SOC 49-9021

HVAC/R Technician Salary in State College, 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: 118.59 (+18.6% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.4% Realized
$42,562 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $57,970 $27.87/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.58% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 12% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$11,930 $458.84/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 $27.87 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$3,478/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$417/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$4,359
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$3,594
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$841
Pennsylvania Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$1,780
State College earned income tax
2.25%
-$1,356
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$42,562 ($1,637.00 / check)
Category 2 of 6

State College, PA HVAC/R Technician Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $57,970
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $45.2k 25th $47.1k Median: $57,970 50th (Median) $58.0k 75th $61.5k 90th $73.3k You: $57,970
10th (Entry) $45,250 $21.75/hr
25th (Junior) $47,100 $22.64/hr
50th (Median) $57,970 $27.87/hr
75th (Senior) $61,550 $29.59/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $73,300 $35.24/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for HVAC/R Technician in State College, PA
1
HVAC Apprentice / HelperEPA 608 Universal Certification, trade school certificate
$36,297$17.45/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Service TechnicianNATE certification, independent diagnostic electrical skills
$56,060$26.95/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Lead Commercial HVAC TechChiller, VRF, and building automation system certifications
$74,589$35.86/hr · 5-9 Years
4
HVAC Mechanical ContractorState Mechanical Contractor license, bonded, business operations
$102,619$49.34/hr · 9+ Years
Scaled to the State College, PA 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 State College, PA under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
36% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,282/month Requires minimum annual gross of $51,280
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,537/month Requires minimum annual gross of $61,480
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $26.23/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $23.63/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 State College, 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$57,970-$11,930$42,562$1,637.00
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$68,839-$14,566$50,143$1,928.59
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$79,709-$18,044$56,882$2,187.78
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$90,578-$21,702$63,442$2,440.07
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$101,448-$25,359$70,002$2,692.37
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 State College, 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
$57,970/yr
$27.87/hr · SOC 49-9021
Statutory Tax Drag
20.58% Effective
-$11,930 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
36% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$2,265/mo
Post-$1,282/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 State College, PA: Market Snapshot

HVAC/R Technician roles in State College, PA report a median annual wage of $57,970, 5.0% below the national median of $61,010. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $45,250 to $73,300, and HUD’s $1,282 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 26.5% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $26.23 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for HVAC/R Technician

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fairbanks-College, AK$93,820+61.8%
Anchorage, AK$85,620+47.7%
Napa, CA$84,570+45.9%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$82,050+41.5%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,100+38.2%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$79,510+37.2%
Peoria, IL$78,710+35.8%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$78,640+35.7%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,530+35.5%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,490+35.4%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in State College, PA

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$203,960$98.06/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$150,520$72.37/hr
Physician Assistant$128,480$61.77/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$128,410$61.74/hr
Human Resources Managers$127,570$61.33/hr
Financial Manager$125,550$60.36/hr
Nurse Practitioner$124,470$59.84/hr
Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary$123,640$59.44/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$122,930$59.10/hr
Marketing Managers$122,660$58.97/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 State College, PA (2026) Overview

HVAC/R Technician median pay in State College, PA is $57,970 a year ($27.87/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 State College, PA?

The median annual wage is $57,970 ($27.87 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $45,250 and $73,300. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

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

On the median wage of $57,970, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $45,623 a year ($3,802 a month) after $12,347 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 21.3%, using 2026 tax rules.