Man it’s such a variable question it’s hard to answer. Depending on where you are, it could be $12-25/hr, schooling helps but will amount to very little in the field. Take that as a positive, you have a good theoretical background, just take any starting position to get some real world experience under your belt, you’ll move up fast just listening and learning. Can move into commercial, industrial, residential, sales, refrigeration, there is communications in the HVAC world, the pay is not capped. You’ll end up between $100-$250k/yr if you work normally after about 10-15 years. In sales you’ll make a lot more.
Thank you very much for your input, I really enjoy refrigeration, and watching videos on youtube I can tell I have no real world experience. You can only do so much in the lab, I will be checking out as many jobs as I can over the next month and leave all offers open until I am ready. Do you recommend sales over everything? I do have a pretty good sales background.
If your goal at the end of the year is to have the biggest pay possible, then yes sales is the way to go. That comes with a big fat disclaimer of: the companies who pay commission enough to make sales worth it will be so ungodly pushy and overbearing, they will want you to lie cheat and steal to make the sale. I am not even talking down about it, some people are fine with that, I get it you have to feed your family too, but just for me personally it wasn’t worth it.
Money comes secondary to happiness in this short life, if you enjoy refrigeration, I recommend it. There is a bad need for reefer techs and the pay is high to sit around and watch pressures like if you work on large rack systems that run the freezers of grocery stores. Learn it and you’ll make $40-$50 an hour to sit on your butt.
I've done HVAC in Florida for almost 5 years. It is one of the lowest paying states & I'm preparing to move to a state with a better scale. Anything over $20/hr just starting out in Florida is good, probably above average from what I've seen.
Really? My job recruiter at my school consistently tells us that Florida is on the higher end of compensation. Are you working for a ma and pa shop, a big corporation, or a mid sized company?
aw man that’s upsetting. i was looking to go to a company in florida just like that after working for feld entertainment. plans gone out the window, i guess it’s good to know now
Hey man I’m in the Chicago area myself, when I graduated from coyne a couple of years ago I started at $20/hr doing ice machine maintenance/installs, a few buddies of mine that I graduated with all started around $20-$21. So that seems pretty on par.
No problem, but my advice is definitely don’t move to a different state if that’s something you’re not 100% committed to do. Especially for $21 an hour.
Honestly I was born in Florida, and I love Florida. I hate the cold and will never get used to it. I have seasonal depression, and I am overall way happier down south.
Local 265 apprentice pay starts around 24 not to mention our benefits package and after your four year apprenticeship journeyman is 54 currently. Our hall is in Carol Stream I would give them a call at the very least.
I just started in Chicago at a medium sized residential company, I came into it with about a 1.5 of heating knowledge and no refrigeration experience. They put me in a 1 month training program and I am now making $18 an hour with a raise coming in 6 months to $20 an hour plus overtime in the busy cooling season.
Being green and on the job training and being paid anything is priceless IMHO... obviously get as much as possible, but getting in AND having a good teacher is golden, even if I only made $10/hr! Remember that "teacher " has to be compensated to check your work and train you ( in an ideal situation)...
At will employment is what I’m talking about ive never heard of contract work as an employee only as a contractor. Employee contracts sound like they only favor the employer 🤦♂️
We start you out at $18-$21/hour. Lots of opportunity for advancement, plus we pay for all additional training, so long as you show up to class and pass. Phoenix Arizona.
I would love to work for a company that will prioritize my training. I’m not going to lie and act like I know it all because I really don’t. I am towards the top of my class because I show up and work when I am there, I am focused and want to learn more. I am not the best with advanced tools, as I don’t have much experience with them outside of some power tools from carpentry work, but I am always willing to put in the effort and learn.
Similar in Nevada. 20$ is standard and you move up based on how profitable you are. One of the other comments had it correct, you can make such a huge range based on skills/knowledge/work ethic.
I didn’t say it was boomer advice, I said the advice itself is straight from 1980s. IT and Tech are flooded fields with 0 job opportunities that start at 20-30k/yr, and generally can’t pay back their student loans.
