SOC 49-9021

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Bowling Green, KY (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + KY + Municipal
COL Index: 103.44 (+3.4% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.9% Realized
$40,837 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $55,230 $26.55/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.06% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$11,079 $426.12/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $26.55 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,314/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$398/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,050
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,424
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$801
Kentucky Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,699
Bowling Green occupational tax
2.00%
-$1,105
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$40,837 ($1,570.66 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Bowling Green, KY HVAC/R Technician Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $55,230
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $39.2k 25th $47.3k Median: $55,230 50th (Median) $55.2k 75th $61.5k 90th $74.3k You: $55,230
10th (Entry) $39,240 $18.87/hr
25th (Junior) $47,310 $22.75/hr
50th (Median) $55,230 $26.55/hr
75th (Senior) $61,500 $29.57/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $74,260 $35.70/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for HVAC/R Technician in Bowling Green, KY
1
HVAC Apprentice / HelperEPA 608 Universal Certification, trade school certificate
$34,581$16.63/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Service TechnicianNATE certification, independent diagnostic electrical skills
$53,410$25.68/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Lead Commercial HVAC TechChiller, VRF, and building automation system certifications
$71,063$34.16/hr · 5-9 Years
4
HVAC Mechanical ContractorState Mechanical Contractor license, bonded, business operations
$97,768$47.00/hr · 9+ Years
Scaled to the Bowling Green, KY medianView National HVAC/R Technician Salary Data
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Bowling Green, KY under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
30% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,020/month Requires minimum annual gross of $40,800
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,199/month Requires minimum annual gross of $47,960
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.88/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $19.67/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Bowling Green, KY.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$55,230-$11,079$40,837$1,570.66
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$65,586-$13,587$48,063$1,848.59
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$75,941-$16,584$54,801$2,107.73
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$86,297-$20,065$61,054$2,348.22
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$96,653-$23,547$67,306$2,588.71
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

HVAC/R Technician in Bowling Green, KY: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Kentucky tax codes.

Market Baseline
$55,230/yr
$26.55/hr · SOC 49-9021
Statutory Tax Drag
20.06% Effective
-$11,079 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
30% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,383/mo
Post-$1,020/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 49-9021
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

HVAC/R Technician in Bowling Green, KY: Market Snapshot

HVAC/R Technician roles in Bowling Green, KY report a median annual wage of $55,230, 9.5% below the national median of $61,010. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $39,240 to $74,260, and HUD’s $1,020 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 22.2% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.88 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for HVAC/R Technician

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fairbanks-College, AK$93,820+69.9%
Anchorage, AK$85,620+55.0%
Napa, CA$84,570+53.1%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$82,050+48.6%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,100+45.0%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$79,510+44.0%
Peoria, IL$78,710+42.5%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$78,640+42.4%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,530+42.2%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,490+42.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Bowling Green, KY

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$164,080$78.88/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$132,540$63.72/hr
Education Administrators, Postsecondary$131,880$63.40/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$126,940$61.03/hr
Sales Managers$126,460$60.80/hr
Industrial Production Managers$125,170$60.18/hr
Financial Manager$119,110$57.26/hr
Human Resources Managers$118,420$56.93/hr
Purchasing Managers$118,400$56.92/hr
Administrative Services Managers$114,990$55.28/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 389 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Bowling Green, KY (2026) Overview

HVAC/R Technician median pay in Bowling Green, KY is $55,230 a year ($26.55/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents & living.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a HVAC/R Technician in Bowling Green, KY?

The median annual wage is $55,230 ($26.55 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $39,240 and $74,260. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a HVAC/R Technician in Bowling Green, KY after taxes?

On the median wage of $55,230, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $43,637 a year ($3,636 a month) after $11,593 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 20.99%, using 2026 tax rules.