How much do appliance repair technicians make in 2026?
Appliance repair technicians have their own BLS wage series: OEWS May 2025 puts the SOC 49-9031 national median at $50,990 a year ($24.51 an hour), with the bottom 10% near $36,190 and the top 10% at $80,660. The distribution reflects a trade that splits by business model rather than by skill alone. Technicians employed by retailers, warranty networks and manufacturer service arms sit in the lower and middle part of the band, paid hourly or on a piece rate per completed call. Independent technicians and small-business owners occupy the top: they charge a diagnostic fee, mark up parts, choose profitable brands and repairs, and keep the margin an employer would otherwise take. Two credentials matter. EPA Section 608 certification is legally required to handle refrigerant, which is unavoidable for sealed-system refrigeration work — the most profitable repair category and the one many technicians cannot perform. Manufacturer authorisation determines access to warranty work, technical documentation and parts. Employment is projected to grow 2.6% through 2034 with roughly 3,100 openings a year. → Full appliance repair technician career guide, career path, credentials & placement →
Note: $50,990 blends every experience level and every setting in this occupation. For pay by level alone, see Pay by Level below.
- Appliance Repair Technicians earn a national median $50,990/yr ($24.51/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9031); the P10 to P90 range is $36,190 to $80,660.
- Appliance repairers have a dedicated BLS series: a $50,990 median with a $36,190 to $80,660 band, and the spread is driven mainly by business model rather than by skill alone.
- Independents and small-business owners hold the top of the band because they keep the diagnostic fee, the parts margin and the choice of which repairs are worth taking.
- EPA Section 608 certification is legally required for refrigerant handling and gates the sealed-system refrigeration work that carries the best margins in the trade.
US Appliance Repair Technician Pay Distribution · BLS OEWS May 2025
Pay by Level · BLS OEWS May 2025
How much do appliance repair technicians earn at each level?
BLS OEWS publishes one blended wage for the whole occupation and does not break pay out by credential or practice level. The levels below distribute the published percentile range across the credential tiers this role actually hires at.
Level medians are aligned to the BLS OEWS May 2025 percentile distribution for SOC 49-9031; GlobalCybers does not yet publish a verified placement sample for this role, so no verified median is shown.
Methodology & Sources
How the numbers on this page are built
Published (BLS): BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 49-9031, United States national estimate. Public, methodologically rigorous, but sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection — so it reflects wages that are already 1–2 years old by the time you read them.
Level and certification medians: distributed across the published BLS percentile range for this SOC code (P10 through P90) according to the credential tiers this occupation actually hires at. They are modeled reference points, not separately surveyed wages.
State and metro figures: modeled — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers state wage index, and for metros by the published metro index for that state. They are estimates of local pay, not BLS state or metropolitan-area observations, and are labelled as modeled in the tables below.
No verified placement sample:GlobalCybers does not yet publish a placement median for this role, so no "verified" figure appears anywhere on this page.
Pay by Career Level
How much does an appliance repair technician earn at each career stage?
Appliance repair pay is set by what you can fix and who captures the margin. Each median is anchored to the BLS OEWS distribution for SOC 49-9031.
By State
Which states pay appliance repair technicians the most in 2026?
State figures are modeled estimates — the BLS national median multiplied by the GlobalCybers salary-calculator state wage index — not BLS state observations. Appliance repair earnings track household wealth and housing stock more than state wage levels: markets with expensive built-in refrigeration and professional kitchens support higher call rates, while low-income markets see more replacement and less repair.
6 of 51 state guides shown, ranked by median. Bar is relative to California ($58,640), the highest-paying state shown. See all 51 state salary guides →
By Metro
Which cities pay appliance repair technicians the most?
Metro figures are modeled — national median times state wage index times published metro index — not BLS MSA observations. Metro economics cut both ways here: rates are higher, but drive time between calls in congested cities reduces completed jobs per day, which is why route density matters more than headline rate for an independent's real earnings.
BLS OEWS MSA estimates, May 2025. Nominal pay — weigh each metro against its cost of living before relocating.
Certification Impact
Which certifications raise an appliance repair technician’s pay the most?
Median annual pay before and after each credential, based on GlobalCybers placement data cross-referenced with BLS. License upgrades move the needle most; stackable certs add on top.
Impacts are not additive, the licensing rows share the same career ladder. Browse all 167 certifications →
Trade Comparison
How does appliance repair technician pay compare to related roles?
BLS OEWS national median across the closest trades. Appliance Repair Technicians sit mid-pack on median but carry one of the widest P10–P90 spreads, licensing and specialization drive the upside.
BLS OEWS May 2025. Verify appliance repair technician wages on BLS.gov →
Take-Home Pay
What does an appliance repair technician actually take home after taxes?
The medians above are gross base wage.
Estimates use 2026 federal brackets, standard deduction, and 7.65% FICA. Actual take-home varies with filing status, deductions, and local tax.
FAQ
Appliance Repair Technician Salary, Frequently Asked Questions
Appliance Repair Technician career research journey
Do your homework, then let the network do the rest.Get the job, then keep rising
FreeSet your intent, matching jobs come to you. No applying.
A roadmap to your next licence tier and higher pay band.
Once placed, we cover all certification, licence & career-guide fees.
Hiring appliance repair technicians?
Get a verified shortlist of 3–5 qualified candidates in 48 hours
GlobalCybers verifies active state licenses, trade certifications, Intent and right-to-work status before any candidate reaches your portal. Flat $2,999/mo RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing), up to 3 concurrent roles, or a free trial (pay on hire). 90-day written guarantee.
Related · Appliance Repair Technician
Everything for appliance repair technicians in one place
Salary data, licensing, interview prep, and hiring, all cross-linked so you (and search engines) can move through the full appliance repair technician cluster.