Good career to get into "HVAC" for California?

Question? I am going back to college for my hvac certificate. What is out of school pay? Then after say first year? I have saw many listing for 3rd year and past. But, nothing for the new college guys. Also, are most hourly or commision? I guess I am asking for a break down for what to expect. =)

Thanks in advance.

Pay for a guy in your situation,... Fresh out of school is not going to be very high. I started in the HVAC trade right out of school and got about 7.00 / hr. which was very disheartening since the school I had attended built-up the trade as if there was great money to be had. Not so! You'll bust your ass and have to prove your self right "out of the gate"! That was over 12 years ago. Now, you might be lucky enough to get 13.00 per hour maybe 15.00 if you can successfully pass a company's entrance skills test exam. Once you've jumped through that hoop, you'll be interviewed by a service manager who may ask you a series of troubleshooting scenarios just to see if you have what it takes to catch on in the field.

Dude there is so much more to consider in order to get the top pay in this trade. If you're young
(Not older than 30) then get with a large company that does both residential and light to heavy commercial and learn as much as you can about what ever it is you'll be working on. Also I HIGHLY recommend you take it upon yourself to do your own studying as you gain tenure in the industry because your going to face a great deal of competition within in the ranks of a service department. Trust me on this, every guy wants to appear to be the best and smartest to his service manager in order to get the highest pay and possibly a promotion to be the next field service manager.

Anyway, there is so much more I can't say it all here. If you like you can email me and leave me your number and I do my best to lead you in the right direction

prohvacworks@yahoo.com in Allen, Texas said: Pay for a guy in your situation,... Fresh out of school is not going to be very high. I started in the HVAC trade right out of school and got about 7.00 / hr. which was very disheartening since the school I had attended built-up the trade as if there was great money to be had. Not so! You'll bust your ass and have to prove your self right "out of the gate"! That was over 12 years ago. Now, you might be lucky enough to get 13.00 per hour maybe 15.00 if you can successfully pass a company's entrance skills test exam. Once you've jumped through that hoop, you'll be interviewed by a service manager who may ask you a series of troubleshooting scenarios just to see if you have what it takes to catch on in the field.

Dude there is so much more to consider in order to get the top pay in this trade. If you're young
(Not older than 30) then get with a large company that does both residential and light to heavy commercial and learn as much as you can about what ever it is you'll be working on. Also I HIGHLY recommend you take it upon yourself to do your own studying as you gain tenure in the industry because your going to face a great deal of competition within in the ranks of a service department. Trust me on this, every guy wants to appear to be the best and smartest to his service manager in order to get the highest pay and possibly a promotion to be the next field service manager.

Anyway, there is so much more I can't say it all here. If you like you can email me and leave me your number and I do my best to lead you in the right direction

im in school right now also im over the age 30 what advice would you give for me to best be able to compete.

im a student right now also im over the age of 30 what advice would you give for me to best be able to compete

Hi, I don't mean to be lazy here, but just as I commented to the guy in Hesperia, Ca, more than likely you may experience the same challenges coming right out of school. However, I can't say for sure, because I have never lived in Florida, nor do I know anyone in the industry that has ever lived or worked in Florida. So my advice for you would be to first find a repuatble company to work for, large or small, not just some fly by night establishment. This is critical because the companies that have a good reputation tend to have smarter technicians (for you to LEARN from so you create GOOD WORK HABITS, oh and of course,.. stable, year round work.
And as for you being able to "best compete" continue to read the basics of refrigeration, such as knowing how a basic cooling circuit works. You should also know how to determine superheat, subcooling, and know how to read a PT CHART which I am sure you will learn that in school. As for heating, learn about heatpumps, and how defrost works. Also you need to be good at electrical trobleshooting. And that's just the tip of the iceburg! Bottom line, when you do find a job,
Be on time to work.
Always be a good listener.
Don't be lazy.
Take initiative
Be a good assistant
Don't try to impress any of the guys with what you think you know because there will always be someone who will try and make you feel stupid. It is best that you just watch and learn for a while. Trust me on this! Oh, and don't be a kiss --- because that'll get out fast!
There's still much more, but you're just going to have to see for yourself.
One last thing, since you are starting out in this trade at the age of 30 do your best to stick it out and for at least 5 years. After that, move on to something else where you are no longer in the field. This is what I recommend. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPEMENT WITH A ANY MAJOR hvac co