SOC 49-9021

HVAC/R Technician Salary in Waterbury-Shelton, CT (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 + CT
COL Index: 114.35 (+14.3% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 73.6% Realized
$53,495 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $72,710 $34.96/hr
Effective Tax Drag 20.43% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$14,853 $571.26/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 $34.96 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$4,363/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$960/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$6,206
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$4,508
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,054
Connecticut Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,084
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$53,495 ($2,057.48 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Waterbury-Shelton, CT HVAC/R Technician Wage Distribution

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

Your Salary: $72,710
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $44.9k 25th $58.8k Median: $72,710 50th (Median) $72.7k 75th $78.4k 90th $94.4k You: $72,710
10th (Entry) $44,850 $21.56/hr
25th (Junior) $58,760 $28.25/hr
50th (Median) $72,710 $34.96/hr
75th (Senior) $78,370 $37.68/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $94,390 $45.38/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for HVAC/R Technician in Waterbury-Shelton, CT
1
HVAC Apprentice / HelperEPA 608 Universal Certification, trade school certificate
$45,526$21.89/hr · 0-2 Years
2
Service TechnicianNATE certification, independent diagnostic electrical skills
$70,315$33.81/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Lead Commercial HVAC TechChiller, VRF, and building automation system certifications
$93,554$44.98/hr · 5-9 Years
4
HVAC Mechanical ContractorState Mechanical Contractor license, bonded, business operations
$128,711$61.88/hr · 9+ Years
Scaled to the Waterbury-Shelton, CT 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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT 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) $1,336/month Requires minimum annual gross of $53,440
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $1,745/month Requires minimum annual gross of $69,800
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $25.29/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $26.91/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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT.

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$72,710-$14,853$53,495$2,057.48
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$86,343-$19,470$61,693$2,372.79
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$99,976-$24,112$69,866$2,687.14
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$113,609-$28,788$78,005$3,000.18
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$127,243-$33,469$86,139$3,313.03
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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

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

Market Baseline
$72,710/yr
$34.96/hr · SOC 49-9021
Statutory Tax Drag
20.43% Effective
-$14,853 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
30% Net Pay
✓ Passes 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,122/mo
Post-$1,336/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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT: Market Snapshot

HVAC/R Technician roles in Waterbury-Shelton, CT report a median annual wage of $72,710, 19.2% above the national median of $61,010. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $44,850 to $94,390, and HUD’s $1,336 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 22.0% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $25.29 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for HVAC/R Technician

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Fairbanks-College, AK$93,820+29.0%
Anchorage, AK$85,620+17.8%
Napa, CA$84,570+16.3%
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA$82,050+12.8%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$80,100+10.2%
Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA$79,510+9.4%
Peoria, IL$78,710+8.3%
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA$78,640+8.2%
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH$78,530+8.0%
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA$78,490+7.9%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Waterbury-Shelton, CT

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$248,810$119.62/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$169,760$81.62/hr
Financial Manager$167,320$80.44/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$166,430$80.01/hr
Data Engineer$160,480$77.15/hr
Sales Managers$158,500$76.20/hr
Marketing Managers$151,740$72.95/hr
Human Resources Managers$151,580$72.88/hr
Public Relations Managers$149,990$72.11/hr
Actuary$143,430$68.96/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 Waterbury-Shelton, CT (2026) Overview

HVAC/R Technician median pay in Waterbury-Shelton, CT is $72,710 a year ($34.96/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage percentiles, HUD rents. Official 2026 economic data for HVAC/R Technician in Waterbury-Shelton, CT compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a HVAC/R Technician in Waterbury-Shelton, CT?

The median annual wage is $72,710 ($34.96 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $44,850 and $94,390. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a HVAC/R Technician in Waterbury-Shelton, CT after taxes?

On the median wage of $72,710, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $56,632 a year ($4,719 a month) after $16,078 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 22.11%, using 2026 tax rules.