Appliance Repair Technicians in the Allentown area earn a median of $45,190 a year, 11% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #105 of 125 metros for appliance repair technician salaries across the U.S..
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Trenton and Philadelphia.
It's one of 4 Pennsylvania 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 bottom 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the bottom 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.5%) and the population is growing at a typical pace (+3.0% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 59 one-person appliance repair businesses averaging $40,424 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $62/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Allentown scorecard for appliance repair technicians Our calculation
Grades compare Allentown 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 Allentown area went from $42,640 in 2022 to $45,190 in 2025, up 6.0%. Prices rose 10% over the same period, so after inflation that's -3.6% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2022–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among appliance repair technicians in Allentown.
Comparing two real offers with overtime and commutes? Use the job offer checker.
What the pay is really worth in Allentown Our calculation
Prices in the Allentown area run 0% below the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $45,204 would in a typical place, ranking #113 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 Allentown 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 Pennsylvania Official source
The main state licensing office in Pennsylvania is the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Home improvement contractors register with the state; most trades are licensed locally. It can point you to the right license for appliance repair technicians.
Official Pennsylvania 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 PA metros for appliance repair technicians
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| PhiladelphiaPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $57,710 | $56,273 | 440 |
| PittsburghPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $50,890 | $53,755 | 150 |
| LancasterPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $49,350 | $50,225 | 80 |
| AllentownPENNSYLVANIA · PA | $45,190 | $45,204 | 70 |
See every metro in Pennsylvania.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Allentown area's unemployment rate was 4.5% in 2025 (all workers, not just appliance repair technicians), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.1% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Allentown area is 28 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 18% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 74% drive alone, 1% take transit and 13% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Allentown area's population grew 3.0% from 2020 to 2025 (861,454 → 887,615), ranking #168 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). People moving in (net +31,067) account for more than all of the change.
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Allentown
The Allentown area has about 365,281 homes. 61% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 8% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 70% of households own their home, and the median home value is $332,700.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Allentown are down 24% from 2021 to 2025 (2,606 → 1,974).
In 2025 the Allentown area approved permits for 1,974 new homes (1,202 single-family), or 2.3 per 1,000 residents, ranking #272 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 59 one-person businesses (no employees) in appliance repair, averaging $40,424 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Allentown compares among the best cities to start an appliance repair technician business.
They compete with 16 appliance repair companies that have employees (about 39 workers in total). 81% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Where to train near Allentown Government data
4 schools in or near Allentown offer electrical and electronics repair programs below the bachelor's level, 2 of them at public colleges. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lehigh Carbon Community College Schnecksville, PA · Public | Associate degree | $14,907 | 2 | — |
| Lehigh Carbon Community College Schnecksville, PA · Public | Certificate | $14,907 | 1 | — |
| Northampton County Area Community College Bethlehem, PA · Public | Associate degree | $18,425 | 1 | — |
| Miller-Motte College-Berks Technical Institute-Allentown Allentown, PA · Private for-profit | Certificate | $28,755 | 0 | — |
| Northampton County Area Community College Bethlehem, PA · Public | Certificate | $18,425 | 0 | — |
| Lincoln Technical Institute-Allentown Allentown, PA · Private for-profit | Associate degree | $43,609 | — | $60,422 |
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 $45,190 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 Allentown with another city →
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ToolBest cities for appliance repair techniciansRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in AllentownSee where it falls among local appliance repair technicians, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolAllentown budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Allentown 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 Allentown against every other metro for appliance repair technicians. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.