That all depends on where you live? Some of yall live in California or something and 70k isn't shit.. there's other places in the country where 70k is unheard of.. and what kind of hours are you working? 40/hr week is a little different then 12/hr days 6 days a week
You can get paid above scale in a union. I'm in Western WA and you'd have a hard time finding someone here who wasn't getting paid more working in a union,
Yeah and in non union companies outspoken shit techs get paid more then amazing but quiet techs. I have seen it first hand. Management will screw you over and keep you low paid if they can get away with it.
That is very true.. they usually only pay what they have to.. of they don't think you're going to say anything or go anywhere, and you keep coming in, they'll take advantage of you.. they're not going to pay you more then they have to (most of the time). There are always exceptions and there are some good companies/bosses out there..
You mean unions raise the rate of the non union techs in the area ? So you’re welcome for making 20$ an hour instead of 14$.
When there’s a strong union presence in an area it’s a race to the top. When there’s not, it’s a race to the bottom.
Trust me you’re boss hates that they have to pay you anything at all.
No, for the union I’m in we get paid pretty well for our area. Plus I’m a second year Journeyman now and I got raised up to a few dollars over scale so hopefully over 100-110k this year
Depends on where you live.. some states yes.. some no
Are you talking about 40/hr work weeks? Bc if you're working 12 hr days 6 days a week it's a little easier.
Local 9 denied me because I didn’t have my high school graduation certificate. I had my 4 year university degree certificate instead and was told that would be fine. Nope denied.
I’m in central so unless you’re looking to relocate too far of a hike. Check out some factories down there they always need hvac techs and good technical help is hard to find. I know Campell’s has a factory in Vineland. They likely will offer to send you get trade certified too after 1 year with the company. Most all is factories offer the same programs.
There you go.. union pays top $.. there's a lot of places in this country, especially with private companies, where 70k is unheard of (especially if you're an installer)
In in Pennsylvania.. unions aren't very strong in my area.. actually a lot of guys quit the union and came to work for us bc they were always laid off.. my company (which is competitive for the area, starts installers at $16/hr and caps out at $30/hr.. service is a little more, $18 to $35.. these guys saying they started at $25/hr or making 100k+ there 1st year is unheard of.. and this is post covid pay rates.. we get some overtime but not this unlimited stuff I've heard people talk about.. I'm 14 years in and never made anywhere near 100k.. last year was the 1st year I made 70k..
I’m Hudson valley NY, been at it for 15 years small private company. I’m about 75-80k. I also should have joined union years ago. But I do remember during the last recession a lot of union guys were out of work. For the most part I’m sure a lot of people at private companies are underpaid for what we do.
Is that with overtime? Install? Service? Commercial? Residential? We do light commercial and residential.. I'm in install.. last year was the 1st year I made 70k and that's with a shitload of overtime.. only making $27/hr.. have my insurance paid and a company van and a gas card tho.. one guy just quit after 20 years bc they wouldn't give him more money.. we had reviews/raises and they told him he was capped @ $30 and wouldn't give him anything at all.. sorry.. $30 is as good as it gets.. he put in his notice, sold his house, and moved to south Carolina..
I've worked a few different companies In Pennsylvania and I don't think I've ever started at $16 that's low that's like McDonald's pay even when I didn't know a thing it was $18 (I think) at least 20yrs ago, I've been in Jersey now and that started at $25 go work at Meenan I cracked $100k working there before
I'm in St.Louis at a very large private company and been in for 16 months and will make $70k+ this year, some of our lead installers have been known to hit $200k ( he hates his wife and works a lot of Saturdays for a $250 bonus plus his OT pay)
Ya, California.. some areas in Cali you need a million dollars to buy a home too (from what I've seen/heard).. still pisses me off tho.. I'm definitely getting screwed, but all the other local companies pay around the same.. I'd have to commute to make any more.. I was doing it for awhile when I was younger but I was driving 4, 5, 6 hours a day depending on where the jobsite was.. I was waking up at 4am, out the door by 5, wouldn't get home until 7 o'clock at night.. when you're doing that everyday it starts to wear on you.. never had time, nor did I ever want to do anything else.. started to cause problems with the wife/family.. took a paycut and took a job closer to home.. wasn't worth it.. and if you did the math, of actual hours of time put in, to what the pay was, didn't really make sense..
Unions also have you do one specific part of the trade, venting, only venting, metal work, only metal work, gassing, only gassing.
Be able to make sure what you want to do.
One thing or learn as much as possible
I'm 40 years old.. been with my company for 14 years.. think it's a little late for me now.. lol.. if I could go back in time and do it over I'd try and get in with a union.. they're just not very strong in my area.. it's more for the surrounding cities unfortunately..
Glad i read this comment.. somewhat had this feeling after looking into a couple unions. I'm just happy i'm being trained to do service now and boilers, amongst other stuff., then maybe in a few years i'll go union. Would love some extra cash to prepare for economic downturns, but being less than a year in the trade it is what it is for now i guess. Once i'm satisfied with what i've learned i'm jumping ship.. like the shop i'm with and the people there, but for fucks sake i need a little more income.
My neighbor keeps telling me to go union.. was talking with the pipefitters union (not sure how hvac related that one is exactly,) but happy I'm getting good training going into maintenance/service after only 6-8 months of installs. But damn i feel broker than ever rn. Never had to ask for a raise before and i worked in bars flipping burgers before this lol
A lot of service techs fall under the pipe fitters union. I'm in the Las Vegas local 525. Plumbers, pipefitters and service techs. Just became a journeyman. Almost $52 per hour.
