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Originally Posted by linuxexpert1989

I'm currently being paid $12 an hour and I have been at this company for around a year and 8 months in eastern Pennsylvania I graduated top of my class in trade school an I am always on time and have been told I am higher up in the company then another employee who has been there almost 2 and a half years. I currently have not requested any benefits and I can pretty much handle any service/Installation tasks I have needed to do. Am I missing something here or is this the going rate for all smaller companies? We are not a fly by night operation. I would appreciate any input you might have.

where did you go to school in eastern PA?

Where did you go to school in eastern PA?

You've been in the feild for a yr how would you know if your welds "never" leak, never is a long time.

Chicago prices are way more then here. The cost of living is night and day.

Honestly, the $29.95 is lower than the Jm here which is $34.70. I thought being that close to Chicago I'd be higher, but by what I'm seeing here it seems good. No, I never looked into any non-Union jobs there.

know what you are talking about. They are a good place to work. so you probably looked into non union jobs here also? If you did did you see the crappy pay?

I'm not from S.B., but I looked into a Foreman position with the big H. I'd like to be within a reasonable distance from Chicago. I was planning on going there as a traveler card and if things looked good I would've transfered there. Things didn't work out though.

Originally Posted by blitz

that's very low by any trade standard...

Yes and no. The Hvac trade is full of trade school drop outs here. The owners treat them that way. Most of the jokers do not want to further their learning. There is some good shops that pay better. They obviously do way better work. Then there is C*******. Who has an owner that is a great installer. Yet he hires any bum off the street to do his installs and pays crap. Strange thins here.

There is even Property management firms that like to hire their own Hvac tech and pay like 15 an hour. lol

Originally Posted by pilotlight

In Northern Indiana. You will be around 10-12. If you have 2+ years experience it is 13-16. If you have 10+ years experience it is 13-16

that's very low by any trade standard...

Originally Posted by MechanicallyInclined

10 years plus at $13-16/Hr.?! The Union scale in S.B. is $29.95/Hr. A whole world of difference!!

Well You know how it is in the home of the Golden dome. I have seen guys free lancing for only 15 an hour wtf?

Are you a union guy? I might know you

Originally Posted by 2sac

Have you asked for an increase in salary or are waiting for them to offer it?

Good question.

Have you asked for an increase in salary or are waiting for them to offer it?

Originally Posted by linuxexpert1989

I'm currently being paid $12 an hour and I have been at this company for around a year and 8 months in eastern Pennsylvania I graduated top of my class in trade school an I am always on time and have been told I am higher up in the company then another employee who has been there almost 2 and a half years. I currently have not requested any benefits and I can pretty much handle any service/Installation tasks I have needed to do. Am I missing something here or is this the going rate for all smaller companies? We are not a fly by night operation. I would appreciate any input you might have.

You are under paid. Not because of your hourly wage but because of your lack of benefits. I assume you do residential. You probably are a little on the low side for a non union 2nd year apprentice but you should at least be getting benefits. If you are not getting benefits they you should be paid more. Are you doing mainly resi installs? Do you do service calls? If you feel you are at the top of your game I think you should consider looking around. But do not do anything stupid and burn any bridges.

You're already getting paid more than anyone else willing to do your job for less.
The best way to get a raise in this trade is to quit and go work for someone else who values you more than your current employer.

As far as my experience level I have installed 2 complete systems at my parents house working alone in about 4 days while at the time I only had about 7 months in the field (Included new plenums and return drops as well as all new wiring). Units sized based on load calculations and not by what was here already. Everything works flawlessly and was done to local and national codes. My argument is if I can do that completely and professionally from start to finish I should be compensated better then what I am.

I'm currently being paid $12 an hour and I have been at this company for around a year and 8 months in eastern Pennsylvania I graduated top of my class in trade school an I am always on time and have been told I am higher up in the company then another employee who has been there almost 2 and a half years. I currently have not requested any benefits and I can pretty much handle any service/Installation tasks I have needed to do. Am I missing something here or is this the going rate for all smaller companies? We are not a fly by night operation. I would appreciate any input you might have.

As much as they are willing to pay you. Or as little as you are willing to take. It's all about worth and value if its a non union shop. If its a union shop its all about what dues rate you pay. 12-14 sounds about average for what you are doing, around here anyway.

I'm right on base with everyone else, 12-14 is the number I had in my head.

Originally Posted by hvac ap

hey everyone im just wondering what my pay should be ive been working for this company for about a year now and i am an extremely hardworker and very reliable, always on time, and i never get sick. I have taken a wiring class on air conditioning and heating and also have my epa certification. and i can also braze very well i never have any leaks. im just looking for a ballpark of what i should be making, thanks

I think you're looking at it in the wrong way. You're thinking of it as "How much my boss should be paying me" rather that "How much am I worth to my boss," that's why the post here. You may be an extremely hard worker and such, but you need to prove yourself and make yourself indispensable. Don't wait around for your lead guys to tell you to do something and jump on it, predict what they are going to do next and depending on how far your experience goes a) have whatever that next thing is prepped and ready for them, or b) ask if you can do it. The helpers I've trained could have a brain, but as soon as they're done helping with the task at hand whip out their phone and start texting their girlfriend, that doesn't impress me. When I was a helper I found out that I needed to impress my co-workers rather than the boss, and they would then go to bat for me.

Originally Posted by pilotlight

In Northern Indiana. You will be around 10-12. If you have 2+ years experience it is 13-16. If you have 10+ years experience it is 13-16

Somethings wrong here