What are the main factors that influence a Refrigeration Tech's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change A Refrigeration Tech's salary?

A Refrigeration Tech's salary grows with experience: an HVAC Mechanic I (0-1 years)earns $53,225, an Refrigeration Tech (1-3 years)earns $62,409, an HVAC Mechanic III (3-5 years)earns $69,194, an HVAC Supervisor (5+ years)earns $81,341,

What are the highest paying states for a Refrigeration Tech?

Refrigeration Tech salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Refrigeration Tech roles are District of Columbia $67,563, California $67,306, Massachusetts $66,409. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Refrigeration Tech roles make?

Salaries for Refrigeration Tech level roles vary by specialization: Refrigeration Supervisor: $82,637; Refrigeration Manager: $81,105; Refrigeration Installer: $62,134; Refrigeration Mechanic: $60,707; Refrigeration Specialist: $59,753.

How do different companies affect a Refrigeration Tech's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Refrigeration Tech roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Refrigeration Tech Salary in the United States

How much does a Refrigeration Tech make in the United States?

As of August 01, 2026, the average salary for a Refrigeration Tech in the United States is $61,021 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $29.

However, a Refrigeration Tech's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $71,269
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $54,363 to $66,385
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $48,300

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Refrigeration Tech Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$66,385	$5,532	$1,277	$32
Average	$61,021	$5,085	$1,173	$29
25th Percentile	$54,363	$4,530	$1,045	$26

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Key Factors That Influence Refrigeration Tech Salaries

A Refrigeration Tech's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Do Refrigeration Tech Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Refrigeration Teches. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $67,563.
California: $67,306.
Massachusetts: $66,409.

District of Columbia $67,563 California $67,306 Massachusetts $66,409 Washington $66,165 New Jersey $66,141 Alaska $66,056 Connecticut $65,213 New York $64,872

Hawaii $63,779 Rhode Island $63,267 Maryland $62,919 Minnesota $62,443 Colorado $62,260 Illinois $62,199 Oregon $61,967 Delaware $61,796

New Hampshire $61,689 Virginia $61,448 Pennsylvania $60,747 Nevada $60,393 North Dakota $60,277 Michigan $60,094 Wisconsin $60,027 Vermont $59,892

Texas $59,520 Maine $59,496 Arizona $59,459 Ohio $59,416 Georgia $58,855 Indiana $58,574 Wyoming $58,519 Utah $58,434

Iowa $58,397 Kansas $58,104 Louisiana $58,019 North Carolina $57,989 Missouri $57,976 Florida $57,738 Montana $57,610 Nebraska $57,488

Kentucky $57,421 South Carolina $57,177 Tennessee $57,024 Idaho $56,963 New Mexico $56,518 Oklahoma $56,420 Alabama $56,060 South Dakota $55,456

Arkansas $55,127 West Virginia $54,950 Mississippi $54,419

Top Paying Cities for Refrigeration Teches

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $76,966
San Francisco: $76,123
Oakland: $74,519