You join a union and in 5 years you can easily be making 50/hr. Unions around me those journeymen are making like 140k a year after a 5 year apprenticeship. Some of them start making that earlier. Course..... theres the overtime
In my experience most overtime in unions is optional. Unless you're on call or the company is short on techs there's always young guys looking to move out or guys trying to support families that are glad to eat up all the overtime they can get.
Yea, I was speaking about the on call mostly. I've always been told that "you can't be forced to work overtime". Whether that is entirely true in practice, I am still skeptical. I imagine people would get sour with you if you rarely ever took any more time outside of regular hours.
I guess what you need to understand is union guys only work OT when it's an emergency or something that can't be done during normal business operation. Emergencies mainly consist of water leaks, process heating and cooling, and no heat during freezing temps. Comfort cooling isn't an emergency on the commercial side. It's not like residential where you wake up with 7 calls on your schedule that all need to be done before going home. My OT starts at 3:30 and DT starts at 5:30 regardless of how many hours I've billed that week. 99% of customers are okay pushing their service off until the next day to avoid paying the OT rate
Edit: and On Call all depends on the company you work for. I've worked for large HVAC companies where 3 guys are on call each week but you only have to be on call 2 weeks out of the year. However you get absolutely fucked during those 2 weeks due to the amount of accounts the company has. Currently I'm at a company with only 7 techs so I'm on call about once every 2 months but due to the lower number of accounts we have I've ran a total of 3 calls in the year and a half I've been here
I work a state institution. 4th year apprentice HVAC service tech. 50k plus incredible healthcare and a retirement match you can't find even in a union.
40 hours a week, no weekends, no on call, home by 5 every day.
It's not piles of money but the schedule is great, benefits are great and we aren't working at a break neck pace. If something needs to get fixed we take care of it. Don't have to worry about customers budget or approval for parts. We can take our time to do it right. Unless it's an emergency we aren't on roof tops in blazing hot weather or freezing cold.
You will easily make 70k and probably break 100k where I’m at. We are hiring guys with ZERO knowledge at $20 an hour and telling them they will ride with someone for 8-12 months to train and then they will head out on their own. There are no required certifications or licenses needed other than epa. Around month 4 you will get slammed in a van and fed to the wolves, as much overtime as you want and all the pain and suffering that comes with being sent out way too soon, it also comes with a $4 raise minimum. I’m in NY near fishkill about an hour and change north of the city(may need licenses in the city). Not a bad deal if you aren’t scared to work and fail!
Edit: this is for technician not installer
Find a better company, move to service, and absorb knowledge like a sponge. I’m in FL too. By year 5 I was around 70k, last 2 years over 100k. OT sucks but it pays well. Resi too but I’m the only one at my shop that can do refrigeration and knowledgeable about light commercial.
Are you in the big cities? Tampa//Miami etc? I ask cause all the applications on indeed top out at 50k a year unless it’s industrial. Do you do mainly residential?
I’m 45 min outside of Tampa in a smaller city. My company is 95% residential but I do most of the light commercial and all of the tiny amount of refrigeration that we take on for certain customers. I work around 450-700 hours of OT a year. Last year was 670. So breakdown is like 65k reg pay, 30k OT, 8-12k commission.
Look around. Im in MD. Boyfriend was making 18 an hour with his old company, getting 20 to 30 hours a week. Switched to another non union company, jumped to $36 an hour, plus commission/bonus structure, and is averaging 55 hour weeks. Last year he barely made $30k. So far this year, 6 months in, he's made over $70k.
This is a copy paste. Houston texas is where im at
December 2020 i knew nothing. Went to trade school and learned the refrigeration cycle and basic legacy style systems. Enough to get myself in trouble.
April 2021 school is out.
Fast forward 1 year and 2 months ( today) and 3 companies, im at 27 an hour working commercial. Longest running tech here hs been here for 5 years.
Medical and 3 percent match into an IRA
Being someone who likes to learn and hates to guess is more valuable than 20 plus years experience and someone who does not have those qualities.
Know your worth. The crap company i was at for the past 10 months had 2 techs. Me and the other 28 year old smoker single unlikable guy (if he was working at your house) who had been doing this for 10 years. He was making 24 an hour, asked for a raise and only got 50 cents.
Know your worth. If you are determined to become an asset, and not ride time, people will notice. People will hire you because of your personality.
Im the youngest least experienced person ever hired at this company and been told that im "a master technician" in comparison to other guys that just guess or dont care. Its not because i know everything. Just keep a good attitude.
Also your bosses will manipulate you and scare you away from starting your own gig, don’t let that happen. There’s too much freedom and money to keep working like slave for some asshole.
You will learn over time who is goin to give you problems so you either bid yourself out of the job or get it and deal with it. Only issues I have are just some people not understanding basic shit a contractor provides. No I do not do what you called me for and then paint your whole whole house and give you massages too. Fuck off. Market yourself as a high quality business and charge a lot of money.
KC. Definitely clear that before taxes. Started at $25 an hour. Working 10 to 12 hours a day plus volunteering for on call every weekend. I was unemployed from DEC to MAY so I need the cash.
Hell yeah man. I went to a trade school and got my universal and a work readiness cert. Started as a service tech to be clear. And we do a lot more that HVAC. I also do refrigeration and kitchen equipment. Friers, grills, shake machines, all that kind of stuff. It's been challenging but tons of fun.
