How To Become A Mechanical Contractor: What It Is and Career Path

What is a mechanical contractor and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average mechanical contractor salary is $72,882. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an mechanical engineering major. It usually takes 4-6 years of experience to become a mechanical contractor. Mechanical contractors with a Air Conditioning Service Certification certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 2% and produce 6,400 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreMechanical ContractorUS Average

Salary

5.7

Avg. Salary $72,882

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level

7.4

Growth Rate 2%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity

6.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.11%

Asian 10.31%

Black or African American 3.41%

Hispanic or Latino 9.35%

Unknown 4.60%

White 72.22%

Gender

female 9.69%

male 90.31%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress Level

7.4

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

8.6

Complexity Level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

5.1

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a mechanical contractor

Explore mechanical contractor education requirements

Most common mechanical contractor degrees

Bachelor's

42.9 %

Associate

24.2 %

High School Diploma

16.9 %

Start to develop specific mechanical contractor skills

Skills	Percentages
Plumbing	14.11%
CAD	8.82%
Preventive Maintenance	7.68%
Mechanical Systems	7.17%
Ice Machines	3.87%

Complete relevant mechanical contractor training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-2 years on post-employment, on-the-job training. New mechanical contractors learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a mechanical contractor based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real mechanical contractor resumes.

Research mechanical contractor duties and responsibilities

Lead all CFD and FEA (shock and vibration) efforts, including product-performance optimization and impact of DFMA.
Lead weekly toolbox safety meetings, and monitor work to ensure full compliance with OSHA / HAZWHOPPER compliance requirements.
Manage paperwork associate with HVAC procedures.
Perform service calls on all types of heating and a/c equipment.

Prepare your mechanical contractor resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your mechanical contractor resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a mechanical contractor resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Mechanical Contractor Resume templates

Build a professional Mechanical Contractor resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Mechanical Contractor resume.