SOC 49-9021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers — North Dakota
North Dakota · 4 metro areas compared
In North Dakota the median wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers is $74,490 a year, which is 22.1% higher than the national figure of $61,010.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +8.1%
- Openings per year
- 40,100
- Typical entry-level education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for North Dakota.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
In North Dakota the median wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers is $74,490 a year, which is 22.1% higher than the national figure of $61,010. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $56,770 and $78,920. The lowest tenth earn under $46,610, while the highest tenth earn more than $94,060.
The area has 970 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.85 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. North Dakota ranks number 8th out of 51 states by median pay for this occupation. Within the state, Fargo records the highest median at $75,920. Of the 556 occupations with published wages in this area, it sits 174th.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $46,610 | −23.6% |
| 25th | $56,770 | −6.9% |
| Median (50th) | $74,490 | +22.1% |
| 75th | $78,920 | +29.4% |
| 90th | $94,060 | +54.2% |
| Mean | $70,010 | +14.8% |
Highest-paying metro areas in North Dakota
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fargo | $75,920 | 370 | |
| 2 | Grand Forks | $75,470 | 130 | |
| 3 | Bismarck | $64,770 | 200 | |
| 4 | Minot | $63,950 | 60 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in North Dakota run 11.0% below the national average, so the median of $74,490 goes as far as $83,697 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way it compares to the national median at 37.2% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$74,490as reported by BLSLocal price level
89.0US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$83,697US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $74,490 a year, 22.1% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $46,610 to $94,060 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 970 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 8th of 51 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Fargo, at $75,920.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in North Dakota?
The median annual wage is $74,490, or $35.81 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $61,010, so pay in North Dakota is 22.1% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in North Dakota earns more than $94,060 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $46,610 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Fargo, at $75,920 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 970 jobs in this occupation in North Dakota. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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