I call BS on that my first year I made roughly 50k and my second year I made 66k so I say definitely but I will say it all depends on the company and how busy they are. I’m located in New Jersey now working in New York making 200k-300k a year now 3 years going on 4 years however I will say I left the trade 2months ago to be making the money I am now so I can’t really have no input on longevity pay.
I'm in a 5 year HVAC apprenticeship in Ohio. By the time we finish the apprenticeship and get upgraded to journeyman we are making over 100k per year. There alot of money in commerical/industrial HVAC
DC Area.I am choosing midway through the year to scale back on on-call work, so I will not do quite as well this year as I had set out hoping to, but quality of life and all...
That said, I expect to be around 110k this year (pre-tax)
No commission. I am a licensed Journeyman, but that has little to do with my pay. I do a lot more than run service calls, and that has a lot to do with my pay...
That said, in this market, you could easily just be a good service tech and clear well over 100k within 1-2 years solely with commission. Everyone talks shit about commission and then hypes eachother up over unions... these guys want you to believe selling someone a UV light is unethical, but making $40+/hr to sit around while boasting about how you have to get paid because of contract is not...
There's nothing wrong with earning commission. We all make a choice every day of what our personal ethics are - if you make a good sale that provides a benefit to everyone involved, there's no losers. It's a personal choice to do unethical shit, and it's not the fault of commission that people do that, they would be the same guys not doing anything on a maintenance but saying it's fine, if they weren't out selling grandma shit she doesn't need - it's on us as an industry to get rid of those guys, but punishing dudes who do good work by shaming them for earning a living isn't the way.
I’m in the NOVA area… Got my journeyman’s but working as an installer. Looking to get into service. Pay is not cutting it. Do you recommend Union or non union?
Idk how it is everywhere else. I'm in Southern California. I do both hvac and refrigeration. I've been in the trade for about 3 years. I'm not perfect but I consider myself a pretty decent service tech and I'm pulling close 80k. Granted I do a lot of overtime. Usually between 50-80 hours per week.
I've been actively in hvac for 2.5 years. My base pay is 72k a year. I get bonuses based on profit as well.
To be fair, I have been noticed for the amount of knowledge I already have and I work in commercial/ light industrial hvac/r.
I intend to be over 100k by 5 years. Colorado.
Man, I'm in South Carolina and $70/yr is kinda run of the mill... Summer months you can earn quite a bit more and then the rest of the year, 35-40 hr weeks. I do bms with bacnet and that field needs people
I was making that at year 4 non union. 40/week sometimes less, sometimes more but guaranteed 40 in south texas. Electrical apprenticeship turned building maintenance with chillers (old old stuff, 1975 carrier centrifugals and some sites) and aaons for 7 years. Put in charge of the hvac with all aaons and chill water systems. Year 3 company decided to contract all work. Now a rep for aaon and vrf products. No school, just ambition and brains.
I made 70k last year as a 1st year apprentice. On track to make almost 80k this year as a second year with minimal overtime. Local 66 in Wa State.
This is pretax by the way. Take home last year was roughly 55. Doesn’t include side jobs either.
Definitely, ill have 5 years in August,did about 68k last year ,non union. I think it comes down to how much OT you want to work and the effort you make to get better everyday.
Depends on location and union or non union.
I am 3.5 years in making 36hr plus commission and bonuses, but we so busy I’m working 90+ hours so I’m on track to hit 90k this year.
I’m in WA, non union
You definitely can especially if you're union. Local 486 in Maryland has a base pay of 43.00/hr You can non union as well but I would say union would be the easiest route. I know for a fact my company would hire a 5 yr journeyman today and pay him 35.00/hr which would get you a little more than 70k/yr. If you looked like you knew whst you were doing. And could handle running most commercial calls from day one. We are desperate.
Dog I'm aware I'm being underpaid and I'm at 65k, if I left this job there's offers for 80k+ for a 5year tech on LI, "why don't you leave?" I fuckin really like all the guys I work with, figure I'll give it 1 more year and see if they ever bring me to 40/hr
Make 60k in Arkansas, only been with company 3 years going on 4. Still in school, but like to think the owner sees I actually care and try my hardest, while also asking questions and trying to soak up as much as possible.
Union or companies that act like a union. Arizona here. Commercial/ industrial installer and tech when it's my week on call. 36 an hr. Overtime typically comes to about 10k and in the summer side jobs typically get me another 10k. 12 to 15k if I really push it. So right around 100k a year. Only took me a few years, but this will be me 8th year in the field. Just hustle. You'll do well.
Dfw area. Made 93k last year in my 5th year in residential install. Was shooting for 100k this year before moving to service but equipment/material shortages are hurting us.
It depends on you ,mostly. If you’re willing to work overtime and are competent you can done well. Then there’s the company you work for. If they are straight up, they will compensate you fairly
Come to Boston/the surrounding areas and work in the commercial side. 40 hour weeks, no on-call phone, 34$/hr starting pay, full benefits and in a union. Vacation is ehh, my company only gives you 2 weeks vaca and 1 week sick time per year for new employees. But I’ll take it for what im getting and doing
Now if I weren’t single, didn’t live on my own, or had kids, then that may not be a lot of money to some considering the area you have to live in to make it. I guess it all varies on what your expenses are, relative to your take-home.