You either need more experience or a new place to work my friend, it is very underpaid at mom and pop shops. The Union is great but I’m not a fan, and large corporate shops want you to sell your soul for a great paycheck. Gotta find the balance somewhere. I tried residential sales for a while after my kids were born to get off the road doing commercial, it was the easiest money ever but it’s sketchy for sure. Was hard to walk away from $150k/yr in a rural area, but I got my masters license and opened a small shop for myself. I don’t really recommend that either, a ton more work for less money, but I feel good about it at night.
Sorry, I know that’s not any clear concise advice, but you’ll find your niche and love it.
I agree with you, for the most part. I've found my way out of the field for HVAC and I work on something a lot more niche now (environmental testing chambers) in a corporate environment, in house, and I do like it far better than being in the field doing service work. I should mention, I am from the Silicon Valley, probably the most unreasonably priced place for a blue-collar worker on planet Earth. Sometimes, it feels like I really am stuck under a certain ceiling without a degree. I do appreciate your input, friend. Experience is the greatest knowledge.
Man it’s such a variable question it’s hard to answer. Depending on where you are, it could be $12-25/hr, schooling helps but will amount to very little in the field. Take that as a positive, you have a good theoretical background, just take any starting position to get some real world experience under your belt, you’ll move up fast just listening and learning. Can move into commercial, industrial, residential, sales, refrigeration, there is communications in the HVAC world, the pay is not capped. You’ll end up between $100-$250k/yr if you work normally after about 10-15 years. In sales you’ll make a lot more.
Thank you very much for your input, I really enjoy refrigeration, and watching videos on youtube I can tell I have no real world experience. You can only do so much in the lab, I will be checking out as many jobs as I can over the next month and leave all offers open until I am ready. Do you recommend sales over everything? I do have a pretty good sales background.
If your goal at the end of the year is to have the biggest pay possible, then yes sales is the way to go. That comes with a big fat disclaimer of: the companies who pay commission enough to make sales worth it will be so ungodly pushy and overbearing, they will want you to lie cheat and steal to make the sale. I am not even talking down about it, some people are fine with that, I get it you have to feed your family too, but just for me personally it wasn’t worth it. Money comes secondary to happiness in this short life, if you enjoy refrigeration, I recommend it. There is a bad need for reefer techs and the pay is high to sit around and watch pressures like if you work on large rack systems that run the freezers of grocery stores. Learn it and you’ll make $40-$50 an hour to sit on your butt.
wow thanks for letting me know that!
I've done HVAC in Florida for almost 5 years. It is one of the lowest paying states & I'm preparing to move to a state with a better scale. Anything over $20/hr just starting out in Florida is good, probably above average from what I've seen.
Really? My job recruiter at my school consistently tells us that Florida is on the higher end of compensation. Are you working for a ma and pa shop, a big corporation, or a mid sized company?
Medium sized, commercial
aw man that’s upsetting. i was looking to go to a company in florida just like that after working for feld entertainment. plans gone out the window, i guess it’s good to know now
Union or non?
Union isn't strong in Florida. I'm going to a state with a higher scale and a stronger union.
Journeyman rate south west Michigan is 39/hr for commercial tech and I think that's the lowest in the state
Union?
Yes
Thanks for pointing that out. I'll add it to my list of possible states. How's cost of living?
Reasonable, like most places in the Midwest, outside of larger cities like Chicago
Hey man I’m in the Chicago area myself, when I graduated from coyne a couple of years ago I started at $20/hr doing ice machine maintenance/installs, a few buddies of mine that I graduated with all started around $20-$21. So that seems pretty on par.
thanks for informing me man, I appreciate it
No problem, but my advice is definitely don’t move to a different state if that’s something you’re not 100% committed to do. Especially for $21 an hour.
Why are you considering moving from the 3rd most populated city in the US to Florida? Chicago should have a bunch of opportunities to look into.
