I am 32 years old based out of Denver Colorado. My father was a master electrician and started his own company when he was in his young 30’s. Parents got divorced and I was basically on my own. I started my own company when I was 30, with 12 years experience in electrical/hvac since 18. I am currently pulling in $140k/year and growing. Not bragging but potential is in every industry, how bad do you want it and how hard will you work for yourself, so you don’t have to work for someone else?
That's so wild because I literally am planning this exact route. I want to be an electrician and am starting at the HVAC level. Would you say having a certificate in HVAC would help influence the union to give me an apprenticeship in electrician?
Denver is where it's at... I'm sitting at 110-120 gross for my first year in service. and not worrying about running my own business. Previously i was a installer .Plus the company I work for pays around 25k in benefits.
The average salary for an HVAC technician in 2022 is expected to be $53,000. This number can vary depending on the technician's experience, location, and other factors.
This is a topic that pulls at heart strings for me. I love the HVAC trade and the work of it, but my experience in the Chicagoland suburbs has been very different than what I was told I would see when I changed careers less than two years ago. I made the scary leap into a new line of work, knowing nothing when I started, and taking a large pay cut as well. Everything I have done up to this point is 95% Residential / 5% commercial. I devoured all knowledge I could find from night classes, RU-vid videos, textbooks, talking to veterans in the field, etc. I bought all of my own tools, including my gauges. I went from $18-24/hr in my first 8 months. I proceeded to hit my first plateau around $25/hr. I stayed at that pay rate for the following 8 months. I got increasingly frustrated due to my workload and performance growing exponentially as time went on, but my pay stayed the same. I kept consuming every bit of knowledge I could get my hands on, assuming I wasn't bringing the value I thought I was. My first boss sold the company and I decided to look elsewhere. I wanted to see if maybe I was just with a poorly run company. I applied everywhere I saw looking for techs in my area. Every single offer I found was either low ceiling, lowballing me anywhere from $18-22/hr to start, had no or almost no benefits, or was a very large company that I learned saved all of the nice paying jobs for friends and family of ownership. I talked with a lead service tech from a company in my area and he was very nice and professional with me. I sadly got turned off when he boasted to me about how he stuck with his current employer for 12 years and made around 40$ an hour average last year factoring in commissions. That is $83,200 at a 40 hr work week if we assume the OT averages out with the slow season. I am not insulting this man, but for me personally, if I spent 12 years of my life learning a skill and I wasn't making at least 100k/yr something is very wrong... I decided to apply for apartment maintenance technician positions. Some offers I received were horrible, but most were pretty good. I chose one and walked in the door making 15k/yr more than what any of the HVAC companies offered. To boot, I received an incredible benefits package, including a lot of paid time off, and 8k in bonuses for my first year. I even got a 2k sign on bonus and discounted rent for crying out loud. This was all DAY 1 TO START. The biggest battle I have faced so far in my HVAC journey is why do the apartment complexes value and pay more for HVAC knowledge than the actual HVAC companies themselves? I love HVAC but I don't know what the issue is here. Within a couple of years, I will be making as much as the guy of 12 years, but I will have a significantly better benefits package with a lot more PTO. The HVAC field seems very fractured and in disarray. I never would have expected how little the HVAC companies I encountered valued their techs compared to apartment maintenance. Only reason I applied for apartment maintenance was because a buddy of mine makes well over 120k doing apartment maintenance as a regional. I genuinely don't know what is going on and I am not bashing HVAC. I am just a young guy, a couple years into the trade, feeling discouraged. Any genuine answers, tips of advice, or encouragement would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!
I like your post. Im in NW Suburbs Chicago. Im thinking about going out of an office job which i am satisfied with into hvac. I'll have to take a pay cut but im looking at this 15-20years down the road. I talked to the company. Its a small family owned company. Owner seems nice. He offered me $24hr right out the gate amd ill hit my current pay at end of first year. They also offer additional fuel allowance. Lead tech has been there close to 20 years. Im strongly thinking about it. AGAIN not because anybody wants to break their back but because i feel like this trade and any trade for that matter cannot be done just by anyone. What do you think?
