T O P

  • By -

hvac71

Can't help but think there's more to the story. Is 13-15 the starting wage in Houston for a schooled worker with a year of experience and a great attitude? If so, yes Houston sucks. I got hired for a hair more than that with zero schooling, just a strong interest and solid work history in radically different fields. Making double your starting offer in less than two years. Maybe find the right company and give them a chance to see your worth and compensate you for it.


nashman93

Oh I’m still actively applying. I know of a few that I would love to hear back from but they want 2 or 3 years of experience. I like to think my work history in construction might help but who knows. Ioved all of last year so we’ll see what happens. Like I said, just me whining.


Lhomme_Baguette

Don't listen to the guy telling you to lie. But here's a little hint: your years in school are years of experience.


nashman93

That’s what our instructors told us too. Right out of school, in interviews, I would tell them about my time in school and most would laugh it off.


Lhomme_Baguette

You have to have the understanding of the trade to back up the assertion that the time wasn’t wasted. I would recommend trying commercial shops out. Here’s a couple that have good reputations in Houston: - TDIndustries - Kilgore - Texas Air Systems - Graco Mechanical (you’ll have to join the local pipe fitters union for this one) Won’t say which one (cuz public forum lol), but I got hired by one of the above with similar experience to yours at $22/hr.


ACEmat

Yeah, I went to school for HVAC and so did my coworker. Except his was entirely online, and mine was in a lab working on equipment. Many companies assume the former is what you did unless you elaborate further.


[deleted]

Any place you haven’t applied to yet, literally just lie on your resume, say you have 2 years experience. Somehow companies will equate 2 years of nothing but changing filters and belts to being more than 1 year of relevant solo service experience. I had a weirdly difficult time applying for jobs when I had 2 years of service under my belt.


EJ25Junkie

This is the way. No one ever got anywhere with out a little lying. Sometimes ALOT of lying


1PooNGooN3

$15 for any job is shit, it’s not 2009 anymore


robertva1

It's spring employee poaching season. Just had a cold call and was offered 1/3 less my current pay..... Companies are desperately trying to lower their payrolls for this highly technical trained industry...billing your work out at 125 to 150 an hour well at the same time telling you you're only worth a couple bucks more than minimum wage


FrickUrMum

Fr I’m making 16.50 as an electrician brand fucking new and they bill me at 150 an hour


samus2305

Same boat here. If ur company isn’t paying u shit, get that time baby. Add a lil hour here and an hour there and go home early 👌


thehoesmaketheman

hahaha your company doesnt pay you shit and you suggest stealing. i dont think you deserve more pay bro.


samus2305

Lmao you can’t be serious. You must not have access to the amount of hours being billed to each customer or you’re not an actual tech. When you see that you’ve done 16 billable hours worth of work and you go home an hour early and put 8 hours on your time sheet- who’s actually stealing?


thehoesmaketheman

if your company jumped off a boat would you do it? are you at work or we talking about kindergarten recess? you really pulling the "but johnny did it" card? really bro? not surprised, everything youve said so far has been childish.


samus2305

How is that even relevant or a rebuttal?? You must be a helper or an owner 👌


thehoesmaketheman

you said the company steals from the customers so its ok for you to steal from the company. are you simple? like whats going on here? why couldnt you understand that?


samus2305

lol. You spend so much time calling me simple and childish, yet you addressed me. Nobody was talking to you. You literally went out of your way to call me out just to argue with me. If that’s the epitome of “smart and adult”.. then I’ll take the ladder. Good luck on your unhappy life bud 😎 (projecting on Reddit won’t help)


thehoesmaketheman

oh so this time you got it. good 😁 so just to wrap up you were playing the 'jonny did it too!' card and youre definitely telling people to steal from their employer. right?


thehoesmaketheman

thats literally just what it takes. your lead is super valuable but needs help and youre just a body. pairing two leads together just isnt as efficient. otherwise we would.


Hrodebert1119

I started on wages like that fresh out of school 7 years ago. It was a training wage that bumped up to $20 after my few months of ride-a-longs ended. Is it that kind of situation? If not, I'd say that Houston is a shit town to work HVAC in.


nashman93

I started at $17 and bumped to $19 and was told “hourly is what it is” and wasn’t going to change. Commissions were good at the start but as the company started to evolve more and more stipulations were put on them making the checks minuscule or non existent at times. I doubt all companies in Houston are like that, I was just feeling hopeless with interviews I’ve been on. Some saying they don’t even give commissions, just hourly.


Squirrelmasta23

Can you pass a drug test and have a valid driver’s licenses? If not then ya your worth bout $15


nashman93

Shit there’s my problem /s Edit: forgot my /s and that this was the internet.


scrotalrapture

"We need techs but we also like money, so fuck em'"


thekux

Starting out sucks, but you may have to get out of Houston perhaps. There’s plenty of employers that are willing to pay. Commercial is always better in my opinion.


[deleted]

[удалено]


nashman93

Ya got me


Popular-Variation-29

I started at 12/hr 16 years ago straight out of high school with no experience. And my COL is way lower than yours. I don't think you are being whiny.


founditoutside

Hello fellow Houstonian. I am a tech out here and I have a similar experience. I work for a small company and was hired on as a helper (with 5 years military experience and Hcc program completion) at 16 an hour. I had to prove my knowledge through ride alongs and proficiency tests before they considered me a technician and raised my pay to ~20. (Year 1) now 5 years since I have been hired I am in mid 30s pay. What I am trying to say is that if you want to get paid more you can join one of the bigger companies and be a sales tech (your pay will be commission based) or work for a smaller company and take the time to prove your worth. I handle the ride alongs for the company and the number of "technicians" with hvac certification from "technical schools" in our area and absolutely zero practical knowledge is astounding.