How To Get Into HVAC With No Experience
Today we will discuss how to get into this line of work for those looking to start a career in the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry. Whether you are just finishing up high school, attending a trade school, getting out of the military, or simply looking to make a career change from one profession to another, this article has something for you.
The HVAC industry is a booming field that isn’t going away anytime soon. Systems continue to become more complex year after year, requiring skilled labor to install and maintain these pieces of equipment. If you are looking for job stability and an excellent wage and are willing to challenge yourself to learn a valuable set of skills, you have come to the right place.
Original HVAC Unit, wood fired heating
Throughout my years working in the trade, I have noticed a decline in the up-and-coming youth’s desire to work in the building trades. Finding good people who want to work hard and earn a respectable living is getting harder and harder. The HVAC industry is a highly complex and skilled trade, requiring versatility, unlike all other trades. This field will push you both physically and mentally.
The HVAC industry is probably for you if you are a self-starting, motivated individual with a strong desire to continually learn and hone your skills. The trade as a whole is based on the transfer of heat. There are many ways to transfer heat, including refrigeration systems, gas, and oil-fired burners, hydronic systems, air-to-water, air-to-air, radiant heating/cooling, geothermal, absorption, and more. The trade will require a strong understanding of sheet metal, airflow, piping, the refrigeration cycle, pumps/water flow, and electrical. Many states even require that you become a licensed electrician bypassing state and NEC (National Electrical Code) level testing and continuing to hold those licenses/certifications throughout your career.
Pros and Cons of Working in the HVAC Field
Pros and Cons of working HVAC
Before you decide that this is the career field for you, it is essential to understand the pros and cons. The pros include a high-demand job available worldwide. There will always be a need for refrigeration, and air-conditioning work, whether in production facilities, hospitals/medical buildings, office space, supermarkets, or residential. The trade is highly versatile and constantly changing, which is suitable for someone that gets bored quickly performing the same monotonous job. You will learn skills in multiple fields, such as pipe fitting, electrical, tinning, welding, and mechanics (rebuilding compressors, fans, pumps, bearings, etc. )
How much money do you make as an HVAC tech?
The pay isn’t too bad either and is entirely up to you. check out my post How much do HVAC tehcs Make? My Income for the last five years has averaged out to $123,000 per year, and that’s strictly hourly pay, no commissions or bonuses. Payscale.com lists the Income for an HVAC tech between $31,000-$73000, with the avg being $21.16 an hour, or $42,320/year. I’m not sure where they get those numbers from, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that you can make much more than that. I know guys personally making $190,000+ working for large companies. There are other possibilities, such as working on commercial cruise liners traveling the world (which I have heard pays well) or as a government contractor, rumored to be somewhere in the ballpark of $250k plus. If you decide to open your own shop, our Income earning potential is entirely up to you.
Some cons of working as an HVAC tech are the working conditions, hours, and consistently working alone. These are all highly variable depending on which aspect of the trade you enter. If you work primarily as a residential service tech, you may often find yourself in a scorching hot attic working alone. In contrast, a commercial installer working on new construction may always work with a crew. Service Techs tend to have the most stable work throughout the years but often are required to work late nights, odd hours, and perform on-call rotations. Working alone often requires that you be a self-motivated and driven individual. If working alone isn’t for you, working on an install crew or new construction may be better suited.
Fresh Out of High School - Want to Get into HVAC Trade
Now that we have all of that out of the way, let’s talk about how you can get into the HVAC trade.
Find a way to include projects you’ve worked on that display mechanical aptitude to make up for your lack of experience
As a young adult just getting out of high school with no trade experience, finding a shop willing to give you a chance can be challenging. It’s up to you to sell yourself to the potential employer. Why should they hire you? What do you offer over any other candidate? How can you help them? These are the questions you should be asking yourself. You must realize that nobody owes you anything and that all businesses are looking out for their best interests, which is to make money and profit. If you can help prove what value you can add to their business, the likelihood of you getting the job increases over another applicant that “just wants to work to make money.”
As someone fresh out of high school with no trade experience, you must realize that any employer that hires you is taking a risk by investing in you. New hires cost money. Orientation, vehicles, and training costs all add up quickly. If you don’t work out or move on quickly, that money is essentially wasted. So any way that you can assure any potential employer that you are a good investment will only help you land the job.
A good Resume is vital to selling yourself to any potential HVAC contractor
Get certifications that show them you are serious about working in the HVAC field. Suitable certifications to start would be: EPA 608 Universal CFC refrigerant handling license, Electrical training card (check out the Interactive Map HERE to find your state requirements), boilers operator, etc. Any certification related to the trade can only help you. Also, Make a portfolio to showcase yourself. Think of projects you’ve worked on that show you have a mechanical aptitude or extreme detail. Are you rebuilding a car engine? Take pictures and document it. Dirt bikes and lawnmowers? A documented project like this shows that you have mechanical skills, organization, and motivation to better yourself. I can tell you from experience that an 18-year-old that brings me a well-written resume and a portfolio documenting projects they’ve worked on is 99% more likely to get the job over someone who plays video games in all of their spare time. Explain that you are looking to work as a helper to begin learning the trade, with an end goal of becoming a Journeyman and a valuable member of their team. Keep applying. Every interview is an experience you can learn something from and do better next time.
