Salary guide, May 2025
Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician pay, United States
Manufacturing Headhunters uses the published BLS OEWS figures below. They describe the mapped occupation and area, not an individual offer.
This is what we do all day: recruit manufacturing professionals.
The median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the United States was $61,010 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $48,360 and $77,060.
Also searched as: Ammonia Refrigeration Technician, Refrigeration Operator, Refrigeration Mechanic. These titles share this page because BLS reports them under one occupation.
Broader occupation · SOC 49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
The Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $40,050 | $48,360 | $61,010 | $77,060 | $95,210 |
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $19.25 | $23.25 | $29.33 | $37.05 | $45.78 |
BLS estimated 409,670 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, U.S.. Official occupation data · Official area tables. Released 2026-05-15.
How does pay compare in the target metros?
| Metro | Median | 25th to 75th | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $58,040 | $48,440 to $72,580 | 9,140 | 1.23 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $50,540 | $46,740 to $61,820 | 6,090 | 1.6 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $51,460 | $46,370 to $63,150 | 5,140 | 1.38 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $58,900 | $47,480 to $65,350 | 2,550 | 1.3 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $77,990 | $61,350 to $93,340 | 21,820 | 0.87 |
| Northern New Jersey within New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $77,990 | $61,350 to $93,340 | 21,820 | 0.87 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $59,560 | $47,860 to $74,270 | 10,910 | 1.02 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $77,960 | $61,050 to $96,790 | 7,210 | 0.61 |
Rank every metro for Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician
What should you know about pay by manufacturing industry, United States?
Same BLS occupation, national estimates for each manufacturing industry (NAICS) BLS publishes, May 2025. Industry names are BLS labels. Nested NAICS rows overlap; they are not independent samples and must not be added together. Identical source rows repeated at different publication levels appear once.
- Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing (NAICS 335000)$96,680
- Chemical Manufacturing (NAICS 325000)$85,100
- Transportation Equipment Manufacturing (NAICS 336000)$81,150
- Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing (NAICS 334000)$75,870
- Primary Metal Manufacturing (NAICS 331000)$72,910
- Miscellaneous Manufacturing (NAICS 339000)$67,060
- Food Manufacturing (NAICS 311000)$64,760
- Machinery Manufacturing (NAICS 333000)$62,730
- Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing (NAICS 312000)$58,870
- Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (NAICS 332000)$56,980
- Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing (NAICS 327000)$53,760
- Wood Product Manufacturing (NAICS 321000)$49,450
Bars compare up to 15 non-overlapping 3-digit manufacturing subsectors with exact annual medians. More detailed scopes remain in the table, identified by code and publication level.
| NAICS / scope | Industry | Employment | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 · sector | Manufacturing | 10,350 | $53,650 | $65,670 | $80,080 |
| 333000 · 3-digit | Machinery Manufacturing | 3,730 | $48,980 | $62,730 | $79,560 |
| 3330A1 · 4-digit | Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 3,590 | $48,980 | $62,810 | $79,560 |
| 311000 · 3-digit | Food Manufacturing | 3,200 | $59,250 | $64,760 | $76,170 |
| 311600 · 4-digit | Animal Slaughtering and Processing | 2,220 | $59,220 | $63,930 | $73,560 |
| 336000 · 3-digit | Transportation Equipment Manufacturing | 830 | $65,710 | $81,150 | $101,850 |
| 332000 · 3-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing | 590 | $41,860 | $56,980 | $72,870 |
| 3320A2 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 560 | $40,910 | $55,180 | $72,910 |
| 312000 · 3-digit | Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing | 520 | $50,760 | $58,870 | $64,460 |
| 312100 · 4-digit | Beverage Manufacturing | 490 | $50,190 | $58,450 | $63,480 |
| 311400 · 4-digit | Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing | 450 | $59,560 | $73,970 | $79,970 |
