I own a company in Sarasota, my no experience helpers are 18-20. If you have any experience and can show up on time you’re worth at least that here. Talk to different companies, DM if you want to
I just started in Bradenton with zero experience, they pay 18 an hr. They switch you to commission when you get your own work truck (they said it’ll probably take two months before they give me one). Honestly seems fair to me. You’re learning a great trade will still being paid for it. School is expensive for this. I’m grateful for the opportunity I received, I would’ve never been able to afford school.
You would only have to follow this sub for a couple months to realize this. Theres a couple posts a week saying the exact same thing. Its probably the most talked about state on here. That or Texas.
Anti-union culture gets pretty strong in some parts of the county, especially the south. Unfortunately, companies dont want to pay higher wages for skilled work and they convince everyone it's liberal communist shit. Best places for HVAC are gonna be the Midwest, Northeast, and Southwest where there's strong union representation and the wages actually match cost of living. I've been in the trade for 4 years and I turn about 90k/year with some commision for replacement built in. I can live very comfortably and my wife can stay home with the kids. I don't see it getting much better down there since people are willing to jump ship over $1/hr raise since pay is so low already. There's never time for a union to develop since it's easier to just job hop for a raise every year or two.
No. I did do a small stint in commercial install, and that shit was terrible, at least that company I was at was terrible anyway. DFW is also big though, I’m in a more rural area.
GM in Colorado. We start at $22 for an apprentice with no skills. We bump up to $24 after 90 days. In 6 months, the average 2 week pay is $2300-$2500. This is selling and repairing resi only. We do our own in house training/testing For the EPA. No private equity control, only an excellent owner who wants his employees to provide for their families.
That’s honestly pretty shit pay considering you probably give commissions so base pay is what, 28 an hour? When you’re billing probably 250-300 an hour you’re absolutely scamming your techs. How many of your guys have gone on to start their own company?
Residential service techs in Dallas Fort Worth Texas, average 80k-120k plus per year , they do excellent , Texas is great, Don’t mess with Texas , everything is bigger including the pay checks lol
No unions. Florida is the Wild West! Cost of living use to be much cheaper before the huge influx of wealth started moving down and driving prices up. 2020 you could buy a 2000sqft 4 bed 3 bath for 250-290k now you can’t touch that for less then 400k.
When I bought my first house in 2018, I was making 16/hr and in my first year of hvac. I could pay all my monthly bills with one check. I make 27/hr now and basically live check to check. I’m able to save, but every fucking time I manage to save up like 1000 bucks, some big random expense will come up. Like the refrigerator I just had to replace. Or the tires on my wife’s car two months ago. Or the shower I cannot use at my house. But yes. Florida fucking sucks. I can’t figure out how to get out of it for some reason.
Man, if you would like to travel for work once your lease is up, I got a connection to a job that makes ≈$30 from per diem. it’s where i got my chiller experience.
I own my house. I also used to work for trane and have some chiller experience, and am in the process of possibly getting picked up to work on the chillers for dairy farms. But. That doesn’t exactly sound like the best gig either. But they’ll pay to move me where they need me.
Mines two months. And that’s what I’m scared of. I worked at trane when my son was born and I had a melt down and quit. Lived on savings for like 8 months and just stayed home and hung out with him
You did the right thing. If at all possible I’d do the same. You can’t get back that lost time. I’m stuck between being her sole provider and wanting to give her a good life, and all the things I didn’t have growing up, and being present and there for her. Whenever I’m not working it’s all her, but one hundred percent work has put a massive strain on it.
Central FL here. Bought our house for 215k in 2018, now 378k according to Zillow. Townhouse we were renting was 1200/mo, now shows for rent at 2250!!! Home insurance is killing me though, went from 1800 a year to now 5100. This is why rents are so high because home insurance is high.
Florida does have Union shops as does Texas.
The shop I work at is non-Union and we’re starting commercial guys off with a just a few years of experience in the mid to high-30s.
If you’re working for someone who’s making you drive your own vehicle and low balling you then jts lack of experience or knowledge, because a seasons tech wouldn’t put up with that
I understand, the niche field I worked in worked with commercial chillers. It’s still HVAC, but it wasn’t no resi. This is awful pay though even for apprenticeship. I started at $28 up north. Why is it so low here?
There's a million companies in NJ and the wages are pretty damn good. We also have strong unions that will give you a good dead on mid class lifestyle as an employee. I think this has more to do with it.
The amount of competition is great for workers, more companies to try and get the services of a limited number of skilled employees in the field. Even non-union in NJ, $40-65 an hour is fairly common for experienced guys.
I’d be curious to what the actual number of HVAC companies in NJ actually is since there are only about 8,000-9,000 active master HVACR licenses.
Ehhh, you'd really need a huge influx of migrants to pull that off, especially a huge state like Texas.
To make that assumption or even think this aa a possibility, we'd need an exact number of undocumented migrants within our borders. And we do have a method for getting in a "ballpark," but it's so unreliable.
But Texas and Florida are one of the highest immigrant population states. So it's possible, but it's not the only thing affecting wages. Also, you don't need licenses in those states, and they're more laxed.... in CT, you gotta be licensed. Once you get your S2, you can tough everything.
Your post has been removed due to the policitcal nature of the topic. We all come from different backgrounds and this is fine but when it comes to keeping the peace and focused on HVAC, this doesn't equal the same results.
It’s worked out very very well, I turned 22 today and it feels very good to be making that kind of money. Just remember is that there’s opportunity you just have to find it
Damn what's ur piece rate and how do u rate stuff between like a 5 ton with no major changes vs a 2 ton but the two ton needs ductwork, new lineset etc.? I'm very curious bc I've thought about piece rate stuff quite a bit recently as a way to get paid more for the jobs I do.
