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Install or repair heating, central air conditioning, or refrigeration systems, including oil burners, hot-air furnaces, and heating stoves.
Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:
| Employment (1) | Employment RSE (3) |
Mean hourly wage |
Mean annual wage (2) |
Wage RSE (3) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 294,730 | 1.4 % | $23.23 | $48,320 | 0.5 % |
Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:
| Percentile | 10% | 25% | 50% (Median) |
75% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hourly Wage | $13.67 | $17.04 | $22.07 | $28.35 | $35.26 |
| Annual Wage (2) | $28,440 | $35,440 | $45,910 | $58,960 | $73,350 |
Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Equipment Contractors | 212,810 | 10.68 | $22.72 | $47,250 |
| Direct Selling Establishments | 9,410 | 7.07 | $23.61 | $49,100 |
| Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 8,070 | 3.27 | $24.90 | $51,790 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 6,170 | 3.03 | $23.90 | $49,710 |
| Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools | 5,620 | 0.19 | $24.71 | $51,400 |
Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Equipment Contractors | 212,810 | 10.68 | $22.72 | $47,250 |
| Direct Selling Establishments | 9,410 | 7.07 | $23.61 | $49,100 |
| Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 8,070 | 3.27 | $24.90 | $51,790 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance | 6,170 | 3.03 | $23.90 | $49,710 |
| Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance | 1,810 | 2.38 | $22.11 | $46,000 |
Top paying industries for this occupation:
| Industry | Employment (1) | Percent of industry employment | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 350 | 0.07 | $34.82 | $72,430 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | (8) | (8) | $34.07 | $70,880 |
| Natural Gas Distribution | 1,010 | 0.90 | $32.33 | $67,240 |
| Wired Telecommunications Carriers | 230 | 0.04 | $31.68 | $65,900 |
| Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals | 150 | 0.06 | $31.58 | $65,690 |
States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.
States with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 28,700 | 3.49 | 1.66 | $19.55 | $40,660 |
| California | 25,360 | 1.59 | 0.76 | $26.32 | $54,750 |
| Texas | 24,300 | 2.07 | 0.99 | $21.18 | $44,050 |
| New York | 15,930 | 1.75 | 0.83 | $26.76 | $55,650 |
| Pennsylvania | 13,160 | 2.29 | 1.09 | $23.87 | $49,650 |
States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delaware | 1,860 | 4.22 | 2.01 | $25.12 | $52,260 |
| Florida | 28,700 | 3.49 | 1.66 | $19.55 | $40,660 |
| Maine | 1,870 | 3.14 | 1.50 | $22.38 | $46,540 |
| Vermont | 890 | 2.91 | 1.38 | $23.71 | $49,310 |
| New Hampshire | 1,850 | 2.87 | 1.37 | $24.06 | $50,050 |
Top paying States for this occupation:
| State | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 330 | 0.48 | 0.23 | $32.32 | $67,230 |
| Hawaii | 800 | 1.26 | 0.60 | $32.12 | $66,820 |
| Alaska | 300 | 0.92 | 0.44 | $30.59 | $63,620 |
| North Dakota | 970 | 2.27 | 1.08 | $29.05 | $60,420 |
| New Jersey | 10,110 | 2.56 | 1.22 | $28.08 | $58,420 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division | 10,350 | 1.57 | 0.75 | $29.05 | $60,430 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division | 6,370 | 1.51 | 0.72 | $27.26 | $56,710 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | 5,970 | 4.72 | 2.25 | $18.64 | $38,780 |
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 5,950 | 2.33 | 1.11 | $22.17 | $46,100 |
| Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land, TX | 5,770 | 1.97 | 0.94 | $22.96 | $47,760 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division | 5,310 | 2.13 | 1.02 | $28.35 | $58,970 |
| Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, AZ | 4,740 | 2.45 | 1.17 | $22.77 | $47,370 |
| Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division | 4,720 | 1.94 | 0.93 | $22.94 | $47,720 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA NECTA Division | 3,900 | 2.16 | 1.03 | $29.04 | $60,400 |
