Average service tech. hourly rate?

[hvac69]

I started part time in 87 making minimum wage while still in high school and in tech school. It was a time where you needed to prove yourself and jobs were not on every corner especially for a new guy. The one statement I will always remember was if you bring in a day what you make a week on average and have few call backs you will make good money. My employer did not expect us to rip off people he knew that good techs could do it honestly. The statement about taking what ever comes in the door in the last decade is something I have seen to a point. The quality of techs has diminished and the good ones are treated very well so they are not looking to move on. Going through the last 3 years without a raise is hard to swallow seeing how everything costs more but I cant agree with the statement that companies are raising their rates, some may be for general off the street service but contract customers, quoted work and construction prices are being dropped by a lot of companies to compete, especially with all the one man companies that popped up in the last decade. Property owners are in the same boat and are beating the contractors down on prices everywhere they can. Education should not entitle you to higher wages, diplomas and degrees don't mean crap. I have worked with many slugs that graduated from the same tech school with the same diploma that some talented guys have, it needs to be about attitude and ability. I do not own a company but I am tired of hearing if they want me to work harder they need to pay me more, really? If you haven't shown your worth yet it isn't going to happen. If you are a hard worker, show that you are willing to learn and take initiative on your own you will go far, if your the one always asking whats in it for me you will be left behind.

[supertek65]

work hard, the pay WILL come!!!!!!!!!!
always 100% of the time for everybody!

may take longer but it will come!

I started part time in 87 making minimum wage while still in high school and in tech school. It was a time where you needed to prove yourself and jobs were not on every corner especially for a new guy. The one statement I will always remember was if you bring in a day what you make a week on average and have few call backs you will make good money. My employer did not expect us to rip off people he knew that good techs could do it honestly. The statement about taking what ever comes in the door in the last decade is something I have seen to a point. The quality of techs has diminished and the good ones are treated very well so they are not looking to move on. Going through the last 3 years without a raise is hard to swallow seeing how everything costs more but I cant agree with the statement that companies are raising their rates, some may be for general off the street service but contract customers, quoted work and construction prices are being dropped by a lot of companies to compete, especially with all the one man companies that popped up in the last decade. Property owners are in the same boat and are beating the contractors down on prices everywhere they can. Education should not entitle you to higher wages, diplomas and degrees don't mean crap. I have worked with many slugs that graduated from the same tech school with the same diploma that some talented guys have, it needs to be about attitude and ability. I do not own a company but I am tired of hearing if they want me to work harder they need to pay me more, really? If you haven't shown your worth yet it isn't going to happen. If you are a hard worker, show that you are willing to learn and take initiative on your own you will go far, if your the one always asking whats in it for me you will be left behind.

[tpang1985]

Well all I can say is I started in 2003 at a commercial refrigeration company at $7.00 per hr and now in 2012 I am making $23.00 per hour and reviews are in a week. BUT! I had to work my a** off to get to the point Im at. And I have been working for the same company since 2003 fresh out of high school. If you get with a family owned company and show them you are hungry and willing to make both of you some money he will reward you! And when I say you need to work I mean I have put in several 90hr weeks and on average thru the summer you will be working at least 50hrs a week sometimes 60hrs. and to calculate the overtime rate at $34.50 per hour you do the math. But come winter time you can sit back and relax a little. You can give your family everything y
they need doing this job if you are willing to work!

[King4207]

In NE Arkansas most applicants coming out of local trade schools can't draw a refrigerant circuit and use it to discuss superheat, sub cooling, latent heat or sensible heat. They seem to be even more lost on very, very basic electrical. We have a real shortage of apprentices and tech around here and our shop has been operating short of manning for months.

Apprentices start at $16.

After 6 months and if able to discuss theory automatically go to $20.

After a total of 3 years including school time, with basic Nate certification and able to discuss a little more theory, they advance to $24.

After 5 years total experience, Senior Nate more in-depth theory discussion $28.
Industrial environment, guaranteed 40 hr week, decent medical, vacation

For this area you would think that we'd be turning people away, it sounds like an ad that would have lots of good people looking for an opportunity. However, we can't find people who will show up to work or who can pass a drug test.
Can't figure it out! Generally speaking I'm seeing a new generation that doesn't really want to work, but that is a subject in itself. I am always glad when we run across the exception. From conversations with others,I don't believe it is isolated to only the HVAC industry,

[Jigjoe]

In NE Arkansas most applicants coming out of local trade schools can't draw a refrigerant circuit and use it to discuss superheat, sub cooling, latent heat or sensible heat. They seem to be even more lost on very, very basic electrical. We have a real shortage of apprentices and tech around here and our shop has been operating short of manning for months.

Apprentices start at $16.

After 6 months and if able to discuss theory automatically go to $20.

After a total of 3 years including school time, with basic Nate certification and able to discuss a little more theory, they advance to $24.

After 5 years total experience, Senior Nate more in-depth theory discussion $28.
Industrial environment, guaranteed 40 hr week, decent medical, vacation

For this area you would think that we'd be turning people away, it sounds like an ad that would have lots of good people looking for an opportunity. However, we can't find people who will show up to work or who can pass a drug test.
Can't figure it out! Generally speaking I'm seeing a new generation that doesn't really want to work, but that is a subject in itself. I am always glad when we run across the exception. From conversations with others,I don't believe it is isolated to only the HVAC industry,

Wow I'd love to have that kind of opportunity down here. I'd jump all over that if I was presented with those kinds of opportunities. Hell, I might even move to Arkansas.

