	$69,646	111.0
10	South Dakota	$61,390	—	88.6	$69,300	110.5
11	Iowa	$60,680	$2,266	87.8	$66,560	106.1
12	Ohio	$62,510	$937	92.8	$66,369	105.8
13	New Jersey	$74,450	$2,566	108.8	$66,067	105.3
14	New York	$74,430	$3,489	107.9	$65,735	104.8
15	Louisiana	$58,650	$1,385	88.2	$64,922	103.5
16	Kansas	$60,460	$2,574	90.1	$64,269	102.4
17	Nebraska	$59,850	$2,016	90.1	$64,187	102.3
18	Rhode Island	$67,370	$1,926	102.3	$63,985	102.0
19	Missouri	$59,950	$1,937	90.8	$63,879	101.8
20	Maryland	$70,020	$2,993	105.0	$63,860	101.8
21	Wisconsin	$61,710	$2,118	94.1	$63,331	101.0
22	California	$72,560	$2,673	110.7	$63,121	100.6
23	Oklahoma	$57,560	$2,196	87.8	$63,026	100.5
24	Indiana	$60,430	$1,783	93.3	$62,839	100.2
25	Kentucky	$58,620	$2,214	90.2	$62,563	99.7
26	Maine	$63,170	$2,649	97.0	$62,360	99.4
27	Pennsylvania	$62,400	$1,916	97.6	$61,989	98.8
28	Montana	$60,850	$2,452	94.6	$61,702	98.4
29	Vermont	$62,150	$1,720	98.0	$61,690	98.3
30	Colorado	$65,200	$2,209	103.1	$61,126	97.4
31	Michigan	$60,850	$2,340	96.2	$60,811	96.9
32	Nevada	$60,510	—	100.0	$60,523	96.5
33	Tennessee	$55,490	—	91.9	$60,401	96.3
34	Delaware	$62,320	$2,782	99.8	$59,653	95.1
35	Texas	$57,760	—	97.1	$59,511	94.9
36	Wyoming	$54,700	—	92.7	$59,013	94.1
37	North Carolina	$57,260	$1,892	94.3	$58,699	93.6
38	South Carolina	$56,610	$1,902	93.7	$58,355	93.0
39	Arizona	$59,400	$1,010	100.7	$57,997	92.4
40	Idaho	$56,240	$2,082	95.5	$56,713	90.4
41	Utah	$58,730	$2,672	98.9	$56,702	90.4
42	Virginia	$59,730	$2,635	101.1	$56,472	90.0
43	Hawaii	$65,450	$3,444	110.0	$56,394	89.9
44	Oregon	$62,940	$4,703	103.4	$56,343	89.8
45	Georgia	$56,390	$2,393	96.3	$56,076	89.4
46	Florida	$56,670	—	103.4	$54,799	87.4
47	Mississippi	$48,680	$1,337	87.0	$54,447	86.8
48	Arkansas	$48,110	$1,668	86.9	$53,421	85.2
49	New Mexico	$50,270	$1,249	92.2	$53,162	84.7
50	West Virginia	$48,850	$1,470	89.5	$52,941	84.4
51	Alabama	$48,370	$2,154	88.8	$52,032	82.9

"Real pay" = BLS median − 2025 state income tax, divided by the state's 2024 BEA cost of living (US = 100). Only the 51 states for which BLS publishes a median for this occupation are ranked; suppressed cells are excluded, never set to zero.

Where does your salary go furthest?

Enter a salary and a state. We adjust for 2025 state income tax and the 2024 BEA cost of living to show your real, purchasing-power-equivalent pay — then rank every state.

Gross annual salary (USD)Compare against state

In North Dakota, a $74,490 salary is worth about $81,642 in cost-of-living-and-tax-adjusted terms.

State income tax $1,862 (≈ top marginal 2.50% (upper bound)) · take-home $72,628 · BEA cost of living 89.0 (US = 100).

The same salary goes furthest in South Dakota — worth $84,088, a $2,446 gain over North Dakota.

#	State	Real value	Cost (RPP)
1	South Dakota	$84,088	88.6
2	Arkansas	$82,341	86.9
3	Louisiana	$81,916	88.2
4	Mississippi	$81,898	87.0
5	Iowa	$81,652	87.8
6	North Dakota	$81,642	89.0
7	Tennessee	$81,082	91.9
8	Oklahoma	$80,771	87.8
9	Wyoming	$80,364	92.7
10	Alabama	$79,670	88.8
11	Kentucky	$79,316	90.2
12	West Virginia	$79,220	89.5

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Estimate only. State income tax is approximated from each state's 2025 flat rate (or top marginal rate as an upper bound for graduated states) and ignores federal tax, deductions and credits. The pre-published occupation and state pages use exact 2025 bracket math. Cost of living is the 2024 BEA Regional Price Parity (All Items).

Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers — real pay FAQ

What is the best state to be a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers?: By the Gera US Real Pay Index, North Dakota is the best state for a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers: a BLS median of $74,490 is worth $83,494 after the 2025 state income tax ($215) and the 2024 BEA cost-of-living adjustment (RPP 89.0), an index of 133.1 where the average state is 100.
Does the highest-paying state also leave you best off?: Not necessarily. District of Columbia has the highest headline BLS median for a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers at $84,390, but after state tax and cost of living it ranks #5 of 51 on real pay (index 116.2). That gap is exactly what the Gera US Real Pay Index reveals.
Where does a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers salary go least far?: Alabama ranks last of 51 states for a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers: a $48,370 BLS median is worth only $52,032 after tax and cost of living (index 82.9). Higher local prices and/or income tax less far than the national average erode the headline pay.

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Related on GeraJobs

Gera US Real Pay Index — all states ranked — and how the index is calculated.
Methodology — the exact BLS + BEA + tax computation.
Browse US jobs with salary ranges — roles hiring now.

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) (May 2025 state estimates, US federal public domain); U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — Regional Price Parities (All Items), by state (2024 (US = 100)); Tax Foundation — 2025 State Individual Income Tax Rates and Brackets. The Gera US Real Pay Index for a heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers is computed by GeraJobs from these figures; no figure is modelled or interpolated.