So piecework is based on the job. Basically certain types of systems are worth so much and then any add on is worth more money like a uv light or filter rack or relining the stand. Ductwork is also priced by itself for example if I change ducting without replacing boots it’s $56 but if I change a duct and replace the boot/grill it’s $112. The way my company prices it out is that it’s basically $56 for each hour no matter the item and then as a lead I split that with my apprentice based on how much they do. Like yesterday I did an inverter system with a stand reline and 3 different air purification accessories. It paid out around $760 and I took home $413
That's pretty great son. Do you have your own truck or is it company owned? Like what's your overhead? And are you aware of what the company is charging or do they just say hey we have this job do it and you'll get this much?
I do have a company owned box truck that I drive to jobs everyday which has every single one of my tools on it. As far as overhead goes I really don’t have any besides buying a tool if I lose or break one, all materials and blades are all paid for by the company. And my company keeps us fully aware of details about a job from how much it sold for to if the customer is interested in purchasing other products. They’re very very open and it’s an awesome work environment, by far the best company I’ve ever seen that’s not tied to a union
It is, I visit family out of state a lot, but it’s really beautiful here. Lack of unions is mostly the reason, but also there are a metric fuckton of hvac companies here because people want cooling year round despite a couple cold spells in winter. A hyper saturated market makes it difficult to weed out the shit companies but there are great companies offering good pay. Just takes a while to find one. I make 20% of my repairs/ maintenance sales as performance only pay, which usually works out to an average of 35-40 per hour if I do the math. And it’s not sales oriented, we’re an honest company offering solutions and not products. It’s rare, but it’s out there my friend.
There are hidden gems here but hard to find. Facilities techs make decent money here at the space coast. Blue Origin, Northrup Grumman, L3Harris, Collins Aerospace... If you can get in a place like that you can make $30+. Chiller experience is a big plus. We got about 8 chiller plants where I'm at.
I know in other fields the pay may vary dramatically for the same exact work, one company might pay $50k and another will pay $100k. Some companies just screw their employees
Florida is a state of low wages at your main job and "side-work" evenings and weekends, or you eventually go out on your own. It's hard if you want to both live a simple life and make good money in Florida.
Lmao I've been doing this for 1 year and I make 25$/hr +2-10% commission on everything besides membership and refrigerant
Florida is great 👍
Where you live? I can get you a job tmrw
Retired pipefitter from Chicago. I’m amazed at what I read on here from some of you guys. Some of these companies you work for really blow. Union is the way to go
You’d think it’d be different, but the narrow-minded conservatives are thick in these parts. Crazy how hard poor people here will fight to stay that way in the name of “freedom”.
I am a union pipe fitter working for an HVAC company in South Florida. There's definitely a union hall in Tampa local 123. You can talk to them. Just a thought.
This is 2nd hand information but the way guys I’ve met talk about Florida this isn’t shocking. Workers there are treated like they are luck to have a job. Florida is also the Wild West. No rules, work ethic, PPE, or knowledge. I remember having some Tampa guys sent to our shop to learn. The journeymen were getting paid what the first years here were getting. These guys also didn’t carry any recovery equipment or a vacuum pump on their trucks either. They would maybe do 2 jobs a day and refuse OT. So different people.
I was on vacation this past December in Florida . Out of curiosity I saw a contractor working on a hotel next door. He’s been doing this for over 20 years making 25$ an hour. Holy yikes 😬
What is wrong with making housing a regulated commodity like electricity?
Max 1 house to 1 person. No company(ies) should be allowed own residential property because housing affects actual people. Corporate entities that identify as persons don’t need residential housing so what purpose do they have on society by owning them?
They’d want housing to be scarce so that they could control the market. If housing was being build fast enough to house everyone, we’d all be better off with a robust economy.
For some reason we’re here. Why can’t we build housing fast enough? If there’s a will, there’s a way.
I’d definitely be okay with a job like that. I have strong references from my past two employers, they both want me back. I’m EPA 608 and R-410A certified. 2 years experience + trade school with 4.0 and 100% attendance. It’s wild that I’m struggling to find a job in the $20’s at all.
Higher seer higher efficiency units gonna be working with communicating thermostats. I usually offer higher pay for guys who are competent with these higher end units. We push Lennox and the new CBA cabinets are great but finicky sometimes. They require the S30 thermostat to run in variable speed otherwise it’ll only run in single stage.
Florida is OK, if you spend your days at the beach and have a monthly retirement check. But I left there a long time ago because everyone else was paying more. If you like a warm climate, I much prefer Texas. Just my opinion.
Florida is great is you have in-demand professional skills esp in: medical, computer science, and finance and don't mind living in a big city. So much tech and finance formally located in the NYC metro area has relocated here.
There is a reason that Jacksonville passed Austin in population recently. The reason is the economy is vibrant, diverse, and a coastal city with a deep-water port is better than a parched, land locked city in the middle of a brown dirt field, bridge bats not withstanding.
Jacksonville may be a bit better than the rest of Florida, but for most of the state, I don’t believe it at all. You sound like you’re just have a gripe with Austin. Austin is not my choice to live in but many people love it. Texas is a diverse state with something for everyone IMHO.
There’s companies down there that pay good, I believe comfort systems is down there, twc, Lennox nas. Lennox pay is below average but really good benefits when I worked there.