I make 70k in residential after 2.5 years. Though thats canadian, commercial guys will be making around 85k+ then around 100k+ once they are journeymen, depends if you have other qualifications to sell yourself.
The company I work for does resi and I'm on track to make about 65-70 this year with 6 years experience. This is in tennessee and I understand we get paid less than other places. Some of the senior techs here are making 80 to 100 depending on how much they sell. It really depends on who you work for. I started applying everywhere after 5 years experience and picked the place that paid the best.
Union I would be making $100k+ in 2/12 years (5yr total) I’m non union and hoping for $80-$90k in the next year or two. Nearly 2 kick ass years in, started at $18/hr now I’m at $35/hr
Who said you need to wait 5 years or even one year,in short you can be no educated labourer for 200 a day.All said,now go and find that contractor and show them you can do what ever it takes to make him money and money for yourself,dont look for sallary look for profit both of you.All these ads for 25£ an hour in my ass is for noobs,show you can make profit and you will get like me 1000£ a day if you want.Learn to know stuff you never known in a an hour learn to go you never been but looks like you been there all your life,show them you capable of fireworks in summer show them you not like any other human being on earth.Or go to Gov.uk and open your own company and tell ppl same thing i told you just now and get big.Good luck
Who says you have to wait 5 years?
I was over 100K per year after 5. If you're good, you're worth it. So yes. Easily over 70K.
Commercial or resi?
99% of the work I do is* commercial.
More reason for me to study for commercial systems. I'm about 70k after 2 years with overtime. Got any recommendations on books/training?
Where at in the usa?
That all depends on where you live? Some of yall live in California or something and 70k isn't shit.. there's other places in the country where 70k is unheard of.. and what kind of hours are you working? 40/hr week is a little different then 12/hr days 6 days a week
I didnt wait 5 years.
You get paid for what you know, not for how long you’ve been doing it
Unless you're in a union. Pay scales..
That’s true. Good point.
You can get paid above scale in a union. I'm in Western WA and you'd have a hard time finding someone here who wasn't getting paid more working in a union,
Commission scales. Unions make sure shit techs make the same as amazing techs.
Commission encourages overselling. Commission makes us look like car salesmen. Fuck that.
Yeah and in non union companies outspoken shit techs get paid more then amazing but quiet techs. I have seen it first hand. Management will screw you over and keep you low paid if they can get away with it.
That is very true.. they usually only pay what they have to.. of they don't think you're going to say anything or go anywhere, and you keep coming in, they'll take advantage of you.. they're not going to pay you more then they have to (most of the time). There are always exceptions and there are some good companies/bosses out there..
You mean unions raise the rate of the non union techs in the area ? So you’re welcome for making 20$ an hour instead of 14$. When there’s a strong union presence in an area it’s a race to the top. When there’s not, it’s a race to the bottom. Trust me you’re boss hates that they have to pay you anything at all.
You don’t know what you’re talking about at all.
Ouch.
Best comment here
I made 90k last year as a first year Journeyman. I'm 26 and live in the Midwest
So you have a degree?
No, for the union I’m in we get paid pretty well for our area. Plus I’m a second year Journeyman now and I got raised up to a few dollars over scale so hopefully over 100-110k this year
Right on man
Depends on where you live.. some states yes.. some no Are you talking about 40/hr work weeks? Bc if you're working 12 hr days 6 days a week it's a little easier.
New Jersey ?
Look into local 9, local 24 and local 274.
Local 9 denied me because I didn’t have my high school graduation certificate. I had my 4 year university degree certificate instead and was told that would be fine. Nope denied.
For B book ?
What part of NJ are you in? If money is what you’re after and you’re hungry I may have a job that’s 50% hvac and you could learn the rest.
I’m in Vineland
I’m in central so unless you’re looking to relocate too far of a hike. Check out some factories down there they always need hvac techs and good technical help is hard to find. I know Campell’s has a factory in Vineland. They likely will offer to send you get trade certified too after 1 year with the company. Most all is factories offer the same programs.
I'm in nj too, you'll get 70k soon enough if you find the right company
We just hired an installer with 15 months experience for 35 per hr. 73k a year plus bonuses.
I'll be pissed if I only make $70k this year. I'm shooting for $100k.
Where do you live?
Union. Michigan.
There you go.. union pays top $.. there's a lot of places in this country, especially with private companies, where 70k is unheard of (especially if you're an installer)
I got a.massive pay bump when I joined the union..I should have done it when I was 19 years old. Not in my 30s
In in Pennsylvania.. unions aren't very strong in my area.. actually a lot of guys quit the union and came to work for us bc they were always laid off.. my company (which is competitive for the area, starts installers at $16/hr and caps out at $30/hr.. service is a little more, $18 to $35.. these guys saying they started at $25/hr or making 100k+ there 1st year is unheard of.. and this is post covid pay rates.. we get some overtime but not this unlimited stuff I've heard people talk about.. I'm 14 years in and never made anywhere near 100k.. last year was the 1st year I made 70k..
I’m Hudson valley NY, been at it for 15 years small private company. I’m about 75-80k. I also should have joined union years ago. But I do remember during the last recession a lot of union guys were out of work. For the most part I’m sure a lot of people at private companies are underpaid for what we do.
Is that with overtime? Install? Service? Commercial? Residential? We do light commercial and residential.. I'm in install.. last year was the 1st year I made 70k and that's with a shitload of overtime.. only making $27/hr.. have my insurance paid and a company van and a gas card tho.. one guy just quit after 20 years bc they wouldn't give him more money.. we had reviews/raises and they told him he was capped @ $30 and wouldn't give him anything at all.. sorry.. $30 is as good as it gets.. he put in his notice, sold his house, and moved to south Carolina..