| 336400 · 4-digit | Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 450 | $73,720 | $93,090 | $109,980 |
| 325000 · 3-digit | Chemical Manufacturing | 330 | $75,000 | $85,100 | $104,660 |
| 334000 · 3-digit | Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing | 330 | $61,960 | $75,870 | $93,750 |
| 325400 · 4-digit | Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 240 | $76,500 | $95,650 | $105,700 |
| 334500 · 4-digit | Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 240 | $61,520 | $76,440 | $92,760 |
| 336600 · 4-digit | Ship and Boat Building | 160 | $64,670 | $66,210 | $78,640 |
| 311500 · 4-digit | Dairy Product Manufacturing | 150 | $61,100 | $74,880 | $84,210 |
| 311700 · 4-digit | Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging | 120 | $45,230 | $56,840 | $59,660 |
| 311800 · 4-digit | Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 120 | $71,740 | $75,970 | $81,750 |
| 336300 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 110 | $79,080 | $91,830 | $96,910 |
| 333300 · 4-digit | Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 100 | $42,060 | $53,480 | $70,420 |
| 335300 · 4-digit | Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 100 | $64,470 | $79,170 | $89,230 |
| 3250A1 · 4-digit | Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 80 | $65,190 | $75,720 | $85,500 |
| 334400 · 4-digit | Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 80 | $72,800 | $75,870 | $96,490 |
| 311900 · 4-digit | Other Food Manufacturing | 70 | $62,140 | $77,580 | $81,180 |
| 339000 · 3-digit | Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 70 | $59,010 | $67,060 | $75,140 |
| 331000 · 3-digit | Primary Metal Manufacturing | 60 | $61,460 | $72,910 | $85,530 |
| 336200 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing | 60 | $30,470 | $56,410 | $62,280 |
| 339100 · 4-digit | Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 60 | $57,000 | $64,690 | $75,130 |
| 321000 · 3-digit | Wood Product Manufacturing | 50 | $43,390 | $49,450 | $53,660 |
| 321900 · 4-digit | Other Wood Product Manufacturing | 40 | $41,810 | $47,680 | $51,720 |
| 3320A1 · 4-digit | Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 40 | $59,200 | $64,530 | $72,860 |
| 336100 · 4-digit | Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 40 | $79,000 | $90,310 | $97,580 |
| 311100 · 4-digit | Animal Food Manufacturing | 30 | $64,450 | $64,450 | $71,510 |
| 312200 · 4-digit | Tobacco Manufacturing | 30 | $80,080 | $80,080 | $92,310 |
| 327000 · 3-digit | Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing | 30 | $49,120 | $53,760 | $67,920 |
| 335000 · 3-digit | Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $75,160 | $96,680 | $100,590 |
| 335900 · 4-digit | Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | Not published by BLS | $76,570 | $100,350 | $100,590 |
What should you know about manufacturing pay mix?
For Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician, write the straight-time rate separately from shift coverage and extra hours. OEWS measures straight-time gross wages, not pure base salary or total compensation. It includes base rate, guaranteed pay, commissions and production bonuses. It excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits.
An attendance bonus is not a production bonus; confirm its purpose and treatment rather than adding every bonus to the BLS figure. Skills-based pay steps affect the base rate when they are part of straight-time pay; BLS does not publish a separate rate for each plant's skill grade. Ask whether a tool allowance is expense reimbursement or wage pay. OEWS does not publish a separate tool-allowance component. Keep these items separate in the offer so the published wage is not mistaken for the whole package.
Pay mix here means how published medians for this one BLS occupation differ across manufacturing industries and against the all-industry median. It does not split pay into base, incentive or overtime. BLS wages are straight-time gross pay and exclude overtime, shift differentials and nonproduction bonuses.
What should you know about two BLS releases?
| Release period | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2024 | $47,850 | $59,810 | $74,820 |
| May 2025 | $48,360 | $61,010 | $77,060 |
These are two separate BLS estimates from different survey panels. The workers and employers behind them differ, so the gap is not like-for-like pay for the same workers and is not a growth rate. We show no percentage change.