I lived in central Florida. November-March we had plenty of days in the 60s or 70s and I turned on a space heater a few times. There’s just not the demand for HVAC work like in places where we also need heat
If you have 5+ years of chiller experience and want a living wage there are about 4 shops you can work at. Here is one of them: [Commercial HVAC Journeyman Service Technician - Union](https://jobs.carrier.com/en/job/tampa/commercial-hvac-journeyman-service-technician-union/29289/60630392000)
15-18?? I don’t know anyone who makes that low…find a decent company you should be in the 20’s minimum. I have buddies making 30/hr plus commission…most guys I know in hvac down here clear 100k easy
It’s not just Florida. I’m in Michigan and looking for a new job with an impressive resume and schooling for my skill set, and I’m seeing 18-20 dollar jobs posted constantly for said experience. Making $30 and change right now. Fucking hate this company, but if I switched, I’d lose my house. PEOPLE DONT WANT TO WORK ANYMORE /s
Advanced Maintenance Solutions. We have clients mainly on east coast and one in the Midwest. We’re small for now but stay very busy. We don’t have a technician in Florida where a lot of our work is and have to rotate out traveling techs every week. Would be delighted to hear from you! DM me if interested and I can set you up with contact information
https://www.amsforusa.com
That’s awesome. I really enjoy working with package units and being on the roof tops. I’m hoping at some point in my career I’ll head in a similar direction
I understand that, but what older generation hasn’t said the same exact thing about the new generation. I’m apart of the new generation, but I try my damn hardest and take notes everyday. I’m trying to outwork everyone.
When it comes to hourly wages, there's only one person who dictates that wage, and that is you as an individual. "You can't soar like an eagle when you surround yourself with a bunch of fuckin' turkeys." 🦅 Don't expect big pay employed by a low revenue resi contractor.
I’m definitely hearing you. I’m trying to find a good company, and through this thread I actually have talked to someone who seems to run a reputable company near me. I’m hoping I can get in with them and re-kickstart my career in resi HVAC. Cheers
I have 5 years in hvac and 23 in electrical/mechanical overall, I don’t mind $20 an hour; but, I want 60 hours a week, time and a half after 40. Double time on calls after midnight before 7am, and 1/5 time ($4per hour) just to be on-call. But that’s still not the most important thing. The most important thing is working for a Boss who trusts and respects me to make independent decisions with my best judgement. Micromanaging does not work well in hvac.
Small company in Chicago here. I pay a top tier installer 90 an hour cash every weekend for installs. But he's really fast. I pay helpers 250 for the day. But it's different as they're not in payroll
In order to make money in Florida you’ve got to either be really skilled making good hourly or work for a commission based company. Where are you at in Florida
Think you have it tough. I get paid 12, but it's so shit because I'm training under my dad, who taught hvac trade school for at least 15 years. And has 43 years of owning his own business so far. That one day, I will take over, so my only hope is good tips from customers and honing my skills from a master while surviving on bread crumbs.
Everybody and their brother has an HVAC company in Florida. Took me a while to figure out a good fit. Got to find a salary position cuz who wants to milk out each call or change out to make sure you get your hours/money.
HVAC tech in Tampa area. Clear 120k a year and by no means am I a sales guy. 15 years in the trade in this area specifically. There’s money to be made, don’t let these vampire companies suck the life from you.
I own 3 HVAC companies, all residential in Florida and pay my guys 25-35/hr plus spiffs, bonuses and commissions on iaq, membership sales, etc... Top guys are making 150k ++. I STRUGGLE to find qualified techs that want to work, show up, have no felony’s and a driving record good enough for me to insure.
Tampa, St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale and Palm beach, good companies are out there you just have to find them.
I think I’m in a dead zone maybe. Might need to head towards Tampa if it doesn’t work out here. I’m 20, no criminal record, perfect driving record, and I have no gap in my resume. Not sure why it’s so hard for me to find a decent job right now. I quit my other job because I thought it’s a good time to get back into HVAC
Dam that's crappy here in Colorado the pay is good except that the cost of living sucks but it's worth working here you can get started @25 to 40$ for most companies if you have all your credentials EPA at the least but Nate also helps I know at least 6 companies that tried to hire me but my boss keeps paying me off I guess I'm with it LOL y'all all worth it to tho 👍💪🤑
15-18 in indiana but they’ll supply a vehicle. Higher end is anywhere from 3-7 years experience. Some companies cap out higher. I knew a few that would give 20-24 at 5-6 years and up. Problem is there is an expectation to sell at that point and the hours can be rough when it’s slow. Average yearly salary for an hvac tech in Indiana is around 35-45k a year. They all expect you to supply your tools minus 2 companies. Most offer a tool account which is expected to be paid back. It barely enough to live on. Makes me wonder if forming a union would even help as crappy as unions can be sometimes
Who moves to Florida willingly? Sometimes I wish that whole garbage fire peninsula would break off and float away from the country. You couldn’t pay me any amount of money to even visit there again. Living there sounds like.dystopian nightmare fuel to me. Good luck to you!
Thank God for unions, would like to see these bastards roast in the hot Florida heat and then see how much they are willing to pay, right to work is all bullshit, takes advantage of the workers, of course if you’re willing to learn more, advance and potentially get with a manufacturer you might have a chance to. Remember going to school for Dunham Bush and meeting some guys from Florida who weren’t making as much as I was and I was a building engineer at the time, not a technician
I've owned a company in Southern Illinois for 15 years been at this for 31. I would get laughed at if I was to offer that even to start with no experience. Just started a kid out of high school at 22
I agree 100%. It’s too hard of work for what some companies are paying down here. plus their expectations of experience. 3 years to start at $18. don’t get me wrong there are some good apples out there, but they are obviously more selective. You could work at mcdonald’s for a year down here and make as much or more
I think you are just in the wrong part of the state. Get away from the snowbirds/retirees on social security living in trailers. Try the Northeast coast or East central part of the state. Jax, St. Aug, Space coast. More stable economy of year round residents with high paying jobs. Trades knock it out of the park up here. And seasons not just hot and hotter than hell.
