A commercial HVAC sales manager heads a team selling service agreements, replacements and projects to businesses, schools and general contractors. The manager picks which bids to chase, approves prices and contract terms, and keeps the pipeline honest. They also sell to a few key accounts themselves.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, HVAC and plumbing contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for leading the commercial HVAC sales team by setting strategic goals, managing day-to-day activities, and driving high-impact commercial HVAC contracts to contribute to the company’s overall revenue growth and market presence.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and execute strategic sales plans to achieve commercial HVAC contract targets.
Manage and mentor a team of sales representatives to optimize performance and meet quotas.
Oversee negotiations and contract finalizations with commercial clients.
Monitor market trends and competitor activities to adjust sales tactics effectively.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless project execution and customer satisfaction.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct daily team briefings and review individual performance metrics.
Prospect and engage potential commercial clients to generate new business leads.
Follow up with leads and manage ongoing communications to secure contracts.
Analyze daily sales data and report insights to senior management.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
New Commercial Contracts: Achieve a minimum of 10 new contracts per quarter.
Revenue Growth: Increase revenues by at least 15% year-over-year.
Sales Team Performance: Achieve a team quota attainment rate of 95% or higher.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain a rating above 4.5 stars in client feedback surveys.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of sales management experience, preferably within the home services or related industries.
Strong leadership, negotiation, and strategic planning skills.
Exceptional communication and interpersonal abilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in the commercial HVAC or home services industry.
Proven track record in managing and motivating a high-performing sales team.
Familiarity with CRM systems and data-driven sales analytics tools.
Demonstrated ability to drive long-term business growth and client retention.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally lift up to 20 lbs for equipment demonstrations.
Frequent use of standard office computer and communication equipment.
Adaptability to working in environments with varying temperatures at job sites.
Comfort with frequent travel to client locations and project sites.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office hours in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment.
Occasional evening and weekend meetings with clients as required.
Regular travel to commercial job sites and client offices.
Potential on-call responsibilities during peak business periods.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base Salary Range: $80,000 - $100,000 USD per year.
Performance-based bonuses and commission incentives available.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance packages.
401(k) plan, paid time off, and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a growth-oriented culture where every team member’s contribution is valued.
Committed to innovation and excellence in the commercial HVAC industry.
A collaborative and supportive work environment that encourages professional development.
Dedicated to delivering unmatched customer satisfaction and market-leading solutions.
11. How to Apply
If you meet the above criteria and want to be part of a growth-oriented company focused on customer satisfaction, please send your resume to [INSERT EMAIL HERE] or apply online at [INSERT WEBSITE LINK HERE].
Need help filling this role? HireBus posts the ad, Iris interviews every applicant by phone before you do, and you decide who to hire. Start hiring now
What changes when you manage commercial HVAC sales
A residential sales manager runs a team that sells to homeowners in a visit or two. In commercial HVAC the buyer is a business or a public agency, deals take months, and the manager has to choose which work is worth chasing.
Steady agreements versus big bids
Service agreements give you revenue you can count on, and they keep your techs in the building. That's where many replacement jobs start. Bid projects bring big jumps in revenue, often at thinner margins. The manager decides how each rep splits their time. They also make sure renewals don't slip while the team chases one big job.
Choosing which bids to chase
General contractors, and some building owners, send invitations to bid on plan-and-spec jobs, and each bid eats estimating hours. The manager keeps a bid log and passes on jobs with the wrong scope or a contractor who shops your number. Before a large bid goes out, the manager checks it for missing scope and clear exclusions.
Public jobs change your labor price
When federal money pays for or helps fund a building job, the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts may cover it. Workers then get no less than the local prevailing wage and fringe benefits for their trade, and the contractor turns in a certified payroll every week. Many states have separate laws for state and local work, each with different rules. Have estimators price labor at the required rates, and warn payroll before the job starts. Source: U.S. Department of Labor: Davis-Bacon and Related Acts.
Your license can cap the jobs you bid
Commercial jobs run larger, and some states tie the license class to job size. In Virginia, Class B and Class C licenses cap both the size of a single contract and the total work taken on in any 12 months. Class A is the one without a limit. Before the team bids in a new state, or on a job bigger than usual, confirm your license there covers it. Source: Code of Virginia section 54.1-1100: Contractor classes.
The client writes the contract
Commercial buyers often send their own contract. It covers when you get paid, retainage, warranties, insurance and who pays if something goes wrong. The manager reads it before a rep agrees to it. They know which terms the owner will accept, and they bring in your lawyer or insurance agent on the rest. A good price on bad terms can still lose money.
