Appliance Repair Technicians in the San Francisco area earn a median of $64,220 a year, 27% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #10 of 125 metros for appliance repair technician salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Santa Rosa, but less in San Jose.
It's one of 10 California metros with published pay for this trade; see statewide appliance repair technician pay.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for appliance repair technicians here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and above average once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.4%) and the population is shrinking (-2.4% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 466 one-person appliance repair businesses averaging $67,234 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $79/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
San Francisco scorecard for appliance repair technicians Our calculation
Grades compare San Francisco with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($50,540).
Pay over time
The median pay for appliance repair technicians in the San Francisco area went from $58,460 in 2020 to $64,220 in 2025, up 9.9%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -12.4% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
Check your pay here
Enter a rate to see where it falls among appliance repair technicians in San Francisco.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What the pay is really worth in San Francisco Our calculation
Prices in the San Francisco area run 16% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $55,547 would in a typical place, ranking #43 of 125 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a San Francisco budget on this pay from this pay, local rent and prices.
What appliance repair technicians do
Repair, adjust, or install all types of electric or gas household appliances, such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and ovens.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Bill customers for repair work, and collect payment.
- Observe and examine appliances during operation to detect specific malfunctions such as loose parts or leaking fluid.
- Talk to customers or refer to work orders to establish the nature of appliance malfunctions.
- Refer to schematic drawings, product manuals, and troubleshooting manuals to diagnose and repair problems.
- Trace electrical circuits, following diagrams, and conduct tests with circuit testers and other equipment to locate shorts and grounds.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, appliance repair technician jobs are projected to grow 1.9% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 2,800 openings a year. About 20% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often appliance repair technicians deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Licensing in California Official source
The main state licensing office in California is the Contractors State License Board. Licenses all trades by classification (e.g. C-10 electrical; C-36 plumbing). It can point you to the right license for appliance repair technicians.
Official California licensing site ↗
Requirements for appliance repair technicians vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, appliance repair technicians have 327 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 3.8× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is overexertion and repetitive strain.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for appliance repair technicians
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santa RosaCALIFORNIA · CA | $64,310 | $59,666 | 30 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $64,220 | $55,547 | 250 |
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,590 | $55,776 | 110 |
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $61,150 | $53,845 | 960 |
| BakersfieldCALIFORNIA · CA | $60,040 | $59,513 | 70 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $59,770 | $56,033 | 200 |
| RiversideCALIFORNIA · CA | $57,610 | $54,123 | 320 |
| FresnoCALIFORNIA · CA | $56,180 | $54,993 | 90 |
| OxnardCALIFORNIA · CA | $50,540 | $45,723 | 40 |
| San DiegoCALIFORNIA · CA | $45,590 | $40,746 | 360 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The San Francisco area's unemployment rate was 4.4% in 2025 (all workers, not just appliance repair technicians), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 5.6% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the San Francisco area is 33 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 27% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 53% drive alone, 11% take transit and 19% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The San Francisco area's population shrank 2.4% from 2020 to 2025 (4,745,853 → 4,630,041), ranking #368 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -166,068).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in San Francisco
The San Francisco area has about 1,908,554 homes. 66% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 9% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 55% of households own their home, and the median home value is $1,132,900.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in San Francisco are down 43% from 2021 to 2025 (13,606 → 7,750).
In 2025 the San Francisco area approved permits for 7,750 new homes (2,713 single-family), or 1.7 per 1,000 residents, ranking #318 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 466 one-person businesses (no employees) in appliance repair, averaging $67,234 a year in revenue before expenses. See how San Francisco compares among the best cities to start an appliance repair technician business.
They compete with 84 appliance repair companies that have employees (about 283 workers in total). 81% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Where to train near San Francisco Government data
8 schools in or near San Francisco offer electrical and electronics repair programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laney College Oakland, CA · Public | Certificate | $17,569 | 38 | — |
| City College of San Francisco San Francisco, CA · Public | Certificate | $16,061 | 20 | — |
| Chabot College Hayward, CA · Public | Certificate | $18,782 | 18 | — |
| Laney College Oakland, CA · Public | Associate degree | $17,569 | 16 | — |
| Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill, CA · Public | Associate degree | $10,218 | 12 | — |
| Chabot College Hayward, CA · Public | Associate degree | $18,782 | 7 | — |
| Diablo Valley College Pleasant Hill, CA · Public | Certificate | $10,218 | 6 | — |
| College of San Mateo San Mateo, CA · Public | Certificate | $10,628 | 3 | — |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $64,220 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get appliance repair technician pricing & estimate templates →Compare San Francisco with another city →
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ToolSan Francisco budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the San Francisco metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank San Francisco against every other metro for appliance repair technicians. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.