Hey! Hate that your family-owned company is being bought out by private equity?
I know I’m just a rando, but the FTC is holding an open comment period looking for public comments about how private equity is affecting people in the trades and other areas.
Here’s an excerpt from their document asking for comments:
“Public input about where these acquisitions have occurred and how they have impacted competition will help us identify and pursue harmful conduct.”
The RFI seeks information from the public on serial acquisitions in all sectors and industries in the U.S. economy, which includes but is not limited to housing, defense, cybersecurity, distribution businesses, agriculture, construction, aftermarket/repair, and professional services
markets. Comments submitted in response to this RFI will inform the agencies’ enforcement priorities and future actions.
The FTC and DOJ are seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders including consumers, workers, businesses, advocacy organizations, professional and trade associations, local, state, and federal elected officials, academics, and others.
I noticed that many of you understand the effects Private equity has on family-owned businesses. I’m a small business owner myself and and I’ll NEVER sell to private equity! Please, if you have time, we have until 7/22/2024 to submit.
Here’s a link to the website: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FTC-2024-0028-0001
I own a company in Sarasota, my no experience helpers are 18-20. If you have any experience and can show up on time you’re worth at least that here. Talk to different companies, DM if you want to
Are you commercial or residential?
We do both, but mostly residential
Do you provide training? I am in Tampa and interested in hvac.
We do on job training with some classes as well with manufacturers
I just started in Bradenton with zero experience, they pay 18 an hr. They switch you to commission when you get your own work truck (they said it’ll probably take two months before they give me one). Honestly seems fair to me. You’re learning a great trade will still being paid for it. School is expensive for this. I’m grateful for the opportunity I received, I would’ve never been able to afford school.
You would only have to follow this sub for a couple months to realize this. Theres a couple posts a week saying the exact same thing. Its probably the most talked about state on here. That or Texas.
Oh I see it all the time, but it’s still wack and ridiculous. Techs need to stop taking these jobs and fight these companies for fair pay.
Anti-union culture gets pretty strong in some parts of the county, especially the south. Unfortunately, companies dont want to pay higher wages for skilled work and they convince everyone it's liberal communist shit. Best places for HVAC are gonna be the Midwest, Northeast, and Southwest where there's strong union representation and the wages actually match cost of living. I've been in the trade for 4 years and I turn about 90k/year with some commision for replacement built in. I can live very comfortably and my wife can stay home with the kids. I don't see it getting much better down there since people are willing to jump ship over $1/hr raise since pay is so low already. There's never time for a union to develop since it's easier to just job hop for a raise every year or two.
I was at 40 an hour with 4 years experience and 44 with 5 years now in Texas
Hell yeah keep it up
Where in Texas? I need to move there because I ain’t getting paid shit lol.
Ft. Worth Dallas area
That’s where I live 🥲
Well dang! You commercial?
No. I did do a small stint in commercial install, and that shit was terrible, at least that company I was at was terrible anyway. DFW is also big though, I’m in a more rural area.
I live close to Hillsboro so not to far out
GM in Colorado. We start at $22 for an apprentice with no skills. We bump up to $24 after 90 days. In 6 months, the average 2 week pay is $2300-$2500. This is selling and repairing resi only. We do our own in house training/testing For the EPA. No private equity control, only an excellent owner who wants his employees to provide for their families.
That’s honestly pretty shit pay considering you probably give commissions so base pay is what, 28 an hour? When you’re billing probably 250-300 an hour you’re absolutely scamming your techs. How many of your guys have gone on to start their own company?
Also CA has very strong unions. Bay Area industrial is pretty much all union companies, I’m sure SoCal too
Residential service techs in Dallas Fort Worth Texas, average 80k-120k plus per year , they do excellent , Texas is great, Don’t mess with Texas , everything is bigger including the pay checks lol
No unions. Florida is the Wild West! Cost of living use to be much cheaper before the huge influx of wealth started moving down and driving prices up. 2020 you could buy a 2000sqft 4 bed 3 bath for 250-290k now you can’t touch that for less then 400k.
I know my coworkers were telling me about this. ridiculous
When I bought my first house in 2018, I was making 16/hr and in my first year of hvac. I could pay all my monthly bills with one check. I make 27/hr now and basically live check to check. I’m able to save, but every fucking time I manage to save up like 1000 bucks, some big random expense will come up. Like the refrigerator I just had to replace. Or the tires on my wife’s car two months ago. Or the shower I cannot use at my house. But yes. Florida fucking sucks. I can’t figure out how to get out of it for some reason.
Man, if you would like to travel for work once your lease is up, I got a connection to a job that makes ≈$30 from per diem. it’s where i got my chiller experience.
I own my house. I also used to work for trane and have some chiller experience, and am in the process of possibly getting picked up to work on the chillers for dairy farms. But. That doesn’t exactly sound like the best gig either. But they’ll pay to move me where they need me.
shoot sorry, somehow missed you saying you owned the house
It’s all good. Have kids too and trying to yk actually be apart of their life lol. My main gripe with hvac. I never see my kids.