How much commercial HVAC sales managers make
Sales managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $137,120 a year ($65.92 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $148,270 median for sales managers in all industries. About 1,260 of the 637,080 sales managers in that survey work for HVAC and plumbing contractors.
Usually a set base plus a team bonus, figured on signed contracts or gross profit. Many also earn commission on the accounts they still sell themselves.
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$137,120$137,120 median Middle half $104,040–$181,000 10th–90th $83,210–$230,300
All industries
$148,270$148,270 median Middle half $100,360–$207,340 10th–90th $73,170–$290,540
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k$350k
10th–90th percentileMiddle halfMedianAnnual pay, May 2025. Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics.
Annual pay by percentile
Group
10th
25th
Median
75th
90th
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$83,210
$104,040
$137,120
$181,000
$230,300
All industries
$73,170
$100,360
$148,270
$207,340
$290,540
BLS reports HVAC and plumbing contractors together, residential and commercial. Post a real range for your market in the ad.
The pay line in the template above is an example from our Role Blueprint. Set yours from these figures and what local companies pay.
Skills to hire for, and what you can teach
Hire for these
Has sold commercial service or mechanical projects and can show reps how
Reads an estimate and spots missing scope before it goes out
Says no to bids and accounts that won't pay off
Runs a weekly pipeline review and holds reps to it
Negotiates contract terms without giving away margin
Hands sold work to project and service managers with nothing missing
Teach these on the job
Your estimating software and bid log
Your labor rates, markups and discount approval limits
How you price service agreements
Your CRM setup and forecast reports
Public bid steps and certified payroll paperwork
The manager runs the team from a CRM or the sales module of your field service platform, alongside mechanical estimating software and bid boards such as BuildingConnected or ConstructConnect, where general contractors post invitations. Say what software comes with the job and who builds the estimates, since some managers price jobs themselves and others rely on an estimator.
Commercial HVAC sales manager interview questions
They have their own page: 6 questions that test this job, what strong and weak answers sound like, and a work exercise to run with your finalists.
Base each goal on last year's results and the backlog you can staff. Share them with the reps each week and with the owner each quarter.
New Commercial Contracts
Signed contracts each quarter, with projects and new service agreements counted separately. Count a contract when it's signed or the purchase order arrives, and record the rep and where the lead came from.
Revenue Growth
Sold revenue year to date against last year's at the same point, split into service agreements, replacements and bid projects. The split keeps one large project from hiding a shrinking base of recurring work.
Sales Team Performance
How each rep is tracking against their own quota in the CRM, reviewed at a weekly pipeline meeting. Look at proposals out and bid hit rate too, since closed sales lag behind effort.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Ask clients for a score when a project closes and when an agreement renews. When a score drops, compare the proposal's scope with what was delivered, since gaps there usually start in sales.
Career path
Sales representativeSells agreements and projects to building owners and managers.
Senior account managerOwns the largest accounts and mentors newer reps.
Sales managerOwns the pipeline, the bid list and pricing approvals.
General managerRuns service, projects and the office alongside the owner.
How is a commercial HVAC sales manager different from a chief estimator?
The estimator prices the work: takeoffs, labor hours, equipment, cranes and sub quotes. The sales manager keeps the client relationships, picks which bids and accounts to chase, and approves the final price and terms. Some companies have one person do both. Once bid volume grows, estimating eats the time needed for coaching.
How much does a commercial HVAC sales manager make?
Sales managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $137,120 a year ($65.92 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $104,040 and $181,000 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
Does a commercial HVAC sales manager still sell?
Usually. The template's daily duties include prospecting and following up with clients, so expect the manager to keep a few key accounts. Set a limit, though. A manager who sells full time stops reviewing estimates and coaching reps, and the team's numbers slide while the manager's own numbers look fine.
Who should own service agreement renewals?
Pick one owner and write it down. Many companies give renewals to the rep who sold the agreement. The service manager reports site problems well before the renewal date. The sales manager watches the renewal list. Any client with open complaints or missed visits gets a call before the renewal notice goes out.
What commission plan fits long commercial projects?
Many contractors base commission on gross profit rather than contract value, so a rep who cuts price to win shares the cost. On long jobs, decide whether commission comes at signing, as the client pays, or at closeout, and how change orders and retainage affect it. Write the plan down and have each rep sign it before they sell a job.
What background should a commercial HVAC sales manager have?
The template's must-haves are a business degree and years of sales management. It lists commercial HVAC experience as a plus, and that plus deserves real weight. Someone who has sold service agreements or mechanical projects knows how long deals take and how bids work. Look at commercial mechanical contractors, equipment makers' rep firms and building services companies.
