How to hire a hvac technician

How to hire a hvac technician, step by step

Here's a step-by-step hvac technician hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a hvac technician job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new hvac technician
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a hvac technician do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The hvac technician hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect hvac technician also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of hvac technicians.

   Type of Hvac Technician	Description	Hourly rate
   Hvac Technician	Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers—often called heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) technicians—work on heating, ventilation, cooling, and refrigeration systems that control the temperature and air quality in buildings.	$17-38
   Hvac Installer	An HVAC installer is responsible for working on office and house appliances, including heating systems, ventilation, and air conditioning units. HVAC installers follow and analyze the item's schematics and blueprints and conduct regular maintenance to ensure the efficiency of its systems... Show more	$14-31
   Mechanical Installer	A mechanical installer uses a set of structures to maintain machinery. The primary responsibilities of this position are assembling, installing, dismantling, troubleshooting, and conducting repairs on machinery... Show more	$13-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • HVAC
   • Customer Service
   • Preventative Maintenance
   • Ventilation
   • Hand Tools
   • Boilers
   • Ladders
   • Plumbing
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Air-Conditioning Systems
   • Chillers
   • OSHA
   • Furnaces
   • Heat Pumps

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Service and maintain HVAC systems by diagnosing and repairing/replacing motors temperatures controls control panels fans switches capacitors gas valves and filters.
   • Calibrate and adjust combustion efficiency on boilers and furnaces under supervision of manager.
   • Key responsibilities include repair, maintenance and installation-including electrical wiring- of various HVAC equipment, including low pressure boilers.
   • Process work orders to repair HVAC systems and restore functionality to malfunctioning systems; perform preventative maintenance and routine servicing.
   • Inject correct amount of freon need to properly cool.
   • Debug and troubleshoot GE PLC hardware and software issues.

   More hvac technician duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your hvac technician job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A hvac technician salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, hvac technicians' average salary in arkansas is 50% less than in connecticut.
   • Seniority. Entry-level hvac technicians earn 56% less than senior-level hvac technicians.
   • Certifications. A hvac technician with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a hvac technician's salary.

   Average hvac technician salary

   $54,496yearly

   $26.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level hvac technician salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 28, 2025

   Average hvac technician salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$77,235	$37
   2	Washington	$77,176	$37
   3	California	$75,830	$36
   4	Massachusetts	$74,650	$36
   5	Maryland	$74,323	$36
   6	Virginia	$66,729	$32
   7	Oregon	$65,706	$32
   8	New York	$64,793	$31
   9	Pennsylvania	$61,872	$30
   10	Minnesota	$60,484	$29
   11	Nevada	$58,374	$28
   12	Maine	$56,437	$27
   13	Ohio	$55,411	$27
   14	Indiana	$52,772	$25
   15	Louisiana	$51,670	$25
   16	Colorado	$51,423	$25
   17	North Carolina	$50,756	$24
   18	Texas	$50,605	$24
   19	Wisconsin	$50,380	$24
   20	Arizona	$49,781	$24

   Average hvac technician salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BP America Inc	$100,743	$48.43
   2	Better	$93,503	$44.95	4
   3	American Residential Services	$89,066	$42.82	108
   4	New Age Services	$88,504	$42.55
   5	Tenet Healthcare	$86,920	$41.79	62
   6	The SOS Group	$85,000	$40.87
   7	Joby Aviation	$84,990	$40.86
   8	Horizon Services	$84,910	$40.82	43
   9	Nabors Industries	$84,458	$40.60	12
   10	Bard Optical	$82,820	$39.82
   11	Streamline	$81,766	$39.31	4
   12	Jacobs Engineering Group	$80,969	$38.93
   13	JK Realty	$79,687	$38.31
   14	Constellation Energy Partners	$78,511	$37.75	1
   15	ML Strategies	$78,360	$37.67
   16	City of Seattle	$77,626	$37.32	3
   17	RH	$77,172	$37.10	2
   18	Pine State Mortgage	$76,666	$36.86
   19	Four Seasons	$76,490	$36.77	12
   20	Fluor Corporation	$76,462	$36.76	16

4. Writing a hvac technician job description

   A hvac technician job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a hvac technician job description:

   Hvac technician job description example

   Our Experienced HVAC Service Technicians typically work Monday - Friday, 7:00 am – 5:00 pm with hours varying depending on the season. There is on-call work on some Saturdays. This HVAC technician position comes with a competitive wage of $25 - $40 per hour , depending on experience. We provide fantastic benefits and perks , including medical, dental, vision, disability, life, a 401(k), sick paid time off (PTO), paid vacation, and paid holidays . Additionally, we offer our HVAC technicians incentives, company shirts, a company gas card, and a company van that may be taken home. If this sounds like the right heating and air conditioning opportunity for you, apply today!

   ABOUT AIR PRODUCTS & SERVICES

   Our Air Products & Services team has been keeping homes warm in the winter and cool in the summer since 1979. Since our humble beginnings, we have grown to become one of the top heating and air conditioning companies in the San Fernando Valley. We now offer a wide range of services and products that help improve our clients' air quality and indoor comfort. Our exceptional performance and customer service have earned us an A+ from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and countless five-star reviews from happy clients. We set ourselves apart from the competition by using only the best equipment, hiring only the best people, and doing only the very best that we can!

   Customer service is our number one priority, so we need a team of hardworking individuals behind us to support our mission. We highly value every employee , and we curate an environment where everyone can grow and thrive . In addition to development and training opportunities , we offer our team great pay and generous benefits . When you join us, you enter an environment where every person can develop both personally and professionally .

   QUALIFICATIONS FOR AN EXPERIENCED HVAC SERVICE TECHNICIAN

   • 3+ years of service experience
   • EPA certification
   • NATE certification is a plus
   • Valid driver's license and clean driving record
   • Ability to service different types of heating and air conditioning equipment
   • Physical ability to perform the job including bending, lifting heavy equipment, and working in confined spaces

   Do you work well both independently and as part of a team? Can you build and maintain professional relationships with customers? Do you have excellent communication skills? Can you provide fantastic customer service? If so, you might just be perfect for this HVAC technician position! Apply now using our initial 3-minute, mobile-friendly application.

   Location: 91406

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right hvac technician for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your hvac technician job on Zippia to find and recruit hvac technician candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit hvac technicians, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new hvac technician

   Once you've found the hvac technician candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new hvac technician. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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