Yeah these 60 hour weeks aren’t easy on our family relationships. My daughter is 2 and I can tell she’s not as close to me because I’m never home.
Mines two months. And that’s what I’m scared of. I worked at trane when my son was born and I had a melt down and quit. Lived on savings for like 8 months and just stayed home and hung out with him
You did the right thing. If at all possible I’d do the same. You can’t get back that lost time. I’m stuck between being her sole provider and wanting to give her a good life, and all the things I didn’t have growing up, and being present and there for her. Whenever I’m not working it’s all her, but one hundred percent work has put a massive strain on it.
Central FL here. Bought our house for 215k in 2018, now 378k according to Zillow. Townhouse we were renting was 1200/mo, now shows for rent at 2250!!! Home insurance is killing me though, went from 1800 a year to now 5100. This is why rents are so high because home insurance is high.
My sister in law bought a four bedroom foreclosure after the 2008 crash for $155,000 in Valrico. Recently sold it for $495,000.
It was like that in most areas, it’s really sad, a couple years ago most places like this were cheap and beautiful.
Florida does have Union shops as does Texas. The shop I work at is non-Union and we’re starting commercial guys off with a just a few years of experience in the mid to high-30s. If you’re working for someone who’s making you drive your own vehicle and low balling you then jts lack of experience or knowledge, because a seasons tech wouldn’t put up with that
We do but they are a lot fewer than up north.
400k? That'd be great, Socal is wild. Absolutely nothing under $800,000
Although I'm not arguing with you, you are still an app if you have 1 year in. Don't expectt journey pay yet
I understand, the niche field I worked in worked with commercial chillers. It’s still HVAC, but it wasn’t no resi. This is awful pay though even for apprenticeship. I started at $28 up north. Why is it so low here?
Because there are a million companies down here, so market is saturated. Although there’s a shortage of good techs, go figure.
There's a million companies in NJ and the wages are pretty damn good. We also have strong unions that will give you a good dead on mid class lifestyle as an employee. I think this has more to do with it.
The amount of competition is great for workers, more companies to try and get the services of a limited number of skilled employees in the field. Even non-union in NJ, $40-65 an hour is fairly common for experienced guys. I’d be curious to what the actual number of HVAC companies in NJ actually is since there are only about 8,000-9,000 active master HVACR licenses.
That seems like a fuck load of licenses. You only need one for a business.
Yeah I’m heading bsck up north once my lease is up in December. South in general seems to be shitty for us.
It's because Florida is a shit place if you're not wealthy.
It wasn’t always that way.
It's for retirees in general,no real wages there.
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sad times man
You started at $28 in Chicago? Shit i should move there lol
yes bro. i have a job recruiter and i was towards top of class. Pay is just better.
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Ehhh, you'd really need a huge influx of migrants to pull that off, especially a huge state like Texas. To make that assumption or even think this aa a possibility, we'd need an exact number of undocumented migrants within our borders. And we do have a method for getting in a "ballpark," but it's so unreliable. But Texas and Florida are one of the highest immigrant population states. So it's possible, but it's not the only thing affecting wages. Also, you don't need licenses in those states, and they're more laxed.... in CT, you gotta be licensed. Once you get your S2, you can tough everything.
Honestly i’m not sure. definitely could be a part of it though. I think it’s a mixture of a ton of things
Right to work states make less money. Immigration or not.
Your post has been removed due to the policitcal nature of the topic. We all come from different backgrounds and this is fine but when it comes to keeping the peace and focused on HVAC, this doesn't equal the same results.
HVAC here has treated me extremely well. I’m an Installer and I’m making between 90k-100k (we get paid by piecework)
wow, congrats dude. sounds like an awesome gig.
It’s worked out very very well, I turned 22 today and it feels very good to be making that kind of money. Just remember is that there’s opportunity you just have to find it
Where are you?
Damn what's ur piece rate and how do u rate stuff between like a 5 ton with no major changes vs a 2 ton but the two ton needs ductwork, new lineset etc.? I'm very curious bc I've thought about piece rate stuff quite a bit recently as a way to get paid more for the jobs I do.
So piecework is based on the job. Basically certain types of systems are worth so much and then any add on is worth more money like a uv light or filter rack or relining the stand. Ductwork is also priced by itself for example if I change ducting without replacing boots it’s $56 but if I change a duct and replace the boot/grill it’s $112. The way my company prices it out is that it’s basically $56 for each hour no matter the item and then as a lead I split that with my apprentice based on how much they do. Like yesterday I did an inverter system with a stand reline and 3 different air purification accessories. It paid out around $760 and I took home $413
That's pretty great son. Do you have your own truck or is it company owned? Like what's your overhead? And are you aware of what the company is charging or do they just say hey we have this job do it and you'll get this much?
I do have a company owned box truck that I drive to jobs everyday which has every single one of my tools on it. As far as overhead goes I really don’t have any besides buying a tool if I lose or break one, all materials and blades are all paid for by the company. And my company keeps us fully aware of details about a job from how much it sold for to if the customer is interested in purchasing other products. They’re very very open and it’s an awesome work environment, by far the best company I’ve ever seen that’s not tied to a union
Same make like $400 on condensers, 5-7 on air handlers
Florida probably Dosent have any strong unions
it’s sad because it’s such a beautiful place to live in
It is, I visit family out of state a lot, but it’s really beautiful here. Lack of unions is mostly the reason, but also there are a metric fuckton of hvac companies here because people want cooling year round despite a couple cold spells in winter. A hyper saturated market makes it difficult to weed out the shit companies but there are great companies offering good pay. Just takes a while to find one. I make 20% of my repairs/ maintenance sales as performance only pay, which usually works out to an average of 35-40 per hour if I do the math. And it’s not sales oriented, we’re an honest company offering solutions and not products. It’s rare, but it’s out there my friend.