If you are wondering what tools you need to get started in the HVAC trade as a beginner, check out my post - What Tools Do I Need for HVAC?
Graduated Vocational School, Now what?
Networking is an important part of any career search.
If you decided to pursue an HVAC vocational program after graduating high school to gain some knowledge and experience, that’s great. These schools are great places to prove yourself and begin networking. You may not realize this yet, but it’s a small world. People know people. While you are in that vocab program, it’s essential to build relationships and networks. Your instructors likely know lots of people in the trade and could quickly help you get a job immediately after graduating, but they aren’t going to risk their name for just anyone tho. It would be best if you buckled down, studied hard, got the best grades, and proved yourself the best. People want to help others that work hard; nobody is going to go out of their way to help you if you aren’t even trying to help yourself. Build relationships with your classmates. Who knows where each of you will end up in the future? One day you may get an opportunity to do an excellent job because of a relationship you’ve built in the past. Bottom line, work hard in class and strive to be the absolute best you can be; people will notice.
HVAC skilled labor will always be needed
Even then, sometimes the job market can be highly competitive, and you may find even with your vocational training/degree, employers are still looking for experience in the HVAC field. How can you get a job when all companies require 1 to 5 years of experience? My recommendation is to pursue a career as a general maintenance technician. These jobs are generally much easier to land with little to no experience and are a great way to build knowledge of building and facility operations. Buildings like these generally all have HVAC equipment, and typically in my experience, most general maintenance techs are lacking in the HVAC department. If this is a route you are interested in pursuing, II'drecommend hospitals, hotels, and apartments. Your vocational certificate or degree in an HVAC-related field may greatly benefit getting hired at one of these facilities.
Vocational Trade Schools are a great place to gain knowledge, experience, and begin building relationships with people who can help you find a great job.
Once you’ve landed a job, work and learn as much as you can about these systems. This knowledge will be extremely valuable in helping you To rewrite and update your resume. Re-apply in a year or two to all those HVAC contractors that turned you down initially; with a well-written resume, I’m sure you will have no problem getting a job.
If you are interested in attending a vocational school, Check out this resource HERE, which lists many different vocational schools and programs by state, programs offered, graduation rate, and tuition costs. Check it out if that sounds like something you would be interested in.
Military Separation
Now that you are free again and holding that DD-214, you’ve got to figure out how to make a living for the rest of your life. I think the building trades are an excellent option for Veterans, and there are many programs out there to help you transition into the building trades. Keep in mind that if you are getting out of the service, you will likely have access to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and should put it to use. Whether you use it to earn a bachelor's, vocational school, or even towards an apprenticeship program, don’t let it go to waste. I’m sure you have heard of the Helmets to Hardhats program, but other options are not as well known, such as Troops To Trades and the UA Veterans in Piping Program. A great benefit of using the Post-9/11 GI Bill while participating in an accredited on-the-job training or apprenticeship program is that you will qualify for the following:
There lots of resources to help you transition from the Military into the building trades
100 percent of your applicable MHA during the first six months of training in these increments:
80 percent of your applicable MHA during the second six months of training
60 percent of your applicable MHA during the third six months of training
40 percent of your applicable MHA during the fourth six months of training
20 percent of your applicable MHA during the remainder of the training
Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients will receive up to $83 monthly for books and supplies.
You can read more about the OJT and Apprenticeship VA benefits HERE. BAH or MHA can be extremely high in some parts of the country, like San Francisco, which tops the list at $4398 per month. This tax-free stipend is given to you by the chart above, in addition to your weekly pay, and is designed to help offset the costs of an initial lower pay scale when you start. Check out the list of the Highest BAH rates HERE.
Local Unions Are Often a Great Way to Get Into the HVAC Trade
Labor Unions are always an option for anyone looking to get into HVAC or other building trades
Whether you have no experience, some experience, or lots of experience, or you are transitioning out of the military, as we previously mentioned, Unions are often a great way to get into the trades. This may be an excellent opportunity for you if you live in a state with a strong local union. Check out this list of UA Locals by state HERE. Using the website I just linked, you can often find the programs offered by your state and the wage/benefits package for your area. If you are interested in joining your local union, check out their web page, download an application, and apply in person.
Union HVAC programs are often a 5-year apprenticeship, meaning you will attend work during the day and attend union apprenticeship classes in the evening after work. This can be a great way to begin career-making good money without acquiring student loans or college debt. An added benefit of going through an accredited apprenticeship program is that most unions have an agreement with their local community college, allowing you to earn an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree in addition to your journey-level certificate.
If a working union is not for you, many non-union shops pay just as well, if not more; you just have to do your homework and be willing to find them.
I hope this article helps you find the information you need to begin your career in the HVAC field; it is a very fulfilling and rewarding industry. Feel free to share this article with someone interested in getting into the building trades or to reach out to me directly with any questions. If you are looking for tools, you may need to get started; check out my post What Tools Do I Need For HVAC? or Best HVAC Tools Under $100 You Should Buy
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