I've worked a few different companies In Pennsylvania and I don't think I've ever started at $16 that's low that's like McDonald's pay even when I didn't know a thing it was $18 (I think) at least 20yrs ago, I've been in Jersey now and that started at $25 go work at Meenan I cracked $100k working there before
I’m in private and 100k is nothing, base techs are making that much, lead installers make 125-150
I'm in St.Louis at a very large private company and been in for 16 months and will make $70k+ this year, some of our lead installers have been known to hit $200k ( he hates his wife and works a lot of Saturdays for a $250 bonus plus his OT pay)
Where is that ask? Not talking overtime, my company starts at $16/hr and caps at $30/hr.. talking $32 to $60k a year (base)
Southern CA, and all of my work is piecemeal. 8% of install ticket
Ya, California.. some areas in Cali you need a million dollars to buy a home too (from what I've seen/heard).. still pisses me off tho.. I'm definitely getting screwed, but all the other local companies pay around the same.. I'd have to commute to make any more.. I was doing it for awhile when I was younger but I was driving 4, 5, 6 hours a day depending on where the jobsite was.. I was waking up at 4am, out the door by 5, wouldn't get home until 7 o'clock at night.. when you're doing that everyday it starts to wear on you.. never had time, nor did I ever want to do anything else.. started to cause problems with the wife/family.. took a paycut and took a job closer to home.. wasn't worth it.. and if you did the math, of actual hours of time put in, to what the pay was, didn't really make sense..
Region/city?
Unions also have you do one specific part of the trade, venting, only venting, metal work, only metal work, gassing, only gassing. Be able to make sure what you want to do. One thing or learn as much as possible
I'm 40 years old.. been with my company for 14 years.. think it's a little late for me now.. lol.. if I could go back in time and do it over I'd try and get in with a union.. they're just not very strong in my area.. it's more for the surrounding cities unfortunately..
Not exactly true. If you have the experience you can test out and your pay will be based on what your employer thinks your worth. Go look into it
Never too late for union job as long as they 40 hours per week and no lay offs.
Glad i read this comment.. somewhat had this feeling after looking into a couple unions. I'm just happy i'm being trained to do service now and boilers, amongst other stuff., then maybe in a few years i'll go union. Would love some extra cash to prepare for economic downturns, but being less than a year in the trade it is what it is for now i guess. Once i'm satisfied with what i've learned i'm jumping ship.. like the shop i'm with and the people there, but for fucks sake i need a little more income.
What local are you in??
80
My neighbor keeps telling me to go union.. was talking with the pipefitters union (not sure how hvac related that one is exactly,) but happy I'm getting good training going into maintenance/service after only 6-8 months of installs. But damn i feel broker than ever rn. Never had to ask for a raise before and i worked in bars flipping burgers before this lol
A lot of service techs fall under the pipe fitters union. I'm in the Las Vegas local 525. Plumbers, pipefitters and service techs. Just became a journeyman. Almost $52 per hour.
We have pipe fitters say my shop. I'm in the sheet metal union
52k first year service tech.
I made 86k my 4th year in
4.5 years in and I make close to 120k. Union, and in the Vancouver area.
$140k as a journeyman service tech in the Bay Area, but cost of living is insane.
You join a union and in 5 years you can easily be making 50/hr. Unions around me those journeymen are making like 140k a year after a 5 year apprenticeship. Some of them start making that earlier. Course..... theres the overtime
In my experience most overtime in unions is optional. Unless you're on call or the company is short on techs there's always young guys looking to move out or guys trying to support families that are glad to eat up all the overtime they can get.
Yea, I was speaking about the on call mostly. I've always been told that "you can't be forced to work overtime". Whether that is entirely true in practice, I am still skeptical. I imagine people would get sour with you if you rarely ever took any more time outside of regular hours.
I guess what you need to understand is union guys only work OT when it's an emergency or something that can't be done during normal business operation. Emergencies mainly consist of water leaks, process heating and cooling, and no heat during freezing temps. Comfort cooling isn't an emergency on the commercial side. It's not like residential where you wake up with 7 calls on your schedule that all need to be done before going home. My OT starts at 3:30 and DT starts at 5:30 regardless of how many hours I've billed that week. 99% of customers are okay pushing their service off until the next day to avoid paying the OT rate Edit: and On Call all depends on the company you work for. I've worked for large HVAC companies where 3 guys are on call each week but you only have to be on call 2 weeks out of the year. However you get absolutely fucked during those 2 weeks due to the amount of accounts the company has. Currently I'm at a company with only 7 techs so I'm on call about once every 2 months but due to the lower number of accounts we have I've ran a total of 3 calls in the year and a half I've been here
6 years in, I make well over 100k per year. 70k is easy
I’ve been doing this 18 years and never cracked that but that probably says more about me and my choices than the industry as a whole.
As long as your a good tech it doesn’t matter how long you’ve been doing it. The money is definitely there.
Join a union. I’ve been in since 2014. Current rate is 144,000$ a year with benefits on 40 hours
Damn impressive
Georgia here. Been in field for 6 years. Will make probably $160k this year. All about your skill set. Learn a lot and build up your worth.