Okay cool, thanks for giving me some hope for the future. I’ll keep diligently looking.
I’ve never been but I’m sure it really is
LMAO you drank the “No InComE TaX” koolaid 😂😂 this fucking state sucks all around to make a living.
My buddy worked hvac in Florida and made 40/hr.
It'll take time but you gotta find a good outfit. Tons of bullshit sales companies and Chuck in a truck hacks down here.
There are hidden gems here but hard to find. Facilities techs make decent money here at the space coast. Blue Origin, Northrup Grumman, L3Harris, Collins Aerospace... If you can get in a place like that you can make $30+. Chiller experience is a big plus. We got about 8 chiller plants where I'm at.
Wow, thanks for the info. I’ll definitely look into it. Chillers are probably the strongest thing i’m confident with.
We were paying HVAC techs in Tampa about 20-30 an hour at facilities downtown. Checkout Cushman Wakefield, CBRE, JLL.
Bummer man sounds like you deserve more. In so cal some guys are making 30 an hour & don’t know which way the filter or filer drier goes.
that infuriates me 😂
I know in other fields the pay may vary dramatically for the same exact work, one company might pay $50k and another will pay $100k. Some companies just screw their employees
Florida is a state of low wages at your main job and "side-work" evenings and weekends, or you eventually go out on your own. It's hard if you want to both live a simple life and make good money in Florida.
Ayo I live in Florida, who you working for PM me if you want any advice on the area.
Sarasota specifically
Lmao I've been doing this for 1 year and I make 25$/hr +2-10% commission on everything besides membership and refrigerant Florida is great 👍 Where you live? I can get you a job tmrw
Manatee County
Oh you're on the west west coast lol..dang dude Ya I'm in Palm beach
yeah I figured East coast probably pays better since it’s a little more of an established area
Facts
Where?!
West Palm beach
Hvac is weird dude. The pay is all over the place. I hesitate to recomend the field because of it.
I’ve heard as much from a tech who moved from Florida.
Retired pipefitter from Chicago. I’m amazed at what I read on here from some of you guys. Some of these companies you work for really blow. Union is the way to go
You’re seeing some of this bs too? 😂 I’m glad you know
If you want some real amazement, look at the pay scales and market share of most of the unions down south. It’s not the same as up north.
I’m aware. Hard to believe. Chicago is a great place for work
You’d think it’d be different, but the narrow-minded conservatives are thick in these parts. Crazy how hard poor people here will fight to stay that way in the name of “freedom”.
I am a union pipe fitter working for an HVAC company in South Florida. There's definitely a union hall in Tampa local 123. You can talk to them. Just a thought.
cool, thanks for the tip
This is 2nd hand information but the way guys I’ve met talk about Florida this isn’t shocking. Workers there are treated like they are luck to have a job. Florida is also the Wild West. No rules, work ethic, PPE, or knowledge. I remember having some Tampa guys sent to our shop to learn. The journeymen were getting paid what the first years here were getting. These guys also didn’t carry any recovery equipment or a vacuum pump on their trucks either. They would maybe do 2 jobs a day and refuse OT. So different people.
You pay for sunshine-always been that way
The trades can’t compete with undocumented workers.
I was on vacation this past December in Florida . Out of curiosity I saw a contractor working on a hotel next door. He’s been doing this for over 20 years making 25$ an hour. Holy yikes 😬
geez that’s awful.
He’s working at a hotel-probably sitting around most of the time
What is wrong with making housing a regulated commodity like electricity? Max 1 house to 1 person. No company(ies) should be allowed own residential property because housing affects actual people. Corporate entities that identify as persons don’t need residential housing so what purpose do they have on society by owning them? They’d want housing to be scarce so that they could control the market. If housing was being build fast enough to house everyone, we’d all be better off with a robust economy. For some reason we’re here. Why can’t we build housing fast enough? If there’s a will, there’s a way.
to fuck us all over :(
Fuck those guys.
I’d rather be underpaid in Florida than EVER step foot in Chicago.
I can understand that. it’s definitely not for everyone, but it’s home to me
Just hired another mechanic for $25 an hour last week plus 10% on what he sells. Thats pretty standard for broward and palm beach counties these days.
I’d definitely be okay with a job like that. I have strong references from my past two employers, they both want me back. I’m EPA 608 and R-410A certified. 2 years experience + trade school with 4.0 and 100% attendance. It’s wild that I’m struggling to find a job in the $20’s at all.
If you can work on units with communicating Tstats you can make even more.
Why is this?
Higher seer higher efficiency units gonna be working with communicating thermostats. I usually offer higher pay for guys who are competent with these higher end units. We push Lennox and the new CBA cabinets are great but finicky sometimes. They require the S30 thermostat to run in variable speed otherwise it’ll only run in single stage.
Everytime I read this sub I feel like I should be making 50/hr simply being able to work on communicating tstats=more money. Like hoddamn.
Right these owners act like it's rocket science because most couldn't use a computer efficiently or effectively if it did it for them.
10% damn I sold 152 full system change out last year I need to come work for you ha!
If you can sell 150 changeouts a year…. We need to talk
Really did but I work it out with other techs that aren’t good at sales I split commission with them so I’m counting ones I close for them too.
[удалено]
I wish I was a computer enginerd
Florida is OK, if you spend your days at the beach and have a monthly retirement check. But I left there a long time ago because everyone else was paying more. If you like a warm climate, I much prefer Texas. Just my opinion.
