Think you missed the window? You didn’t.
We published a new post this morning: Too Old to Start HVAC? Short answer: no age limit. Registered apprenticeships set a minimum age and no maximum, and 22% of new registered apprentices are 35 or older. What changes after 40 is which track you pick, not whether you can start.
So this week’s jobs run the whole ladder, from “we’ll train you” to “bring 5 years.”
Featured listing
Field Service Engineer, Laboratory Equipment Repair — QRS Lab & Medical Repair · Pittsburgh, PA
$29/hr · Guaranteed 40 paid hours · Company van at 6–9 months
Why we picked it: A family-owned shop that repairs sterilizers and lab equipment for customers like Pitt and Carnegie Mellon. You ride with a working service manager for your first six months while they teach you the specialty. Health premium 100% paid for you, plus 21 days of PTO.
Worth knowing: HVAC or mechatronics training is required (coursework, certificate, or apprenticeship), you supply your own hand tools, and early on there’s a heavier travel schedule for manufacturer training.
4 more worth checking
HVAC Senior Commercial Technician — O’Brien Air Conditioning & Construction · Fort Lauderdale, FL
$30–$35/hr + commission · Company vehicle for qualified techs
Still hiring. If you read today’s post, this is the track it points to: commercial service, rooftops up to 30 tons, cooling towers, controls.
Worth knowing: 5+ years of commercial HVAC/R and EPA 608 required. Scheduled overtime and emergency calls.
HVAC Apprentice — Central Air · Brookfield, CT
$17–$25/hr · No experience required
A true no-experience apprenticeship with a ceiling of $25/hr posted up front.
HVAC Apprentice — Plumbline Services · Denver, CO
$20–$22/hr · Apprenticeship
Denver is one of the heaviest apprentice-hiring metros right now, and this one posts pay above the national apprentice median.
Commercial HVAC Service Technician — Controlled Climate Systems · Canonsburg, PA
$35–$55/hr · Company vehicle
This is where the ladder goes. Boilers and commercial service at up to $55/hr.
Worth knowing: Posted a week ago, so apply sooner than later.
The Number
$47,861. That’s the median advertised pay for apprentice and helper roles on the board right now, per Monday’s Weekly Salary Report. There are 305 live apprentice listings, and 77% of all listings post pay, so you can do the math before you apply.
What should we find next?
No-experience jobs? $100K jobs? No-on-call jobs? Reply and tell us.
— Brett