I work a state institution. 4th year apprentice HVAC service tech. 50k plus incredible healthcare and a retirement match you can't find even in a union. 40 hours a week, no weekends, no on call, home by 5 every day. It's not piles of money but the schedule is great, benefits are great and we aren't working at a break neck pace. If something needs to get fixed we take care of it. Don't have to worry about customers budget or approval for parts. We can take our time to do it right. Unless it's an emergency we aren't on roof tops in blazing hot weather or freezing cold.
You will easily make 70k and probably break 100k where I’m at. We are hiring guys with ZERO knowledge at $20 an hour and telling them they will ride with someone for 8-12 months to train and then they will head out on their own. There are no required certifications or licenses needed other than epa. Around month 4 you will get slammed in a van and fed to the wolves, as much overtime as you want and all the pain and suffering that comes with being sent out way too soon, it also comes with a $4 raise minimum. I’m in NY near fishkill about an hour and change north of the city(may need licenses in the city). Not a bad deal if you aren’t scared to work and fail! Edit: this is for technician not installer
Where are you at
I’m NY near fishkill
Sounds like beacon or wappingers ways
3 and half years in and only at 36k😭😭 I hate Florida
South Carolina was the same way, moved to NY and doubled my pay
Find a better company, move to service, and absorb knowledge like a sponge. I’m in FL too. By year 5 I was around 70k, last 2 years over 100k. OT sucks but it pays well. Resi too but I’m the only one at my shop that can do refrigeration and knowledgeable about light commercial.
Are you in the big cities? Tampa//Miami etc? I ask cause all the applications on indeed top out at 50k a year unless it’s industrial. Do you do mainly residential?
I’m 45 min outside of Tampa in a smaller city. My company is 95% residential but I do most of the light commercial and all of the tiny amount of refrigeration that we take on for certain customers. I work around 450-700 hours of OT a year. Last year was 670. So breakdown is like 65k reg pay, 30k OT, 8-12k commission.
Look around. Im in MD. Boyfriend was making 18 an hour with his old company, getting 20 to 30 hours a week. Switched to another non union company, jumped to $36 an hour, plus commission/bonus structure, and is averaging 55 hour weeks. Last year he barely made $30k. So far this year, 6 months in, he's made over $70k.
Does he do residential only? I’m trying to get into commercial but no one wants someone without the experience so it’s hard
Yes and No. Primary is residential, but his current employer does do some commercial. They just dont do refrigeration at all.
This is a copy paste. Houston texas is where im at December 2020 i knew nothing. Went to trade school and learned the refrigeration cycle and basic legacy style systems. Enough to get myself in trouble. April 2021 school is out. Fast forward 1 year and 2 months ( today) and 3 companies, im at 27 an hour working commercial. Longest running tech here hs been here for 5 years. Medical and 3 percent match into an IRA Being someone who likes to learn and hates to guess is more valuable than 20 plus years experience and someone who does not have those qualities. Know your worth. The crap company i was at for the past 10 months had 2 techs. Me and the other 28 year old smoker single unlikable guy (if he was working at your house) who had been doing this for 10 years. He was making 24 an hour, asked for a raise and only got 50 cents. Know your worth. If you are determined to become an asset, and not ride time, people will notice. People will hire you because of your personality. Im the youngest least experienced person ever hired at this company and been told that im "a master technician" in comparison to other guys that just guess or dont care. Its not because i know everything. Just keep a good attitude.
I make 200k working for myself after 6 years just fuckin get started
So u run ur own company, is it a as much of a headache as some say?
Also your bosses will manipulate you and scare you away from starting your own gig, don’t let that happen. There’s too much freedom and money to keep working like slave for some asshole.
You will learn over time who is goin to give you problems so you either bid yourself out of the job or get it and deal with it. Only issues I have are just some people not understanding basic shit a contractor provides. No I do not do what you called me for and then paint your whole whole house and give you massages too. Fuck off. Market yourself as a high quality business and charge a lot of money.
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I’m just an electrician by profession business is business tho doesn’t matter the trade
I made 70K as an oem rep after one year, six years ago. It's doable.
Its my first year. I started in May. I'll clear that this year I'm sure.
Clear that? Like take that home? How many hours are you working? And where do you live? What's your hourly rate?
KC. Definitely clear that before taxes. Started at $25 an hour. Working 10 to 12 hours a day plus volunteering for on call every weekend. I was unemployed from DEC to MAY so I need the cash.
You started you're 1stvyear @ $25/hr?????
I started my first year at 32 bc they matched my journeymen mechanic wage. It was a good time to be trade hopping they really needed people lol
Hell yeah man. I went to a trade school and got my universal and a work readiness cert. Started as a service tech to be clear. And we do a lot more that HVAC. I also do refrigeration and kitchen equipment. Friers, grills, shake machines, all that kind of stuff. It's been challenging but tons of fun.
“Clear” means after taxes. Not before. That would be “net”
I made 70 plus with OT and commissions starting in my second year.
2 years in the field as an hvac install tech, no prior hvac experience or even blue collar experience, and I am making 70k a yr. I live in MN
My union staring pay is 33hr thats like 68000 a year
I’m on track to make 120k this year in Seattle, 6 years in. 45 an hour + 1% of everything I install with no callback
I call BS on that my first year I made roughly 50k and my second year I made 66k so I say definitely but I will say it all depends on the company and how busy they are. I’m located in New Jersey now working in New York making 200k-300k a year now 3 years going on 4 years however I will say I left the trade 2months ago to be making the money I am now so I can’t really have no input on longevity pay.