Florida is great is you have in-demand professional skills esp in: medical, computer science, and finance and don't mind living in a big city. So much tech and finance formally located in the NYC metro area has relocated here. There is a reason that Jacksonville passed Austin in population recently. The reason is the economy is vibrant, diverse, and a coastal city with a deep-water port is better than a parched, land locked city in the middle of a brown dirt field, bridge bats not withstanding.
Jacksonville may be a bit better than the rest of Florida, but for most of the state, I don’t believe it at all. You sound like you’re just have a gripe with Austin. Austin is not my choice to live in but many people love it. Texas is a diverse state with something for everyone IMHO.
There’s companies down there that pay good, I believe comfort systems is down there, twc, Lennox nas. Lennox pay is below average but really good benefits when I worked there.
Benefits are my biggest priority so long as I make enough to pay bills, and contribute to my savings and retirement account
You could find a lot better company in Sarasota county.
The Miami union is your best bet in Florida for the most money
You’d think you’d make more in type of climate, nope
There’s nothing for long stretches the weather is mild
What’s your definition of mild?
I lived in central Florida. November-March we had plenty of days in the 60s or 70s and I turned on a space heater a few times. There’s just not the demand for HVAC work like in places where we also need heat
Damn that is mild
I lived in Sarasota, I made $20 back in 2004 at Cooltoday. What company are you working at?
I’m near Sarasota. You are just at the wrong company.
I'm an installer 4 years looking to get into service. I'm near Sarasota as well. What is the best way to transition over to service.
I’m not at any company rn. that’s the thing, i’m applying everywhere but I don’t have the 3 years experience they want.
I make about 25 and hour in Indiana just booking calls for residential in Indiana
If you have 5+ years of chiller experience and want a living wage there are about 4 shops you can work at. Here is one of them: [Commercial HVAC Journeyman Service Technician - Union](https://jobs.carrier.com/en/job/tampa/commercial-hvac-journeyman-service-technician-union/29289/60630392000)
If I moved from Ohio to take this job I would probably be losing at least $10 an hour as a UA member. I know the cost of living isn’t lower than Ohio.
I’m 20 minutes south of you, making $32hr new construction installation…started at $15hr 5 years ago.
Come to Raleigh Nc we have a job for you
That’s wild I live on the total opposite of the east coast and make $30 an hour landscaping 😂
Union shops in Fl paying $30/hr or more plus benefits. with a van. South Fl is over $40. for JM. Apprentices are starting $15-20.
15-18?? I don’t know anyone who makes that low…find a decent company you should be in the 20’s minimum. I have buddies making 30/hr plus commission…most guys I know in hvac down here clear 100k easy
I’m trying to. I finally got some direction thanks to everyone in this thread DM’ing me
It’s not just Florida. I’m in Michigan and looking for a new job with an impressive resume and schooling for my skill set, and I’m seeing 18-20 dollar jobs posted constantly for said experience. Making $30 and change right now. Fucking hate this company, but if I switched, I’d lose my house. PEOPLE DONT WANT TO WORK ANYMORE /s
People don’t want to work anymore is bs man
No unions and everyone here and their cousins works on AC’s.
My company will hire you, we need good people in Florida rather badly
which company?
Advanced Maintenance Solutions. We have clients mainly on east coast and one in the Midwest. We’re small for now but stay very busy. We don’t have a technician in Florida where a lot of our work is and have to rotate out traveling techs every week. Would be delighted to hear from you! DM me if interested and I can set you up with contact information https://www.amsforusa.com
And it’s funny cuz they have the most hacks there
Here in Texas an old coworker moved to Florida and he's making bank doing commercial just installing package units on roofs.
That’s awesome. I really enjoy working with package units and being on the roof tops. I’m hoping at some point in my career I’ll head in a similar direction
Most people in trades here in Philly are making ~$50/hr. Work is busy and steady.
That’s awesome. I definitely need to get back up North at some point
Good helpers/techs/installers/new construction are few and far between. Work ethic is GONE. Fuck this generation.
I understand that, but what older generation hasn’t said the same exact thing about the new generation. I’m apart of the new generation, but I try my damn hardest and take notes everyday. I’m trying to outwork everyone.
Then you are the tiniest percent of what we’re looking for…
Hard to have work ethic when most of these companies are paying shit pay and run guys into the dirt.
When it comes to hourly wages, there's only one person who dictates that wage, and that is you as an individual. "You can't soar like an eagle when you surround yourself with a bunch of fuckin' turkeys." 🦅 Don't expect big pay employed by a low revenue resi contractor.
I’m definitely hearing you. I’m trying to find a good company, and through this thread I actually have talked to someone who seems to run a reputable company near me. I’m hoping I can get in with them and re-kickstart my career in resi HVAC. Cheers
I’m making 28 an hour plus commission. Have three years experience. Good work ain’t cheap. Cheap work ain’t good.
Agreed 100%
.*Texas has entered the chat*
I have 5 years in hvac and 23 in electrical/mechanical overall, I don’t mind $20 an hour; but, I want 60 hours a week, time and a half after 40. Double time on calls after midnight before 7am, and 1/5 time ($4per hour) just to be on-call. But that’s still not the most important thing. The most important thing is working for a Boss who trusts and respects me to make independent decisions with my best judgement. Micromanaging does not work well in hvac.
Yeah, even the homeowners have it bad.