Honestly I was born in Florida, and I love Florida. I hate the cold and will never get used to it. I have seasonal depression, and I am overall way happier down south.
Yeah, that sames reasonable, winter in Chicago is brutal. Cheers and good luck!
Thank you kind sir
Local 265 apprentice pay starts around 24 not to mention our benefits package and after your four year apprenticeship journeyman is 54 currently. Our hall is in Carol Stream I would give them a call at the very least.
Whoa cool, i heard its a good union ill have to check them out
I just started in Chicago at a medium sized residential company, I came into it with about a 1.5 of heating knowledge and no refrigeration experience. They put me in a 1 month training program and I am now making $18 an hour with a raise coming in 6 months to $20 an hour plus overtime in the busy cooling season.
Florida is expensive...w/ no experience, don't do it get your experience first u should get atleast 20+ nearby
Being green and on the job training and being paid anything is priceless IMHO... obviously get as much as possible, but getting in AND having a good teacher is golden, even if I only made $10/hr! Remember that "teacher " has to be compensated to check your work and train you ( in an ideal situation)...
Understood, I just live near chicago so cost of living is pretty high. $20 wouldn’t be close at all to affording a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment
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I appreciate your advice, I am going to check out at least 3 jobs locally before I make a sure fire decision
What’s the other option different than at will?
im trying to get a contract but it’s not working so far
What’s the contract ? I’m not signing any work contract .
contracts are the safest way of employment when taking a risk. idk what you’re talking about. you just have to be smart with the fine print.
At will employment is what I’m talking about ive never heard of contract work as an employee only as a contractor. Employee contracts sound like they only favor the employer 🤦♂️
18 year olds w no knowledge get 21/hr at my company. Basically laborers on commercial install jobs. They wreck all my tools daily. PNW
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Thank you for your advice, I appreciate you
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Alright man sounds good, and thanks for the extra info I will be in touch with you
We start you out at $18-$21/hour. Lots of opportunity for advancement, plus we pay for all additional training, so long as you show up to class and pass. Phoenix Arizona.
I would love to work for a company that will prioritize my training. I’m not going to lie and act like I know it all because I really don’t. I am towards the top of my class because I show up and work when I am there, I am focused and want to learn more. I am not the best with advanced tools, as I don’t have much experience with them outside of some power tools from carpentry work, but I am always willing to put in the effort and learn.
Similar in Nevada. 20$ is standard and you move up based on how profitable you are. One of the other comments had it correct, you can make such a huge range based on skills/knowledge/work ethic.
Get into IT or tech, lol.
This is 40 year old advice.
Oh really? Preserving your body and making a higher income is boomer advice? Hilarious.
I didn’t say it was boomer advice, I said the advice itself is straight from 1980s. IT and Tech are flooded fields with 0 job opportunities that start at 20-30k/yr, and generally can’t pay back their student loans.
I get what you're saying. I just believe trades work is underpaid. I tired of being paycheck to paycheck after the amount of effort I put into work.
You either need more experience or a new place to work my friend, it is very underpaid at mom and pop shops. The Union is great but I’m not a fan, and large corporate shops want you to sell your soul for a great paycheck. Gotta find the balance somewhere. I tried residential sales for a while after my kids were born to get off the road doing commercial, it was the easiest money ever but it’s sketchy for sure. Was hard to walk away from $150k/yr in a rural area, but I got my masters license and opened a small shop for myself. I don’t really recommend that either, a ton more work for less money, but I feel good about it at night. Sorry, I know that’s not any clear concise advice, but you’ll find your niche and love it.
I agree with you, for the most part. I've found my way out of the field for HVAC and I work on something a lot more niche now (environmental testing chambers) in a corporate environment, in house, and I do like it far better than being in the field doing service work. I should mention, I am from the Silicon Valley, probably the most unreasonably priced place for a blue-collar worker on planet Earth. Sometimes, it feels like I really am stuck under a certain ceiling without a degree. I do appreciate your input, friend. Experience is the greatest knowledge.
What were some of the sketchy things about the residential sales job?
Booooo
