Refrigeration tech salary by state changes fast once you compare all 50 states side by side. This ranked list gives you the full state order, using May 2024 wage data for heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers.
The national median refrigeration tech salary is $59,810 per year, or $28.75 per hour, according to May 2024 wage data for BLS occupation 49-9021, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers. CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, reports state wage data from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
This ranking uses median annual pay as the main sorting number. Median pay is better than average pay for a ranked list because it shows the middle of the market, not a number pulled up by a small group of very high earners. The “high annual pay” column reflects the top-end wage level reported in the same state table.
| Rank | State | Median hourly pay | Median annual pay | High annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $40.22 | $83,660 | $104,100 |
| 2 | Massachusetts | $37.02 | $76,990 | $109,220 |
| 3 | Connecticut | $35.53 | $73,910 | $97,940 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $35.29 | $73,390 | $94,420 |
| 5 | Illinois | $34.44 | $71,620 | $110,570 |
| 6 | New Jersey | $33.56 | $69,800 | $102,050 |
| 7 | Washington | $32.51 | $67,630 | $108,800 |
| 8 | North Dakota | $32.10 | $66,770 | $92,650 |
| 9 | New York | $32.05 | $66,670 | $98,530 |
| 10 | California | $31.39 | $65,290 | $107,600 |
| 11 | Maryland | $31.25 | $65,000 | $100,760 |
| 12 | New Hampshire | $30.97 | $64,410 | $87,920 |
| 13 | Hawaii | $30.67 | $63,780 | $89,900 |
| 14 | Rhode Island | $30.57 | $63,580 | $86,290 |
| 15 | Colorado | $30.49 | $63,420 | $100,790 |
| 16 | Oregon | $30.16 | $62,740 | $93,620 |
| 17 | Maine | $29.87 | $62,130 | $80,330 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $29.82 | $62,030 | $96,970 |
| 19 | Pennsylvania | $29.38 | $61,120 | $84,190 |
| 20 | Virginia | $29.15 | $60,630 | $81,750 |
| 21 | Ohio | $29.08 | $60,490 | $91,710 |
| 22 | Missouri | $29.00 | $60,330 | $94,870 |
| 23 | Indiana | $28.99 | $60,310 | $93,080 |
| 24 | Vermont | $28.93 | $60,170 | $80,160 |
| 25 | Michigan | $28.89 | $60,090 | $84,070 |
| 26 | Delaware | $28.82 | $59,940 | $95,160 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $28.70 | $59,690 | $78,370 |
| 28 | Iowa | $28.60 | $59,490 | $85,760 |
| 29 | South Dakota | $28.59 | $59,460 | $77,280 |
| 30 | Nevada | $28.48 | $59,230 | $91,040 |
| 31 | Kentucky | $28.31 | $58,880 | $79,100 |
| 32 | Montana | $28.17 | $58,600 | $79,240 |
| 33 | Kansas | $27.29 | $56,750 | $77,570 |
| 34 | Arizona | $27.20 | $56,580 | $78,380 |
| 35 | Utah | $27.02 | $56,200 | $80,330 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $26.57 | $55,260 | $72,460 |
| 37 | New Mexico | $26.45 | $55,020 | $77,980 |
| 38 | Georgia | $26.45 | $55,020 | $77,580 |
| 39 | Texas | $25.99 | $54,050 | $82,870 |
| 40 | Louisiana | $25.73 | $53,510 | $77,940 |
| 41 | Idaho | $25.35 | $52,730 | $78,720 |
| 42 | North Carolina | $24.97 | $51,940 | $75,470 |
| 43 | Tennessee | $24.75 | $51,480 | $76,600 |
| 44 | Oklahoma | $24.48 | $50,920 | $79,580 |
| 45 | Wyoming | $24.48 | $50,920 | $78,730 |
| 46 | Florida | $24.32 | $50,580 | $74,670 |
| 47 | Alabama | $23.70 | $49,290 | $69,350 |
| 48 | Mississippi | $22.73 | $47,270 | $70,360 |
| 49 | Arkansas | $22.71 | $47,240 | $65,810 |
| 50 | West Virginia | $22.13 | $46,040 | $65,390 |
Alaska ranks first at $83,660 per year. Massachusetts ranks second at $76,990, followed by Connecticut at $73,910, Minnesota at $73,390, and Illinois at $71,620. Those five states sit well above the national median of $59,810.
The top 10 are not all warm-weather service markets. They include cold-climate states, union-heavy markets, expensive coastal markets, and states with strong commercial building demand. That matters because refrigeration tech pay is not only about how many air conditioners run in July. It is also about supermarkets, cold storage, food processing, hospitals, universities, controls work, rack refrigeration, and emergency coverage.
For commercial refrigeration techs, the table gives you a starting point. A senior rack tech in a lower-ranked state still beats the state median when they handle CO2 systems, low-temp troubleshooting, controls, compressor diagnostics, and on-call food-loss calls.
West Virginia ranks 50th at $46,040 per year. Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida round out the bottom five. Those states still have refrigeration work, but the statewide median wage sits below the national median.
Do not read the bottom of this refrigeration tech salary by state ranking as “bad places to work.” Read it as a wage baseline. Florida ranks low statewide at $50,580, but commercial refrigeration demand is constant in grocery, restaurants, hospitality, healthcare, and cold storage. Texas ranks 39th at $54,050, yet major metro areas and industrial accounts pay above the state median for experienced techs.
The state number blends residential HVAC, commercial HVAC, refrigeration, install work, service work, and maintenance roles. A tech running supermarket calls at 2 a.m. is in a different pay lane than an entry-level residential installer.
Use the ranked table to screen markets, not to make the whole decision.
Start with the state median. Then compare the high annual pay column. A state with a modest median but a strong high-end number often has better upside for skilled commercial refrigeration techs. Colorado is a good example at $63,420 median and $100,790 high annual pay. Washington is another, with $67,630 median and $108,800 high annual pay.
Before you move or take a job, compare these four items:
A $31 hourly job with steady overtime and paid travel beats a $35 hourly job with weak benefits, unpaid windshield time, and no training path.
This refrigeration tech salary by state ranking uses BLS occupation 49-9021. That occupation covers heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers. BLS describes these workers as techs who install, maintain, and repair heating, ventilation, cooling, and refrigeration systems.
That means the data is useful, but not perfect for commercial refrigeration alone. It includes residential HVAC installers, service techs, commercial HVAC techs, refrigeration mechanics, and related HVACR workers. The number does not isolate supermarket rack technicians, ammonia operators, CO2 specialists, or industrial refrigeration mechanics.
For hiring and job hunting, the ranking still works because it reflects the labor market each employer competes in. A contractor hiring commercial refrigeration techs in Massachusetts competes against a stronger wage floor than a contractor hiring in Arkansas. A cold storage operator in Illinois competes in a market where the median is already $71,620.
The highest refrigeration tech salary by state is Alaska at $83,660 per year. The lowest is West Virginia at $46,040. The national median is $59,810, but skilled commercial refrigeration techs should look past the median and compare high-end pay, overtime, system type, and local market demand.
Ready to compare real openings by state? View refrigeration technician jobs on Fridgejobs.com and look for roles that mention supermarket racks, CO2, ammonia, industrial refrigeration, controls, and on-call commercial service.