That dude is lazy look elsewhere. Keep learning and work for yourself In a few years the sky is the limit. I'm in florida and guys down here are making as much as they want. From. 150k working part time to 300k+ . The people who get that pay don't want more. Don't let a certain area kill your dreams. I personally know guys in thier 70s still working the field solo because it keeps them young and money is very nice
South Carolina started Hvac out of highschool at 9$ per hour. Now with 14 years of residential experience just left the company I had worked for the whole time for a management position at 120k salary. Built a decent amount of side business over the years and turn down quite a bit of work unless I’m 100% confident I can meet the customers needs….as well as labor warranty. Pulling in 20-30k per year with side work so around 150k yearly. Not bad for a 34 year old with no college. Also I have built a relationship with several reputable installers so most of the changeouts I sell I don’t even touch. Just follow up to collect and inspect job. I pay my installers cash and pay them well. They know what I expect and I trust them to do a good job. Most average changeouts I sell I pocket 1500$-2000$ and pay 2 guys 500$ each. 😀 Hvac is very profitable especially when your competition has so much overhead and are charging quite a bit more for jobs. Work hard and learn as much as you can people! Owning your own business isn’t for everybody and I’m still on the fence about it, and have been for 5 years!
Btw the job that I left was paying me 38$ per hour with plenty of overtime on pace for 125-130k. The only reason I left was because I was tired of the long hours and dealing with a disfunctional mismanaged company.
@@Seedavis397 Hello, my brother. You are an example of diligence. Can I ask you a question? I live in the State of Kuwait and am thinking of living in America. I work as a central air conditioning technician for 15 years. Do you advise me to come to America and make a reasonable profit, or is it better to stay in my country? Thank you, man.
Im 22 years old and I just got into this trade I also at the moment make $9 an hour I'll also be starting a refrigeration course next month that will be 12 months long then a electrical course which is 8 month long I wish I got paid a bit more but I'm Patient and I enjoy the trade and can't wait for the journey
If you ain't banging out sales and commission work as a resi tech, you are screwed. It's like this across the trades. My dad made 1k a week on average, guess what so can you, its 2022 tho, so that ain't shit. I live in a very high hvac demand area aka the desert. Summer time which lasts months. 2-3k a week for 3ish months. 1.5-3k a week for 3ish months. 500-2k a week for 3ish months. 500-1.5k a week for 3ish months. Trying to explain the importance of maintenance to your client, priceless... Edit for side work, don't forget side work.
Residential ( with all the sales push ) can be $100k a year. Commercial/ industrial ( thats what i do ) you get your hourly and thats about it. The hourly in commercial/ industrial is higher than residential for the most part. Union commercial/ industrial definitely makes more per hour than non union.
Honestly, in any of the trades if you can't get in a union, do something with computers. Making 50k a year to destroy your body does not leave you any money to save for when you get older and can't work.
@@drummersnare6276 it's definitely less labor intensive than construction, as long as you wear proper ppe and exercise regularly, particularly stretching, which a lot of guys find "gay" for some reason, you will be alright
@@drummersnare6276 Where at and for how long? I'm still waiting for the information from mine because the course is still in the process of getting people signed up and set up for the location.
Man I'm a truck driver trying to get out and to switch careers. Man. All of the wages for every job is so dog shit low and takes 40 years of experience to make a comfortable living. Who in their right mind would dedicated years of their life to a "skill" paying 40k a year when the average Joe Blow house costs like $400,000. I could literally go stock shelves at Walmart for at least $18/ hour
Same thing I'm saying. I'm trying to find a better career earning more money than what I'm currently doing which is security. But the pay for these trade jobs aren't much more than what I'm currently making and they're 3x more Physical and mentally demanding. Crazy
North Texas, Residential senior service tech. Commission pay + "overtime hours only" I do push for sales, (systems, IAQ, system repairs and rebuilds for example capacitor, contactor, and start kit instead of just replacing the capacitor. I make between 125-150k a year
Jeez, I got a BS in Molecular Biology and according to you an HVAC technician in my area with less experience than I have in my field can be making more than me! Man I'm in the wrong job !
However you are giving me the idea that you don't spend money well because 26 an hour should have you a mortgage for a little better than 1400. Get that credit up, save your pennies and make moves. I wish I was getting 26 I'd be straight.
I work in manufacturing as an electronics tech near PA/NJ. I have an associates degree from community college and also did some HVAC classes. The pay rate seems to align across all of the similar technician titles (hvac, auto, network). I considered HVAC but honestly it is a physically demanding job and the schedule can be crazy. Most techs in my industry are coming in right out of a 2 year program at $25/hr with annual increase, OT available, excellent benefits, 401k match, profit sharing, Xmas bonuses. Just my 2 cents.