San Jose, CA $76,966

San Francisco, CA $76,123

Oakland, CA $74,519

New York, NY $70,259

Paramus, NJ $69,405

Queens Village, NY $69,402

Passaic, NJ $69,344

Bergenfield, NJ $69,339

Stamford, CT $69,204

Huntington, NY $69,179

Newark, NJ $68,728

Bridgeport, CT $68,600

Vallejo, CA $68,478

New Brunswick, NJ $68,454

Petaluma, CA $68,417

Middlesex, NJ $68,301

Somerset, NJ $68,258

Santa Cruz, CA $68,179

Boston, MA $67,807

Monterey, CA $67,593

Seattle, WA $67,453

Santa Rosa, CA $67,441

Los Angeles, CA $67,422

Juneau, AK $67,264

Washington, DC $67,197

Orange, CA $66,979

Santa Ana, CA $66,818

Long Beach, CA $66,757

Anaheim, CA $66,745

Anchorage, AK $66,715

Santa Maria, CA $66,532

Everett, WA $66,519

Danbury, CT $66,305

Bremerton, WA $66,220

Tacoma, WA $66,001

New Suffolk, NY $65,999

Sacramento, CA $65,982

Santa Barbara, CA $65,915

Trenton, NJ $65,848

San Diego, CA $65,848

Brockton, MA $65,781

Fairbanks, AK $65,631

Lompoc, CA $65,476

Lowell, MA $65,426

Ventura, CA $65,415

Nashua, NH $65,403

Stockton, CA $65,397

Modesto, CA $64,951

Poughkeepsie, NY $64,817

Olympia, WA $64,701

Kennewick, WA $64,701

New Haven, CT $64,676

Lawrence, MA $64,457

Hartford, CT $64,396

Riverside, CA $64,384

New Bedford, MA $64,323

Richland, WA $64,323

Bakersfield, CA $64,237

San Bernardino, CA $64,213

New Britain, CT $64,207

Atlantic City, NJ $64,207

New London, CT $64,182

Norwich, CT $64,164

Portsmouth, NH $64,152

Boulder, CO $64,022

Portland, OR $63,938

Worcester, MA $63,932

Minneapolis, MN $63,743

Philadelphia, PA $63,657

Honolulu, HI $63,456

Saint Paul, MN $63,427

Vineland, NJ $63,413

Providence, RI $63,236

Chicago, IL $63,059

Bellingham, WA $62,986

Springfield, MA $62,937

Baltimore, MD $62,919

Chico, CA $62,767

Pittsfield, MA $62,602

Manchester, NH $62,486

Spokane, WA $62,217

Denver, CO $62,211

Albany, NY $61,924

Troy, NY $61,900

Nassau, NY $61,835

Schenectady, NY $61,772

Wilmington, DE $61,723

Burlington, VT $61,638

Salem, OR $61,613

Portland, ME $61,424

Yakima, WA $61,363

Rochester, MN $61,174

Reno, NV $61,143

Fresno, CA $61,143

Milwaukee, WI $61,088

Detroit, MI $61,027

Ann Arbor, MI $61,017

Allentown, PA $61,009

Colorado Springs, CO $60,905

Syracuse, NY $60,875

Carson City, NV $60,875

Houston, TX $60,789

Eugene, OR $60,759

Gary, IN $60,686

Springfield, OR $60,637

Bismarck, ND $60,625

Galveston, TX $60,582

Medford, OR $60,490

Fort Collins, CO $60,466

Concord, NH $60,435

Austin, TX $60,417

Mesa, AZ $60,289

Reading, PA $60,283

Phoenix, AZ $60,277

Dallas, TX $60,259

Saint Cloud, MN $60,200

Madison, WI $60,118

Utica, NY $59,953

Rochester, NY $59,856

Des Moines, IA $59,850

Raleigh, NC $59,844

Atlanta, GA $59,752

Battle Creek, MI $59,734

Salt Lake City, UT $59,715

Lancaster, PA $59,624

Harrisburg, PA $59,538

Kansas City, MO $59,477

Champaign, IL $59,465

Kansas City, KS $59,465

Fort Worth, TX $59,459

Columbus, OH $59,449

Boca Raton, FL $59,435

Pittsburgh, PA $59,410

Richmond, VA $59,386

Indianapolis, IN $59,374

Cleveland, OH $59,368

Las Vegas, NV $59,294

Cincinnati, OH $59,294

Petersburg, VA $59,203

Huntsville, AL $59,111

Lansing, MI $59,070

Lebanon, PA $59,063

Pueblo, CO $59,056

Appleton, WI $59,038

Buffalo, NY $59,014

Dayton, OH $58,995

Racine, WI $58,983

Charlotte, NC $58,977

Saint Louis, MO $58,959

York, PA $58,922

Elkhart, IN $58,922

Gastonia, NC $58,911

Billings, MT $58,896

Beaumont, TX $58,879

Lorain, OH $58,867

Benton Harbor, MI $58,855

Toledo, OH $58,843

Binghamton, NY $58,812

Rock Hill, SC $58,806

Rockford, IL $58,776

Springfield, IL $58,751

Elyria, OH $58,745

Fargo, ND $58,745

Flagstaff, AZ $58,702

Fort Lauderdale, FL $58,666

Duluth, MN $58,629

Miami, FL $58,629

Cheyenne, WY $58,587

Grand Forks, ND $58,587

Bangor, ME $58,452

Cedar Rapids, IA $58,385

Durham, NC $58,360

Louisville, KY $58,355

Grand Rapids, MI $58,342

Hialeah, FL $58,336

Casper, WY $58,251

Scranton, PA $58,178

New Orleans, LA $58,159

Virginia Beach, VA $58,153

Akron, OH $58,123

