The median annual wage for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers was $45,110 in May 2015. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $27,790, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $71,690.

Apprentices usually earn about half of the wage paid to experienced workers. As they learn to do more, their pay increases.

The vast majority of HVACR technicians work full time, with occasional evening or weekend shifts. During peak heating and cooling seasons, they often work overtime or irregular hours. Although most technicians are employed by construction contractors, about 1 in 10 are self-employed workers who have the ability to set their own schedules.

Technicians who service refrigeration, heating, and air conditioning equipment generally have stable employment throughout the year, particularly because a growing number of manufacturers and contractors now provide or even require year-round service contracts.