Hey I live in NJ just got my license 3 moths ago can anyone help me out I work 7-4 in a school district and still looking for work to up my HVAC skills
@@drummersnare6276 I do commercial food equipment and refrigeration for grocery stores and let’s just say the earliest I was home this week was 7pm I start between 4:30am and 7am at the latest each day. That’s the cool thing with the trade though at least at my company you can start as early as you want, I’m 20 and like the ot so I’m an early starter
I work on chilled water so big equipment million dollar systems in Brisbane and the average pay for a chiller mechanic is between 45 - 50 Australian dollars an hour. So working on 45 per hr the take home pay is $1302. The benfits are ok you can get a vehicle allowance whicj is $18,000 annually which in taxed it works out to ne about $230 take home. Overtime can be as much as 10 - 15k a year
Tommy Matthews, Learn what you can about service from doing the installs. Then get a job doing service work someplace else. Many people start out doing the installs first because it is entry level "foot in the door". 10 yrs, you have the knowledge to be doing service work! You will learn more yet, but move on to a service company if the one you work for doesn't offer it.
It’s a very hard physically demanding job for so little money. Even making 90k a year isn’t enough nowadays with inflation let alone making a little over 50k.
I have numerous friends they got 2-3 months bootcamp and work as QA tester . Remoute job in comfortable condition for $35/hr. HVAC really expensive field. Any service call cost around $400. The owners just pay 1/10 to employees.
Currently job hunting and finding it difficult to find fair pay for my experience. Thinking of starting my own company as well. HVAC needs to bump up their pay.
Why are salaries soooo low? When a company sends a technician, normally the cost per call is between 800 dollars to 5 thousand. I have called Air con companies who come out look at the air con for. a couple of minutes and I get charge 800 dollars. Once I called to get refrigerant to be added, took about 45 minutes, was billed 2,000 dollars. to install a 2, 000 air con, I get charged normally 6 to 8 thousand dollars. In my mind the technician is making lots of cash.
32 years old with a newborn. I’m starting online HVAC school asap. Just wondering if online will prepare me for entry level work in the state of Michigan.
Probably not super prepared but it does show your future employer you are serious enough about the trade to pay for schooling on it. Ultimately your employer will teach you what they want you to know 😊
In Cali 🥔 heads get hired as techs starting at 25$. The thing is if you don’t learn fast you’ll get fired quick. Started HVAC in 2020 and I’m currently make 80K a year after taxes
I’m 29 and finally found my career in HVAC👍🏾I start classes at local community college with a great HVAC program! Should I do an apprenticeship after I finish school for extra knowledge? Or should I just go right into job hunting after I graduate? Any tips and advice is much appreciated🙏🏽
Wow so Im in the Exact same boat late 20s and start school in August..I started applying for apprenticeship as soon as i enrolled as most HVAC tech apprenticeship jobs in my area don't require you to be certified upon hire because you learn on the job.. But i'd also like to know if any Pros in the field have any tips on this. Thanks in advance
I’m sure this answer varies by state or region but here in alabama, techs that have been to “school” for hvac have little to no gain on anyone else. In field experience is the main thing most residential companies look at. Larger companies that are corporate tend to hire folks with ZERO knowledge in this field so they can train you like they want.
I graduated in may and already have my own van and learning on the job. I’d say if someone is willing to take you in as a rookie tech on the job training is far better than an apprenticeship in my opinion.
As a service tech in my company I average 30 hour of chargeable hours a week, but put in 10 hour a day 🤷♂️. So even if my hourly wage is $40 plus the helpers with lower pay be have 40 plus hours a week make just about the same. Which to me is messed up.
I am currently in Hvac school and seeing this video is very confusing to me. A 3rd quarter student has just been hired on for 22per hour..starting pay.. Im hearing that this is low.. am I missing something or is this not the norm.
What is the hourly rate we pay to the HVAC Repair Service? And when does the clock start? Plus what is the mark up for parts. That's what I need to know.
You're worried about the wrong things. I'm assuming your a homeowner and not a tech. I hate when customers sit there and try and look up part cost to justify their concern with price. There is so much that goes into getting a tech to your house. Not to mention if you choose a good company backing everything they do with a warranty. Thousands of dollars in tools. Years away from family. Homeowners think that having a professional come to their home do things right the first time. and back it with a warranty. Should be cheap. If they want cheap they can find it and they will be paying for it in the future.
@@justingibson8788 Hello, my brother. You are an example of diligence. Can I ask you a question? I live in the State of Kuwait and am thinking of living in America. I work as a central air conditioning technician for 15 years. Do you advise me to come to America and make a reasonable profit, or is it better to stay in my country? Thank you, man.