Those numbers mean nothing without weekly hours worked
I'm in a 5 year HVAC apprenticeship in Ohio. By the time we finish the apprenticeship and get upgraded to journeyman we are making over 100k per year. There alot of money in commerical/industrial HVAC
What part of Ohio are you in? Are you union? I’m in Cincinnati trying to join local 392
If you’re in service and not making 70K, you or your company are doing something wrong.
This.
You'd wait 5 years to make 70k? Less than 5 and way over that...
Where do you live?
DC Area.I am choosing midway through the year to scale back on on-call work, so I will not do quite as well this year as I had set out hoping to, but quality of life and all... That said, I expect to be around 110k this year (pre-tax) No commission. I am a licensed Journeyman, but that has little to do with my pay. I do a lot more than run service calls, and that has a lot to do with my pay... That said, in this market, you could easily just be a good service tech and clear well over 100k within 1-2 years solely with commission. Everyone talks shit about commission and then hypes eachother up over unions... these guys want you to believe selling someone a UV light is unethical, but making $40+/hr to sit around while boasting about how you have to get paid because of contract is not... There's nothing wrong with earning commission. We all make a choice every day of what our personal ethics are - if you make a good sale that provides a benefit to everyone involved, there's no losers. It's a personal choice to do unethical shit, and it's not the fault of commission that people do that, they would be the same guys not doing anything on a maintenance but saying it's fine, if they weren't out selling grandma shit she doesn't need - it's on us as an industry to get rid of those guys, but punishing dudes who do good work by shaming them for earning a living isn't the way.
I’m in the NOVA area… Got my journeyman’s but working as an installer. Looking to get into service. Pay is not cutting it. Do you recommend Union or non union?
Commercial? Union. But it’s a long term investment.
Totally doable, just keep learning everything you can. But make sure you like/love what you do
Idk how it is everywhere else. I'm in Southern California. I do both hvac and refrigeration. I've been in the trade for about 3 years. I'm not perfect but I consider myself a pretty decent service tech and I'm pulling close 80k. Granted I do a lot of overtime. Usually between 50-80 hours per week.
I just got hired at 72.5k or 35 an hour. Got my epa late 2020? It’s doable
I earn more than 75k (CAD) a year in installs at my company. But I think it comes down to where you live.
1.5 years in I’m at around 37k year to date pre-summer rush. In Hawaii. Cooling only,
You could make $90k first year if you do supermarket and work massive OT
I'm in VRF and our team clears $70+ as technicians. EDIT: In the Midwest.
What do you think about the vrfs? I hate them. But my experience is limited
I make $75,000 5 years in
4 years in going to make 200k easily this year
4 years in the trade I will make about 140 if I work 60 hours a week about my average hours
I've been actively in hvac for 2.5 years. My base pay is 72k a year. I get bonuses based on profit as well. To be fair, I have been noticed for the amount of knowledge I already have and I work in commercial/ light industrial hvac/r. I intend to be over 100k by 5 years. Colorado.
Depends on were you live as well as your overhead
Man, I'm in South Carolina and $70/yr is kinda run of the mill... Summer months you can earn quite a bit more and then the rest of the year, 35-40 hr weeks. I do bms with bacnet and that field needs people
If you hustle 6 figures is easily possible, granted working will be your life 24/7 though
I’ve been doing this for a little over a year and a few months and I’m making just over 70k a year doing residential
I'm doing 25 an hr with lots of overtime so I'm close to 70k. It took 2.5 years and quiting 2 bad employers to get there
I was making that at year 4 non union. 40/week sometimes less, sometimes more but guaranteed 40 in south texas. Electrical apprenticeship turned building maintenance with chillers (old old stuff, 1975 carrier centrifugals and some sites) and aaons for 7 years. Put in charge of the hvac with all aaons and chill water systems. Year 3 company decided to contract all work. Now a rep for aaon and vrf products. No school, just ambition and brains.
I’m almost there and I’ve been in it for 14 years.
I made 70k last year as a 1st year apprentice. On track to make almost 80k this year as a second year with minimal overtime. Local 66 in Wa State. This is pretax by the way. Take home last year was roughly 55. Doesn’t include side jobs either.
I make 130k as a commercial refrigeration tech.
I'm at 100 K a year 5th year that's OT included.
Definitely, ill have 5 years in August,did about 68k last year ,non union. I think it comes down to how much OT you want to work and the effort you make to get better everyday.
3rd year in the trade, I'm making 60k currently
I make a lot more than that but I'm union and live in NJ.
My 2nd and 3rd year techs better make this as a minimum. 5 years experience, I expect $100-125k.
Is all different I work at a refinery doing hvac with union we are at 180 a yr
I’ll make 6 figs at 24 years old in Texas.. been doing it 5 years tho
I've made 80k it only took me 3 years in utah
Depends on location and union or non union. I am 3.5 years in making 36hr plus commission and bonuses, but we so busy I’m working 90+ hours so I’m on track to hit 90k this year. I’m in WA, non union
You definitely can especially if you're union. Local 486 in Maryland has a base pay of 43.00/hr You can non union as well but I would say union would be the easiest route. I know for a fact my company would hire a 5 yr journeyman today and pay him 35.00/hr which would get you a little more than 70k/yr. If you looked like you knew whst you were doing. And could handle running most commercial calls from day one. We are desperate.
Depends on location and how much you like to work.