Peoria, IL $58,043

Sarasota, FL $58,031

Nashville, TN $57,989

Omaha, NE $57,989

Green Bay, WI $57,989

Baton Rouge, LA $57,958

Charleston, SC $57,946

Jamestown, NY $57,915

Davenport, IA $57,915

Tucson, AZ $57,885

Saint Petersburg, FL $57,848

Tampa, FL $57,836

Evansville, IN $57,799

Port Arthur, TX $57,799

Bradenton, FL $57,775

Santa Fe, NM $57,665

Orlando, FL $57,555

Clearwater, FL $57,537

Canton, OH $57,409

La Crosse, WI $57,409

Albuquerque, NM $57,372

Newport News, VA $57,366

High Point, NC $57,348

Ogden, UT $57,323

Corpus Christi, TX $57,275

Norfolk, VA $57,238

Laramie, WY $57,238

Rock Island, IL $57,201

Saginaw, MI $57,189

Jacksonville, FL $57,183

Salisbury, NC $57,171

Boise, ID $57,159

Moline, IL $57,128

Fort Myers, FL $57,110

Memphis, TN $57,098

Tulsa, OK $57,067

Waterloo, IA $57,031

Spartanburg, SC $56,969

Lincoln, NE $56,939

Fort Wayne, IN $56,927

Provo, UT $56,921

Cedar Falls, IA $56,847

San Antonio, TX $56,823

Greensboro, NC $56,799

South Bend, IN $56,793

Savannah, GA $56,725

Muskegon, MI $56,701

Birmingham, AL $56,695

Winston Salem, NC $56,665

Lake Charles, LA $56,518

Anderson, IN $56,506

Lexington, KY $56,487

Augusta, GA $56,469

Greenville, SC $56,469

Lima, OH $56,420

Wichita, KS $56,414

Tuscaloosa, AL $56,414

Columbia, SC $56,359

Springfield, OH $56,347

Asheville, NC $56,249

Bloomington, IN $56,207

Knoxville, TN $55,987

Shreveport, LA $55,981

Wilmington, NC $55,902

Roanoke, VA $55,902

Topeka, KS $55,792

Frankfort, KY $55,785

Oklahoma City, OK $55,743

Chillicothe, OH $55,719

Longview, TX $55,712

Melbourne, FL $55,706

Sioux Falls, SD $55,609

Mobile, AL $55,603

Terre Haute, IN $55,578

Altoona, PA $55,542

Amarillo, TX $55,499

Killeen, TX $55,481

Fayetteville, AR $55,432

Chattanooga, TN $55,413

Sioux City, IA $55,359

Idaho Falls, ID $55,346

Lynchburg, VA $55,298

Gainesville, FL $55,218

Portsmouth, OH $55,188

Little Rock, AR $55,175

Lafayette, LA $55,151

Youngstown, OH $55,151

Daytona Beach, FL $55,114

Clarksville, TN $55,108

Pensacola, FL $55,102

Temple, TX $55,098

Hopkinsville, KY $54,919

Erie, PA $54,907

Florence, SC $54,883

Charleston, WV $54,785

Great Falls, MT $54,754

Macon, GA $54,669

Tallahassee, FL $54,663

Fayetteville, NC $54,651

Waco, TX $54,638

Helena, MT $54,596

Pine Bluff, AR $54,573

Vincennes, IN $54,498

Lubbock, TX $54,474

Alamogordo, NM $54,437

Twin Falls, ID $54,382

Rapid City, SD $54,364

Jackson, MS $54,254

Huntington, WV $54,250

Greenville, MS $54,248

Parkersburg, WV $54,186

Montgomery, AL $54,175

Wichita Falls, TX $54,114

Springfield, MO $54,114

Biloxi, MS $54,083

Monroe, LA $54,022

Johnstown, PA $53,979

Sumter, SC $53,955

Columbus, GA $53,949

Pascagoula, MS $53,833

Abilene, TX $53,833

Kingsport, TN $53,674

Albany, GA $53,674

Gulfport, MS $53,656

Alexandria, LA $53,455

Fort Smith, AR $53,302

El Paso, TX $53,137

Las Cruces, NM $52,863

Harlingen, TX $52,708

Pocatello, ID $52,698

Florence, AL $52,619

Brownsville, TX $52,606

Mcallen, TX $52,478

Dothan, AL $52,393

Columbus, MS $52,030

Altus, OK $51,746

Lawton, OK $51,630

Pierre, SD $51,410

What Skills Can Increase a Refrigeration Tech's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Customer Service (Mentioned in 12.17% Job Postings): Customer service is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase. The perception of success of such interactions is dependent on employees "who can adjust themselves to the personality of the guest". Customer service concerns the priority an organization assigns to customer service relative to components such as product innovation and pricing. In this sense, an organization that values good customer service may spend more money in training employees than the average organization or may proactively interview customers for feedback. From the point of view of an overall sales process engineering effort, customer service plays an important role in an organization's ability to generate income and revenue. From that perspective, customer service should be included as part of an overall approach to systematic improvement. One good customer service experience can change the entire perception a customer holds towards the organization.