| Nassau County-Suffolk County, NY Metropolitan Division | 3,700 | 2.87 | 1.37 | $28.99 | $60,310 |
Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebastian-Vero Beach, FL | 320 | 6.61 | 3.15 | $15.95 | $33,180 |
| Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL | 1,610 | 6.44 | 3.07 | $18.95 | $39,420 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 250 | 5.64 | 2.69 | $18.26 | $37,980 |
| Grand Island, NE | 220 | 5.41 | 2.58 | $22.49 | $46,780 |
| Salisbury, MD-DE | 820 | 5.30 | 2.52 | $21.81 | $45,360 |
| The Villages, FL | 130 | 5.21 | 2.48 | $17.02 | $35,410 |
| Manhattan, KS | 190 | 5.13 | 2.44 | (8) | (8) |
| Lynn-Saugus-Marblehead, MA NECTA Division | 220 | 5.12 | 2.44 | (8) | (8) |
| Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, SC-NC | 770 | 5.06 | 2.41 | $18.03 | $37,500 |
| Lawton, OK | 220 | 5.02 | 2.39 | $18.68 | $38,850 |
Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Metropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Rafael, CA Metropolitan Division | 110 | 0.97 | 0.46 | $36.51 | $75,940 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | 1,640 | 1.57 | 0.75 | $36.29 | $75,470 |
| Tacoma-Lakewood, WA Metropolitan Division | 410 | 1.42 | 0.68 | $35.22 | $73,260 |
| Elgin, IL Metropolitan Division | 550 | 2.24 | 1.07 | $35.00 | $72,800 |
| Fargo, ND-MN | 440 | 3.22 | 1.53 | $33.78 | $70,270 |
| Peoria, IL | 230 | 1.34 | 0.64 | $33.59 | $69,870 |
| Fairbanks, AK | 40 | 0.98 | 0.47 | $33.19 | $69,040 |
| Urban Honolulu, HI | 700 | 1.51 | 0.72 | $32.73 | $68,080 |
| Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, WA Metropolitan Division | 1,470 | 0.93 | 0.44 | $32.56 | $67,720 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | 370 | 1.93 | 0.92 | $32.46 | $67,520 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Piedmont North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 760 | 2.96 | 1.41 | $19.09 | $39,710 |
| Southeast Coastal North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 680 | 2.74 | 1.30 | $17.29 | $35,950 |
| Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area | 640 | 2.29 | 1.09 | $18.61 | $38,710 |
| Southeast Iowa nonmetropolitan area | 580 | 2.55 | 1.22 | $19.38 | $40,310 |
| Northern Indiana nonmetropolitan area | 550 | 2.57 | 1.22 | $15.76 | $32,780 |
Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area | 120 | 6.66 | 3.17 | $26.60 | $55,320 |
| Northwest Virginia nonmetropolitan area | 310 | 4.83 | 2.30 | $23.20 | $48,260 |
| Pee Dee South Carolina nonmetropolitan area | 220 | 4.75 | 2.26 | $15.57 | $32,380 |
| East Central New York nonmetropolitan area | 140 | 4.17 | 1.98 | $20.35 | $42,340 |
| Far East North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 100 | 3.99 | 1.90 | (8) | (8) |
Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:
| Nonmetropolitan area | Employment (1) | Employment per thousand jobs | Location quotient (9) | Hourly mean wage | Annual mean wage (2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance of Alaska nonmetropolitan area | 40 | 0.56 | 0.27 | $34.02 | $70,760 |
| Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area | 310 | 2.68 | 1.28 | $29.90 | $62,200 |
| Hawaii / Kauai nonmetropolitan area | 30 | 0.33 | 0.16 | $29.15 | $60,630 |
| West Central North Dakota nonmetropolitan area | 160 | 2.67 | 1.27 | $28.40 | $59,080 |
| Connecticut nonmetropolitan area | 90 | 2.80 | 1.34 | $27.74 | $57,710 |
These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.
The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.
(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.
(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.
(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.
(8) Estimate not released.
(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.
Other OES estimates and related information:
May 2016 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
May 2016 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates
Last Modified Date: March 31, 2017