SOC 49-9021

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Ponce, PR (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 + PR
COL Index: Not published
Net Compensation Yield 83.0% Realized
$24,870 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $29,970 $14.41/hr
Effective Tax Drag 11.02% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 0% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$3,302 $127.00/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 $14.41 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$1,798/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$0/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Excluded under IRC §933
-$0
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$1,858
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$435
Puerto Rico Income Tax (Hacienda)
Commonwealth Progressive Bracket
-$1,009
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$24,870 ($956.53 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Ponce, PR HVAC/R Technician Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $29,970
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $22.0k 25th $25.5k Median: $29,970 50th (Median) $30.0k 75th $33.8k 90th $44.3k You: $29,970
10th (Entry) $21,990 $10.57/hr
25th (Junior) $25,460 $12.24/hr
50th (Median) $29,970 $14.41/hr
75th (Senior) $33,750 $16.23/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $44,260 $21.28/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for HVAC/R Technician in Ponce, PR
1
HVAC Apprentice / HelperEPA 608 Universal Certification, trade school certificate
$18,765$9.02/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Service TechnicianNATE certification, independent diagnostic electrical skills
$28,983$13.93/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Lead Commercial HVAC TechChiller, VRF, and building automation system certifications
$38,562$18.54/hr · 5-9 Years
4
HVAC Mechanical ContractorState Mechanical Contractor license, bonded, business operations
$53,053$25.51/hr · 9+ Years
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Ponce, PR under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
25% of Net Income
✓ Passes 30% Housing Affordability Standard
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $526/month Requires minimum annual gross of $21,040
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $573/month Requires minimum annual gross of $22,920
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: Not published
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: Not published
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 Ponce, PR.

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$29,970-$3,302$24,870$956.53
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$35,589-$4,391$29,063$1,117.81
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$41,209-$5,501$33,235$1,278.27
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$46,828-$6,612$37,407$1,438.73
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$52,448-$8,157$41,144$1,582.45
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 Ponce, PR: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$29,970/yr
$14.41/hr · SOC 49-9021
Statutory Tax Drag
11.02% Effective
-$3,302 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
25% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$1,546/mo
Post-$526/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 Ponce, PR: Market Snapshot

HVAC/R Technician roles in Ponce, PR report a median annual wage of $29,970, 50.9% below the national median of $61,010. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $21,990 to $44,260, and HUD’s $526 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 21.1% of that median gross pay. EPI publishes no living-wage budget for the area.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for HVAC/R Technician

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fairbanks-College, AK$93,820+213.0%
Anchorage, AK$85,620+185.7%
Napa, CA$84,570+182.2%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$82,050+173.8%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,100+167.3%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$79,510+165.3%
Peoria, IL$78,710+162.6%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$78,640+162.4%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,530+162.0%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,490+161.9%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Ponce, PR

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Industrial Production Managers$130,550$62.76/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$128,650$61.85/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$98,070$47.15/hr
Human Resources Managers$82,770$39.79/hr
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$82,590$39.71/hr
Chief Executives$81,730$39.29/hr
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers$78,990$37.98/hr
Education Administrators, Postsecondary$77,970$37.49/hr
Financial Manager$77,470$37.25/hr
Financial Analyst$75,640$36.37/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 Ponce, PR (2026) Overview

HVAC/R Technician median pay in Ponce, PR is $29,970 a year ($14.41/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents and living wage.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a HVAC/R Technician in Ponce, PR?

The median annual wage is $29,970 ($14.41 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $21,990 and $44,260. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a HVAC/R Technician in Ponce, PR after taxes?

On the median wage of $29,970, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $26,458 a year ($2,205 a month) after $3,512 in Puerto Rico income and FICA taxes (Puerto Rico-source wages are excluded from IRS federal income tax under IRC §933), an effective rate of 11.72%, using 2026 tax rules.