Hydraulics (Mentioned in 2.99% Job Postings): Hydraulics is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids.
Preventive Maintenance (Mentioned in 1.56% Job Postings): Preventive maintenance is the act of performing regularly scheduled maintenance activities to help prevent unexpected failures in the future. Put simply, it's about fixing things before they break.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Customer Service	12.17%
Hydraulics	2.99%
Preventive Maintenance	1.56%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Refrigeration Tech's salary.

Networking: Can increase your salary by up to 9%.
Access Control: Can increase your salary by up to 7%.
Alignment: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Networking	$66,513	9%
Access Control	$65,293	7%
Alignment	$64,072	5%
Goal Oriented	$63,462	4%
Analysis	$62,852	3%
Decision Making	$62,852	3%

Get Latest Data

Refrigeration Tech Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Refrigeration Tech roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 67% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Internet and Energy & Utilities sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 25% above the average. In contrast, Refrigeration Tech positions in Transportation or Hospitality & Leisure typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Refrigeration Tech as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Refrigeration Tech

Industry Sector	Average Annual Salary	Average Hourly Rate	Pay vs.Avg
Internet	$76,277	$37.0	25%
Energy & Utilities	$73,226	$35.0	20%
Pharmaceuticals	$72,005	$35.0	18%
Insurance	$67,123	$32.0	10%
Healthcare	$65,903	$32.0	8%

How Education impacts a Refrigeration Tech's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Refrigeration Teches enter the field with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Refrigeration Tech with a High School Diploma or Technical Certificate is between $60,083 and $64,138).

Refrigeration Tech Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Refrigeration Tech

No Diploma 3.4%

High School 62.2%

Associates 26.9%

Bachelors 6.7%

Masters 0.8%

Doctorate 0.0%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	3.4%
High School	62.2%
Associates	26.9%
Bachelors	6.7%
Masters	0.8%
Doctorate	0.0%

view as graph

Refrigeration Tech Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Refrigeration Tech's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on August 01, 2026

$54,363

Average $61,021/year

$66,385

$4,530

Average $5,085/month

$5,532

$1,045

Average $1,173/week

$1,277

$26

Average $29/hour

$32

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$66,385	$5,532	$1,277	$32
Average	$61,021	$5,085	$1,173	$29
25th Percentile	$54,363	$4,530	$1,045	$26

Salaries of jobs related to Refrigeration Tech

Salary Trends for Refrigeration Tech

Salaries for a Refrigeration Tech can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $51,914 in 2023 to around $51,812 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Refrigeration Tech salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Refrigeration Tech Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$51,914

2024

$52,034

2025

$51,812

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$51,914
2024	$52,034
2025	$51,812
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Refrigeration Tech

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Disability

Healthcare

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FAQ about Refrigeration Tech

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Refrigeration Tech?

The Internet industry offers the highest average compensation for Refrigeration Tech roles, with salaries approximately 25% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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