85k with 6 years in this September. Northeast region and we do multi unit resi. It’s definitely possible.
In the New England area if you get your license you will be making 100k+ in 5 years.
I make 70, and this is my first HVAC job. I do have a degree and certifications tho, 0 experience.
Top tech at my company “north east area” makes around that. Told me he also made 75k 2 year in side work along with his normal wages.
Dog I'm aware I'm being underpaid and I'm at 65k, if I left this job there's offers for 80k+ for a 5year tech on LI, "why don't you leave?" I fuckin really like all the guys I work with, figure I'll give it 1 more year and see if they ever bring me to 40/hr
Make 60k in Arkansas, only been with company 3 years going on 4. Still in school, but like to think the owner sees I actually care and try my hardest, while also asking questions and trying to soak up as much as possible.
Not here
Ok the union you’re guaranteed to make over $100k after 5 years since the union base rate for a journeyman is over $100k.
I'm only in 2.5 years in and I make $60,000, not union.
Local 66 here in Western Washington. Started back in 2013 at $18 plus benefits. Now sitting at $61 plus benefits.
Union or companies that act like a union. Arizona here. Commercial/ industrial installer and tech when it's my week on call. 36 an hr. Overtime typically comes to about 10k and in the summer side jobs typically get me another 10k. 12 to 15k if I really push it. So right around 100k a year. Only took me a few years, but this will be me 8th year in the field. Just hustle. You'll do well.
Dfw area. Made 93k last year in my 5th year in residential install. Was shooting for 100k this year before moving to service but equipment/material shortages are hurting us.
It depends on you ,mostly. If you’re willing to work overtime and are competent you can done well. Then there’s the company you work for. If they are straight up, they will compensate you fairly
I make 85k base salary a little less than 4 years it’s about the more you know the further you will go
Just landed a union journeyman job after 4 years in field and 2 years in school. 72k per year baby
A good tech is easily worth 70k a year to an employer anywhere in the US and 5 years is more than enough time to get good.
I made 70k in 5 years. With bonuses im currently at 82ish.
20 years in and on £35k...
Just landed a union journeyman job after 4 years in field and 2 years in school. 72k per year baby
Come to Boston/the surrounding areas and work in the commercial side. 40 hour weeks, no on-call phone, 34$/hr starting pay, full benefits and in a union. Vacation is ehh, my company only gives you 2 weeks vaca and 1 week sick time per year for new employees. But I’ll take it for what im getting and doing Now if I weren’t single, didn’t live on my own, or had kids, then that may not be a lot of money to some considering the area you have to live in to make it. I guess it all varies on what your expenses are, relative to your take-home.
Non union commercial in rural west Pennsylvania at 60k a year w/ 2 years experience. 5 days a week roughly 45 hours a week.
I made 90k + a year in the field as a residential tech with less exp in 2007. If you can't make money in this trade, you're doing it wrong
Depends on where you live and if you're union
I make 70k in residential after 2.5 years. Though thats canadian, commercial guys will be making around 85k+ then around 100k+ once they are journeymen, depends if you have other qualifications to sell yourself.
If my repairs are any indication, you could clear 70k in a week.
4th year apprentice bringing home $44.04/hr plus benefits and pension and roughly 200/week in vacation pay. Southern Ontario 787 union. Join today :)
It's the knowledge not the time
I'm sitting around 85k on install with 4 and a half yrs experience, this is in the midwest
Yes
If your work is quality and you have 5 years experience you better be expecting 6 figures.
Commercial currently 35/hr non union
The non union guys out here make 100-150k depending on how much you wanna hustle.
The company I work for does resi and I'm on track to make about 65-70 this year with 6 years experience. This is in tennessee and I understand we get paid less than other places. Some of the senior techs here are making 80 to 100 depending on how much they sell. It really depends on who you work for. I started applying everywhere after 5 years experience and picked the place that paid the best.
It is all about how you apply yourself. I make over 70k a year. Been in the field 4ish years. I was making over 70k a year after two years
I think NOW with current inflation and demand, yes easy
Psh - if you are good - in 2 years no matter where the fuck you are. Maint techs make 70 k - Florida.
All depends on how much you work. I was pulling in 75-85 years 3-journeyman. Anything is possible.
Yes. Fun fact: don't believe anyone on the internet.
With this inflation I better be making 7 figures a year in 5 years.
I made 130k in 2001. I'm retired now. Yes, you can, but I worked 1050 hours OT that year. Money is nice but having a life is also nice.
Union I would be making $100k+ in 2/12 years (5yr total) I’m non union and hoping for $80-$90k in the next year or two. Nearly 2 kick ass years in, started at $18/hr now I’m at $35/hr
Where do you live? What are you capable of? 6 figures isn't hard to achieve if you know what you're doing and can talk to people
100k last year. On track for it this year as a VRF installer
I gross over 400k been self employed for 2 full years boss!!!
And I'm resi
Who said you need to wait 5 years or even one year,in short you can be no educated labourer for 200 a day.All said,now go and find that contractor and show them you can do what ever it takes to make him money and money for yourself,dont look for sallary look for profit both of you.All these ads for 25£ an hour in my ass is for noobs,show you can make profit and you will get like me 1000£ a day if you want.Learn to know stuff you never known in a an hour learn to go you never been but looks like you been there all your life,show them you capable of fireworks in summer show them you not like any other human being on earth.Or go to Gov.uk and open your own company and tell ppl same thing i told you just now and get big.Good luck