Gargaro's World: How Much Techs Get Paid
Do HVAC technicians get paid enough? All our technician readers shaking their heads no should read a recent article from Careerbuilder.com. In an article titled, “5 Salaries You Thought Would Be Higher,” HVACR mechanic and installer took second place on this dubious list.
Talk about income level tends to be taboo. The only thing most people know for sure is that they don’t make enough money and their bosses make too much. Careerbuilder.com states the average HVAC tech makes $40,630. In the “why it’s surprising section,” the article explains that while consumers pay a lot per hour for the services, part of that money goes to parts, transportation, etc.
Well, let’s try to get past the part where it is surprising that it costs money to run a business. Items such as health care, training, and marketing costs might impact the bottom line just a tad. The real question is why is there such a sticker shock on the hourly rate? Does everyone scream when they pay $4 for a pint of beer at the local bar that obviously does not cost that much to produce since I can get a 12 pack for $15 at the grocery store? Why does everybody respect other professions’ cost of doing business, but that does not translate to HVAC?
I would say “Show HVAC the Money,” but that would just shine light on how horribly outdated my pop culture references are. In case you are curious, the other four jobs that made the top five were fishers, construction and maintenance painters, court reporters, and foresters.
Talk about income level tends to be taboo. The only thing most people know for sure is that they don’t make enough money and their bosses make too much. Careerbuilder.com states the average HVAC tech makes $40,630. In the “why it’s surprising section,” the article explains that while consumers pay a lot per hour for the services, part of that money goes to parts, transportation, etc.
Well, let’s try to get past the part where it is surprising that it costs money to run a business. Items such as health care, training, and marketing costs might impact the bottom line just a tad. The real question is why is there such a sticker shock on the hourly rate? Does everyone scream when they pay $4 for a pint of beer at the local bar that obviously does not cost that much to produce since I can get a 12 pack for $15 at the grocery store? Why does everybody respect other professions’ cost of doing business, but that does not translate to HVAC?
I would say “Show HVAC the Money,” but that would just shine light on how horribly outdated my pop culture references are. In case you are curious, the other four jobs that made the top five were fishers, construction and maintenance painters, court reporters, and foresters.
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