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Washington · Refrigeration & A/C Mechanic

Washington refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic prevailing wage, county by county

A refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic's prevailing wage on Washington public works runs from $76.77 an hour in Stevens County to $107.19 in Clallam County, wages and fringe benefits together. The median county is $103.41.

Main refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic classification in each county (Journey level), L&I period 2026-2, commercial rates. Checked October 24, 2026.

Pierce County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourAdams County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourPend Oreille County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $76.77 per hourKing County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $107.19 per hourChelan County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $80.19 per hourKittitas County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourGarfield County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourGrant County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourOkanogan County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourFranklin County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourKlickitat County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourClark County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $99.52 per hourSkagit County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourWalla Walla County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourPacific County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourCowlitz County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourWahkiakum County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourLewis County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourClallam County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $107.19 per hourGrays Harbor County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourJefferson County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $107.19 per hourLincoln County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourMason County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourSan Juan County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourStevens County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $76.77 per hourWhatcom County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $107.19 per hourDouglas County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourSnohomish County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourThurston County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourColumbia County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourYakima County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourBenton County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourIsland County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hourSpokane County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $76.77 per hourWhitman County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourFerry County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourSkamania County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $99.52 per hourAsotin County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $103.41 per hourKitsap County refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic: $106.46 per hour
$76$103$103$106$106$107Refrigeration & A/C Mechanic, main rate, total per hour. Each shade holds about a fifth of the counties.

How much does a refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic make on prevailing wage in Washington?

6 groups of counties with identical rates and 15 counties with rates of their own, highest main rate first, each split into wage and fringe benefits on one scale. The table below lists which counties are in each group.

  1. Clallam County group2 counties$107.19
  2. King County1 county$107.19
  3. Whatcom County1 county$107.19
  4. Grays Harbor County group4 counties$106.46
  5. Pierce County group4 counties$106.46
  6. Island County1 county$106.46
  7. Kitsap County1 county$106.46
  8. Lewis County1 county$106.46
  9. Mason County1 county$106.46
  10. Thurston County1 county$106.46
  11. Whitman County group6 counties$103.41
  12. Yakima County group6 counties$103.41
  13. Okanogan County group2 counties$103.41
  14. Adams County1 county$103.41
  15. Asotin County1 county$103.41
  16. Clark County1 county$99.52
  17. Skamania County1 county$99.52
  18. Chelan County1 county$80.19
  19. Pend Oreille County1 county$76.77
  20. Spokane County1 county$76.77
  21. Stevens County1 county$76.77

Which counties pay which rate

CountiesMain classificationTotalBase
Clallam County group, 2 counties: Clallam, JeffersonJourney Level$107.19 $73.77 
King CountyJourney Level$107.19 $73.77 
Whatcom CountyJourney Level$107.19 $73.77 
Grays Harbor County group, 4 counties: Grays Harbor, Pacific, San Juan, WahkiakumJourney Level$106.46 $70.89 
Pierce County group, 4 counties: Cowlitz, Pierce, Skagit, SnohomishJourney Level$106.46 $70.89 
Island CountyJourney Level$106.46 $70.89 
Kitsap CountyJourney Level$106.46 $70.89 
Lewis CountyJourney Level$106.46 $70.89 
Mason CountyJourney Level$106.46 $70.89 
Thurston CountyJourney Level$106.46 $70.89 
Whitman County group, 6 counties: Columbia, Ferry, Garfield, Klickitat, Lincoln, WhitmanJourney Level$103.41 $65.20 
Yakima County group, 6 counties: Benton, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Walla Walla, YakimaJourney Level$103.41 $65.20 
Okanogan County group, 2 counties: Douglas, OkanoganJourney Level$103.41 $65.20 
Adams CountyJourney Level$103.41 $65.20 
Asotin CountyJourney Level$103.41 $65.20 
Clark CountyJourney Level$99.52 $60.65 
Skamania CountyJourney Level$99.52 $60.65 
Chelan CountyJourney Level$80.19 $56.85 
Pend Oreille CountyJourney Level$76.77 $53.39 
Spokane CountyJourney Level$76.77 $53.39 
Stevens CountyJourney Level$76.77 $53.39 

6 groups of counties with identical L&I rates, and 15 counties with rates of their own.

These are journey-level rates. Registered apprentices are paid L&I's apprentice rate for the trade (RCW 39.12.021), which L&I publishes in its wage lookup.

L&I also sets residential refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic rates for 39 county listings. They apply only to the residential projects defined in WAC 296-127-010(9), and each county page shows them separately.

Questions about Washington refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic pay

What is the refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic prevailing wage in King County?

$107.19 an hour: a $73.77 base wage plus $33.42 in fringe benefits, under L&I period 2026-2. Overtime and every refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic classification in King County.

Does refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic prevailing wage include fringe benefits?

Yes. In King County the $107.19 total is a $73.77 base wage plus $33.42 in fringe benefits, about 31% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.

Do apprentice refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics get this rate?

Registered apprentices get L&I's apprentice rate for the trade (RCW 39.12.021), which L&I publishes in its wage lookup. Anyone else on the job is paid as a journey-level worker.

Why do some counties have the same refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic rate?

L&I often publishes the same refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic rates for several counties. Across Washington, the 39 counties with a refrigeration and air conditioning mechanic rate fall into 21 distinct sets of rates, and 6 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 6 counties (the Whitman County group).

Which county pays refrigeration and air conditioning mechanics the most in Washington?

Clallam County, at $107.19 an hour for the main classification. The lowest is Stevens County at $76.77, and the median county is $103.41.