[AStudent]

In NE Arkansas most applicants coming out of local trade schools can't draw a refrigerant circuit and use it to discuss superheat, sub cooling, latent heat or sensible heat. They seem to be even more lost on very, very basic electrical. We have a real shortage of apprentices and tech around here and our shop has been operating short of manning for months.

Apprentices start at $16.

After 6 months and if able to discuss theory automatically go to $20.

After a total of 3 years including school time, with basic Nate certification and able to discuss a little more theory, they advance to $24.

After 5 years total experience, Senior Nate more in-depth theory discussion $28.
Industrial environment, guaranteed 40 hr week, decent medical, vacation

For this area you would think that we'd be turning people away, it sounds like an ad that would have lots of good people looking for an opportunity. However, we can't find people who will show up to work or who can pass a drug test.
Can't figure it out! Generally speaking I'm seeing a new generation that doesn't really want to work, but that is a subject in itself. I am always glad when we run across the exception. From conversations with others,I don't believe it is isolated to only the HVAC industry,

I agree with you....I'm in a trade school now, and I see that a lot of us don't know the VERY basics at the end of the school year.

I'm more in central Arkansas and NE would be a pretty good drive for me.

[dumnut]

I'm more in central Arkansas and NE would be a pretty good drive for me.

So is your avatar the U.S.S. Alabama? Have you been to Mobile?

[AStudent]

So is your avatar the U.S.S. Alabama? Have you been to Mobile?

It is, and I toured the U.S.S Alabama on the way back from vacation in Florida. Awesome museum, they also have a submarine and a hangar with modern as well as historic war birds.

[dumnut]

It is, and I toured the U.S.S Alabama on the way back from vacation in Florida. Awesome museum, they also have a submarine and a hangar with modern as well as historic war birds.

I’ve been there twice while on vacation. Now that my children are older I’d like to revisit.

When I was there they had an SR-71 Blackbird parked out front. The battle ship is amazing, for anyone who gets down that way it is definitely worth seeing. Anyway, your avatar just brought back some memories and made me curious. Thanks for sharing that.

[AStudent]

I’ve been there twice while on vacation. Now that my children are older I’d like to revisit.

When I was there they had an SR-71 Blackbird parked out front. The battle ship is amazing, for anyone who gets down that way it is definitely worth seeing. Anyway, your avatar just brought back some memories and made me curious. Thanks for sharing that.

More pics on the way

[AStudent]

BAH...for some reason the uploads aren't working like they should be...but yeah the SR-71 is in the hangar now.

[USC21]

Here in Southern California for an union 1st year apprentice starting pay is about 18$ an hour and journeyman is a little over 40$ a hour. But than again the average home is 700k.

[bdeming5]

I can tell you that an inexperienced tech right out of trade school will get 12-14 dollars to start in New York City. But this is all relative... Different areas of the country will have different rates. The cost of living in NYC is incredibly high, so the starting rate is obviously going to be higher than other areas. I started my career in upstate NY (Syracuse) and got 11 an hour to start. Ya gotta start somewhere!....

[akelesis]

In NE Arkansas most applicants coming out of local trade schools can't draw a refrigerant circuit and use it to discuss superheat, sub cooling, latent heat or sensible heat. They seem to be even more lost on very, very basic electrical. We have a real shortage of apprentices and tech around here and our shop has been operating short of manning for months.

Apprentices start at $16.

After 6 months and if able to discuss theory automatically go to $20.

After a total of 3 years including school time, with basic Nate certification and able to discuss a little more theory, they advance to $24.

After 5 years total experience, Senior Nate more in-depth theory discussion $28.
Industrial environment, guaranteed 40 hr week, decent medical, vacation

For this area you would think that we'd be turning people away, it sounds like an ad that would have lots of good people looking for an opportunity. However, we can't find people who will show up to work or who can pass a drug test.
Can't figure it out! Generally speaking I'm seeing a new generation that doesn't really want to work, but that is a subject in itself. I am always glad when we run across the exception. From conversations with others,I don't believe it is isolated to only the HVAC industry,

Well. I dont have a problem there at all. i have a problem doing more then 30 hrs aweek where i live. its a bit frustrating. right now im pulling like 20 hrs a week on a good week, but i do admit its april and everything is slow.Plus i just got out of my 2nd level of my apprenticeship. Ive been working for this sompany for about 5 months now and its a bit frustrating. Just wanted to vent a little!!!

[John Markl]

Well. I dont have a problem there at all. i have a problem doing more then 30 hrs aweek where i live. its a bit frustrating. right now im pulling like 20 hrs a week on a good week, but i do admit its april and everything is slow.Plus i just got out of my 2nd level of my apprenticeship. Ive been working for this sompany for about 5 months now and its a bit frustrating. Just wanted to vent a little!!!

Yep....it doesn't matter how much you are paid per hour, if you aren't getting hours.....Perhaps it's better to take a lower hourly rate and get more hours.

At least you're working, and gaining experience while honing your skills.