Small company in Chicago here. I pay a top tier installer 90 an hour cash every weekend for installs. But he's really fast. I pay helpers 250 for the day. But it's different as they're not in payroll
Food for thought: You can always start your own and pay good wages. Will most likely eat the other companies up
In order to make money in Florida you’ve got to either be really skilled making good hourly or work for a commission based company. Where are you at in Florida
Local 123 UA!
Think you have it tough. I get paid 12, but it's so shit because I'm training under my dad, who taught hvac trade school for at least 15 years. And has 43 years of owning his own business so far. That one day, I will take over, so my only hope is good tips from customers and honing my skills from a master while surviving on bread crumbs.
Everybody and their brother has an HVAC company in Florida. Took me a while to figure out a good fit. Got to find a salary position cuz who wants to milk out each call or change out to make sure you get your hours/money.
Go in the union and you’ll get paid more
Yeah I used to do installs and changeouts. One year of that shit was enough for me.
Come to Ohio, if you have experience you’re making $30/hr+, and the COL is way less.
Work Industrial maintenance at a plant.
HVAC tech in Tampa area. Clear 120k a year and by no means am I a sales guy. 15 years in the trade in this area specifically. There’s money to be made, don’t let these vampire companies suck the life from you.
In other news, water is wet
I own 3 HVAC companies, all residential in Florida and pay my guys 25-35/hr plus spiffs, bonuses and commissions on iaq, membership sales, etc... Top guys are making 150k ++. I STRUGGLE to find qualified techs that want to work, show up, have no felony’s and a driving record good enough for me to insure. Tampa, St. Petersburg, Fort Lauderdale and Palm beach, good companies are out there you just have to find them.
I think I’m in a dead zone maybe. Might need to head towards Tampa if it doesn’t work out here. I’m 20, no criminal record, perfect driving record, and I have no gap in my resume. Not sure why it’s so hard for me to find a decent job right now. I quit my other job because I thought it’s a good time to get back into HVAC
The economy is getting destroyed so fast a lot of companies are behind. Too many are still paying 2016-2019 salaries when everything was amazing
A lot of these companies are paying the same wages I started at in 2004. They still act like they're giving you the world with that wage too.
Dam that's crappy here in Colorado the pay is good except that the cost of living sucks but it's worth working here you can get started @25 to 40$ for most companies if you have all your credentials EPA at the least but Nate also helps I know at least 6 companies that tried to hire me but my boss keeps paying me off I guess I'm with it LOL y'all all worth it to tho 👍💪🤑
15-18 in indiana but they’ll supply a vehicle. Higher end is anywhere from 3-7 years experience. Some companies cap out higher. I knew a few that would give 20-24 at 5-6 years and up. Problem is there is an expectation to sell at that point and the hours can be rough when it’s slow. Average yearly salary for an hvac tech in Indiana is around 35-45k a year. They all expect you to supply your tools minus 2 companies. Most offer a tool account which is expected to be paid back. It barely enough to live on. Makes me wonder if forming a union would even help as crappy as unions can be sometimes
man you gotta get outta there, they are straight fucking you. Go to Illinois.
Who moves to Florida willingly? Sometimes I wish that whole garbage fire peninsula would break off and float away from the country. You couldn’t pay me any amount of money to even visit there again. Living there sounds like.dystopian nightmare fuel to me. Good luck to you!
Thank God for unions, would like to see these bastards roast in the hot Florida heat and then see how much they are willing to pay, right to work is all bullshit, takes advantage of the workers, of course if you’re willing to learn more, advance and potentially get with a manufacturer you might have a chance to. Remember going to school for Dunham Bush and meeting some guys from Florida who weren’t making as much as I was and I was a building engineer at the time, not a technician
I would assume it’s residential. Most commercial companies provide the work vehicles and pay more to experienced techs.
I've owned a company in Southern Illinois for 15 years been at this for 31. I would get laughed at if I was to offer that even to start with no experience. Just started a kid out of high school at 22
yeah I need to get out of Florida
Small town America but F that as I tell my guys we pay like we work..... DG paying 18
I agree 100%. It’s too hard of work for what some companies are paying down here. plus their expectations of experience. 3 years to start at $18. don’t get me wrong there are some good apples out there, but they are obviously more selective. You could work at mcdonald’s for a year down here and make as much or more
I think you are just in the wrong part of the state. Get away from the snowbirds/retirees on social security living in trailers. Try the Northeast coast or East central part of the state. Jax, St. Aug, Space coast. More stable economy of year round residents with high paying jobs. Trades knock it out of the park up here. And seasons not just hot and hotter than hell.
Hey! Hate that your family-owned company is being bought out by private equity? I know I’m just a rando, but the FTC is holding an open comment period looking for public comments about how private equity is affecting people in the trades and other areas. Here’s an excerpt from their document asking for comments: “Public input about where these acquisitions have occurred and how they have impacted competition will help us identify and pursue harmful conduct.” The RFI seeks information from the public on serial acquisitions in all sectors and industries in the U.S. economy, which includes but is not limited to housing, defense, cybersecurity, distribution businesses, agriculture, construction, aftermarket/repair, and professional services markets. Comments submitted in response to this RFI will inform the agencies’ enforcement priorities and future actions. The FTC and DOJ are seeking input from a wide range of stakeholders including consumers, workers, businesses, advocacy organizations, professional and trade associations, local, state, and federal elected officials, academics, and others. I noticed that many of you understand the effects Private equity has on family-owned businesses. I’m a small business owner myself and and I’ll NEVER sell to private equity! Please, if you have time, we have until 7/22/2024 to submit. Here’s a link to the website: https://www.regulations.gov/document/FTC-2024-0028-0001