What should you know about supervisory and worker occupations?
BLS publishes these as separate occupations. Pay for one is not a pay step for the other.
- Supervisor occupation: Maintenance Manager pay (SOC 49-1011)
Recruiter's read. Qualitative, not BLS data.
What should you know about defrost and system balance?
Defrost cycles and load changes affect stability. We ask how the candidate monitors the system, spots trouble and adjusts. Good operators think about the whole plant.
What should you know about questions?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
What is the median pay for a Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician?
The median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers in the United States was $61,010 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of workers earned between $48,360 and $77,060. This is the broader occupation BLS publishes, not a figure for this exact title.
What does the 10th percentile mean here?
10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than $40,050. 90% earned less than $95,210.
Does this include overtime or bonuses?
Wages for the OEWS survey are straight-time, gross pay, exclusive of premium pay. Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
Is this the pay for a Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician at a plant?
The Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician title maps to the published occupation. BLS does not separate this process, credential, shift or plant-specific title from other work in the occupation. These are occupation estimates across all industries, not an offer for a particular manufacturing title.
How many people work in this occupation?
BLS estimated 409,670 workers employed in this occupation in the United States.
What should you know about related?
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- Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician pay ranked across all metros
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- Check an offer for this role
What does this data mean for your opening?
The Industrial Refrigeration Ammonia Technician falls under the broader SOC 49-9021 occupation. For Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $61,010; the May 2024 median is $59,810. Their arithmetic difference is $1,200. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
The middle-band width for this occupation is $28,700, determined by a 25th percentile of $48,360 and a 75th percentile of $77,060. Manufacturing Headhunters advises that these figures combine various roles within the HVAC and refrigeration field, meaning they do not isolate the specific, often higher-compensated duties of an ammonia system technician working with screw compressors or PSM regulations. Additionally, the BLS figures exclude non-monetary benefits and specific certifications that frequently improve technician pay beyond the median.
Comparing regional hubs, the New York-Newark-Jersey City area reports a median of $77,990, while the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington area reports a median of $59,560. New York exhibits a middle-band width of $31,990, whereas Dallas reflects a width of $26,410. On a national industry basis, Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing shows a median of $100,350, Electrical Equipment, Appliance, and Component Manufacturing lists $96,680, and Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing is at $95,650. These industry figures are national benchmarks and are distinct from local labor market wages for a refrigeration technician.
The location quotient for the New York area is 0.87, and for the Dallas area, it is 1.02, indicating the employment density within those specific markets. These numbers are purely descriptive of industrial concentration and do not offer insight into candidate supply. For Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $61,010; the May 2024 median is $59,810. Their arithmetic difference is $1,200. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause. Because the BLS methodology does not separate ammonia-specific credentials or certifications like RETA CARO from general HVAC work, these data points represent a broad, blended occupational group. The user should note that these figures do not account for the additional skill sets required for ammonia-based PSM work.
Which pay questions should you settle before hiring?
As of May 2025, the national median salary for this occupation is $61,010. For Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $61,010; the May 2024 median is $59,810. Their arithmetic difference is $1,200.
What is the national median salary for the Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician?
As of May 2025, the national median salary for this occupation is $61,010. For Industrial Refrigeration (Ammonia) Technician in the United States, releases are separate survey estimates. The May 2025 median is $61,010; the May 2024 median is $59,810. Their arithmetic difference is $1,200. They are not the same workers' raises and do not establish a pay trend or its cause.
What is the difference in middle-band width between New York and Dallas?
The middle-band width in New York-Newark-Jersey City is $31,990, which is larger than the $26,410 middle-band width in Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington.
Does the BLS data specifically account for RETA certifications or ammonia PSM work?
No, the BLS data does not distinguish between general HVAC technicians and specialized ammonia refrigeration technicians. The reported medians reflect the broader SOC 49-9021 occupational category.
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