@@justingibson8788 this is why commercial is better I do grocery stores, couldn’t imagine dealing with homeowners, I’d lose my shit with them “here’s my tools why don’t you fix it then” is what’d I’d be saying everyday🤣
Depends on the quality of the company u pay for what you get. Think of all the costs that go into it that service tech is driving a company truck that needs maintained and gas, he’s getting paid by the hour as he drives, he has thousands of dollars in company tools and truck stocked parts, he has thousands of dollars in personal tools on that van. Mark ups are minimal to none, ur usually looking at a trip charge and an hourly rate for which he’s there.
I'm going to trade school for hvac I'm okay that I'll start from the bottom that's cool I'm not married I don't have any kids all I have is some debt that I want to pay off really I just want to live my life.
Where are those hvac tecs making 20 bucks an hour when I need them. I paid 300 to have one install my flame sensor and was done in half an hour including the time he spent on teaching the dollar clean trick
Fairly frequently, as you master new skills and prove that you can show up on time with a good attitude. Contractors are struggling to find employers, if your current company isn't paying you, the next one will. Commitment means very little in this industry unfortunately
hello sir hope you are well sir i work in uae electrical work AC work plumbing work and have driving license i have a dream i want to work in america i don't know if your company is eligible to work but i have seen a lot of your company work online So I feel very good and I want to work in your company
Be able to move a fridge, carry acetylene torch, climb into attic or crawlspace, get in and out of a van and wake up on time. There is no age limit. Just be good at electro mechanical things and don't burn down someone's house because you forgot something. Easy ;-)
If your are self employed, run your own HVAC business, it's plenty of money if you can deal with the public and not spend like a construction worker on pay day all the time.
Late reply but I currently just started in HVAC in Indiana. My company started me at 16/hr with absolutely zero experience at all and journeyman where I work make a minimum of 26/hr.
Hlw sir I am ahsunul haq from Bangladesh and I'm refrigerator and air condition service technician or mechanic, sir my experience 12 years, rice cooker, air cooler, and washing machine services,plz needed job
I was looking to see if other techs got pay cuts I just took a massive paycut today cause of the potato 🥔 in the white house is hvac even worth it for me im 20 and I have been in the field for a year have my epa universal should continue or just quit and take welfare and just play video games all day cause I thought about it im really thincking about doing that cause it looks like this industry is only gonna get worse
I'm starting a 20 wk HVAC program June 8th 2022. The community college is paying for it because I qualified. I'm working on a fruitless accounting go no where degree. I know I will make more even with no experience than I will with an accounting degree. I work hard and I know I can advance. Accounting will be automated out in 20 years. HVAC will not. My friend does welding and makes 30+ an hour. I know this is in the realm of possibility with HVAC. I'm 34 and done trying to go to school and work in food service. Fuck all.
We're literally on the same page. I've decided that electrician and HVAC is the route I want to take. This thread makes me worry about HVAC though. Seems the pay isn't worth it and hard work I'm use to. Sometimes people have many difference of hard work though. I know I know what hard work is. Not sure how HVAC can be so physically demanding. I'm curious to understand before doing the program.
I have a business degree and joined HVAC 1.5 years ago. Currently applying for business-related jobs because the typical wage for the physically demanding work is not very enticing anymore. Go union if you can, they get paid way more
@@derek10w Nothing anywhere is high pay anymore--and business degrees require more time, money and prestige to get anywhere. All employment in the usa is like this and will only continue to go this way.
@@tyopsie im in a private school rn for a certificate, $15 an hour is minimum wage here, i was making over $20/h with tips at Pizza Hut, i should be making more in HVACR
@@drummersnare6276 you might be in for a reality check if you don't have any experience. School helps you get in the door 100%. Its a great idea 100% but without verifiable experience you could be starting at minimum wage. I'm in Orange county Cali, I did a 2 year Program that earned myself a degree in HVAC and Refrigeration technology in an associate degree program. Trust me the field is different. If your goal of going into AC service, that is a easier postion to get into as maintenance you better off just starting work asap. they will not start you at good pay with 0 experience. With or with out school they're likey to start you the same. If you want to be a Refrigeration tech you should 100% go to school, but still 0 experience same issue. they are training you, spending on you, one way or another. you could go to the Harvard of Hvac school, it wont change anything. Experience supersedes it all, Because you will see everyone is always trying to learn in this industry, you have to learn the industry you need to really look into the types Job you want, Trust me AC is a lot different the Supermarket Refrigeration but if don't have experience in either, school only will not get you far. Yes you are bringing more value to yourself by going to school but that might only get your foot in the door with 0 experience. This industry has certain things that do not change for anyone, and one is you have to prove yourself. Those opportunities are few and far in-between . so the main one is experience and showing hard work over period of time .
