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Watauga County, NC · Refrigeration & A/C Mechanic
Refrigeration & A/C Mechanic prevailing wage in Watauga County, North Carolina
$19.98an hour, base wage + fringe benefits (our sum) · HVAC MECHANIC
$16.94 base wage + $3.04 fringe benefits
HVAC MECHANIC (INSTALLATION OF HVAC UNIT ONLY, EXCLUDES INSTALLATION OF HVAC PIPE AND DUCT) · SUNC2011-041
$14.11an hour, base wage + fringe benefits (our sum)
$14.11 base wage + $0.00 fringe benefits
HVAC MECHANIC (HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION ONLY) · SUNC2016-003
On federally funded or assisted building construction in Watauga County, a refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic working as hvac mechanic must be paid at least $19.98 an hour: a $16.94 base wage plus $3.04 in fringe benefits, under wage determination NC20260060 (modification 1). DOL prints no total, so $19.98 is our sum of the two.
Wage determination NC20260060, modification 1, published May 18, 2026, for building construction; rate identifier SUNC2011-041 (August 26, 2011). Checked against sam.gov on October 25, 2026.
On federally funded or assisted residential construction in Watauga County, a refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic must be paid at least $14.11 an hour: a $14.11 base wage plus $0.00 in fringe benefits, under wage determination NC20260094 (modification 1). DOL prints no total, so $14.11 is our sum of the two.
Wage determination NC20260094, modification 1, published May 18, 2026, for residential construction; rate identifier SUNC2016-003 (February 22, 2019). Checked against sam.gov on October 25, 2026.
Davis-Bacon is the only prevailing wage here (federally funded or assisted work). North Carolina has no state prevailing wage law (DOL state table).
DOL lists 2 refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic rates for Watauga County, from $14.11 to $19.98 an hour. See all of them.
Base wage and fringe benefits: $16.94 + $3.04
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DOL prints the fringe benefits as one hourly figure, not itemized; it can go to health, pension, vacation and training plans, or be paid as cash where the state allows.
| Base wage (taxable) | $16.94 |
| Fringe benefits (one figure, not itemized) | $3.04 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DOL prints no total) | $19.98 |
Base wage and fringe benefits: $14.11 + $0.00
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. DOL prints the fringe benefits as one hourly figure, not itemized; it can go to health, pension, vacation and training plans, or be paid as cash where the state allows.
| Base wage (taxable) | $14.11 |
| Base + fringe benefits (our sum; DOL prints no total) | $14.11 |
When does this rate change?
- A contract keeps the wage determination in its bid documents. Modifications published before bid opening apply to it, though one published less than 10 days before can be left out if the agency finds there isn't time to tell bidders (29 CFR 1.6(c)).
- DOL changes a WD by publishing a numbered modification on SAM.gov. This page reads the modification named in the Source line; the North Carolina change log lists what each one changed.
Every refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic rate in Watauga County
As DOL lists them. The highlighted row is the one this page leads with.
| Classification | Base wage | Fringe benefits | Total rate | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HVAC MECHANIC (INSTALLATION OF HVAC UNIT ONLY, EXCLUDES INSTALLATION OF HVAC PIPE AND DUCT)BuildingSUNC2011-041 | $16.94 | $3.04 | $19.98 | NC20260060 Mod 1 |
| HVAC MECHANIC (HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION ONLY)ResidentialSUNC2016-003 | $14.11 | $0.00 | $14.11 | NC20260094 Mod 1 |
How Watauga County compares
The main refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and nearby. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in North Carolina
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Watauga Countybase $16.94$19.98
- Avery Countybase $16.94$19.98
- Ashe Countybase $16.94$19.98
- Caldwell Countybase $17.25$18.92
Refrigeration & A/C Mechanic rates in nearby counties
Current DOL rates. Davis-Bacon rates are set for groups of counties, so neighbours often share them; the county where the work is done decides.
| County | Classification | Base wage | Total rate | vs Watauga County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watauga County | HVAC MECHANIC (INSTALLATION OF HVAC UNIT ONLY, EXCLUDES INSTALLATION OF HVAC PIPE AND DUCT) | $16.94 | $19.98 | |
| Avery County | HVAC MECHANIC (INSTALLATION OF HVAC UNIT ONLY, EXCLUDES INSTALLATION OF HVAC PIPE AND DUCT) | $16.94 | $19.98 | same |
| Ashe County | HVAC MECHANIC (INSTALLATION OF HVAC UNIT ONLY, EXCLUDES INSTALLATION OF HVAC PIPE AND DUCT) | $16.94 | $19.98 | same |
| Mitchell County | HVAC MECHANIC (INSTALLATION OF HVAC UNIT ONLY, EXCLUDES INSTALLATION OF HVAC PIPE AND DUCT) | $16.94 | $19.98 | same |
| Wilkes County | HVAC MECHANIC (INSTALLATION OF HVAC UNIT ONLY, EXCLUDES INSTALLATION OF HVAC PIPE AND DUCT) | $16.94 | $19.98 | same |
| Caldwell County | HVAC MECHANIC (HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION ONLY) | $17.25 | $18.92 | −$1.06 |
| Burke County | HVAC MECHANIC (HVAC DUCT INSTALLATION ONLY) | $17.25 | $18.92 | −$1.06 |
North Carolina refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic prevailing wage by county, with a map
More from DOL on this rate
- DOL wage determination
- SAM.gov wage determinations
- Davis-Bacon determinations list journeyworker rates. Apprentices in a program registered with DOL or a recognized state agency can be paid the program's percentage of the rate, within its ratio; anyone else gets the full rate (29 CFR 5.5(a)(4)).
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your base pay to the fringe your employer pays for you, in cash or into plans, and compare the sum with the total. The Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division takes complaints: 1-866-487-9243, or dol.gov/agencies/whd/contact/complaints.
Source
U.S. Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division (DOL), wage determination NC20260060 Mod 1, published May 18, 2026: sam.gov/wage-determination/NC20260060/1
We read every active North Carolina Davis-Bacon wage determination from SAM.gov's own data and check every number with a second, independent read of the same file. DOL prints no total; ours is base plus fringe. How we check · Download Watauga County as CSV · Report an error