SOC 49-9021

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Reading, PA (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 + PA + Municipal
COL Index: 99.77 (-0.2% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 71.8% Realized
$44,358 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $61,740 $29.68/hr
Effective Tax Drag 22.15% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$13,677 $526.06/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 $29.68 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,704/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$445/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,784
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,828
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$895
Pennsylvania Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,895
Reading earned income tax
3.60%
-$2,275
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$44,358 ($1,706.08 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Reading, PA HVAC/R Technician Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $61,740
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $47.0k 25th $50.3k Median: $61,740 50th (Median) $61.7k 75th $75.4k 90th $81.5k You: $61,740
10th (Entry) $46,970 $22.58/hr
25th (Junior) $50,330 $24.20/hr
50th (Median) $61,740 $29.68/hr
75th (Senior) $75,360 $36.23/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $81,500 $39.18/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for HVAC/R Technician in Reading, PA
1
HVAC Apprentice / HelperEPA 608 Universal Certification, trade school certificate
$38,657$18.59/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Service TechnicianNATE certification, independent diagnostic electrical skills
$59,706$28.70/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Lead Commercial HVAC TechChiller, VRF, and building automation system certifications
$79,439$38.19/hr · 5-9 Years
4
HVAC Mechanical ContractorState Mechanical Contractor license, bonded, business operations
$109,292$52.54/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 Reading, PA 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) $1,114/month Requires minimum annual gross of $44,560
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,418/month Requires minimum annual gross of $56,720
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $22.06/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $21.27/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 Reading, PA.

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$61,740-$13,677$44,358$1,706.08
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$73,316-$16,883$52,035$2,001.33
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$84,893-$20,934$58,865$2,264.02
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$96,469-$24,986$65,695$2,526.71
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$108,045-$29,038$72,525$2,789.41
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 Reading, PA: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$61,740/yr
$29.68/hr · SOC 49-9021
Statutory Tax Drag
22.15% Effective
-$13,677 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
30% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,583/mo
Post-$1,114/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 Reading, PA: Market Snapshot

HVAC/R Technician roles in Reading, PA report a median annual wage of $61,740, 1.2% above the national median of $61,010. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $46,970 to $81,500, and HUD’s $1,114 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 21.7% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $22.06 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for HVAC/R Technician

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fairbanks-College, AK$93,820+52.0%
Anchorage, AK$85,620+38.7%
Napa, CA$84,570+37.0%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$82,050+32.9%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,100+29.7%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$79,510+28.8%
Peoria, IL$78,710+27.5%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$78,640+27.4%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,530+27.2%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,490+27.1%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Reading, PA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$229,740$110.45/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$159,720$76.79/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$148,550$71.42/hr
Nurse Practitioner$135,390$65.09/hr
Financial Manager$133,900$64.38/hr
Physician Assistant$130,160$62.58/hr
Sales Managers$129,230$62.13/hr
Human Resources Managers$128,310$61.69/hr
Marketing Managers$127,920$61.50/hr
Purchasing Managers$127,290$61.20/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 Reading, PA (2026) Overview

HVAC/R Technician median pay in Reading, PA is $61,740 a year ($29.68/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 Reading, PA?

The median annual wage is $61,740 ($29.68 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $46,970 and $81,500. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $61,740, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $47,618 a year ($3,968 a month) after $14,122 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.87%, using 2026 tax rules.