A commercial HVAC sales rep finds the building owners, facility directors and contractors who need heating and cooling work. The rep walks each site and writes proposals for maintenance agreements, equipment replacements and bigger projects. Unlike a residential rep, they find most of their own leads, and a single deal may run for months.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, HVAC and plumbing contractors · BLS, May 2025
Responsible for identifying, proposing, and closing HVAC solutions for commercial clients, ensuring quality service and customer satisfaction. Plays a key role in driving revenue growth by providing tailored HVAC estimates and cost-effective solutions. Acts as the primary point of contact for commercial clients, delivering expert consultations and building long-term relationships.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Identify and prospect new commercial client leads through various channels and maintain a robust client pipeline.
Provide comprehensive HVAC consultation by analyzing client needs and proposing suitable solutions.
Develop and present detailed cost estimates, proposals, and contracts tailored to each project's requirements.
Negotiate terms and secure agreements to close deals effectively and efficiently.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Conduct site visits and perform initial HVAC system evaluations with commercial clients.
Maintain regular follow-ups with prospects via phone, email, and in-person meetings.
Collaborate with technical teams to validate feasibility and ensure accurate implementation plans.
Update and manage customer relationship management (CRM) systems with client interactions and progress notes.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
New Sales Leads Generated: Minimum 15 qualified leads per month.
Successful Deal Closures: Achieve a close rate of at least 30% on proposals.
Estimated Revenue per Sale: Average project revenue of $75,000 or higher.
Customer Satisfaction Rating: Maintain a rating of over 4.8 stars in post-sales feedback.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum 3 years of sales experience, preferably in HVAC or related industries.
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate technical information clearly.
Proficiency in CRM software and MS Office applications.
6. Preferred Experience
Prior experience in commercial HVAC sales or energy services industry.
Demonstrated history of exceeding sales targets and driving revenue growth.
Experience with contract negotiations and proposal development.
Familiarity with building systems and commercial construction practices.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to conduct site visits which may include walking, climbing stairs, and occasional light lifting (up to 25 lbs).
Comfortable working in varied environmental conditions including outdoor sites.
Occasional travel to client locations and project sites.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours are Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional evening and weekend meetings may be required based on client availability.
Regular domestic travel to client sites within the region is expected.
Minimal overtime may be necessary during peak sales periods.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Base salary range of $55,000 - $70,000 USD per year, commensurate with experience.
Commission structure based on sales performance and closed deals.
Health, Dental, and Vision insurance plans provided.
401(k) with company match and additional performance-based bonuses.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a dynamic and innovative work environment that values integrity, excellence, and continuous learning.
We are committed to empowering our employees through professional development opportunities and a strong support network.
Our team celebrates diversity and encourages a collaborative culture that drives success for both our clients and the company.
Join us to be part of a growth-oriented organization dedicated to improving commercial HVAC solutions and customer satisfaction.
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
Residential reps run leads the company hands them. Commercial reps hunt for their own accounts, price bigger jobs, and sell to buyers who answer to a boss, a budget or a board.
The rep builds the pipeline
The template sets a monthly goal for qualified leads. In commercial work, that means the rep goes out and finds them. Good reps call on property managers, school and facility directors, general contractors and engineers. They also work your own service customers. When a tech reports a failing boiler at a building you maintain, that's a warm lead.
Site surveys happen on the roof
Much commercial equipment sits on the roof or in a mechanical room. Before pricing a replacement, the rep records nameplates, ages, access, crane needs and electrical. OSHA's general industry fall rule exempts checks made before work starts, but not where fall protection is already installed and available for them. If a roof has guardrails or fall arrest anchors, the rep uses them. Set your own rules on who goes up and how close to the edge they may go. Source: OSHA 29 CFR 1910.28: Duty to have fall protection.
No three-day window on business sales
The FTC's Cooling-Off Rule covers goods and services bought mainly for personal, family or household use. Most sales to businesses fall outside it, so the signed proposal or contract is what binds both sides. The scope, exclusions and terms in the rep's proposal have to be right the first time. Source: 16 CFR 429.0: Cooling-Off Rule definitions (Cornell LII).
Service agreements open the door
A maintenance agreement puts your techs on site on a set schedule. When a unit fails, your company is first in line to replace it. The rep prices the agreement from the equipment list and the tasks done at each visit. For a checklist, look at Standard 180 from ASHRAE and ACCA. It sets the minimum inspection and maintenance work for HVAC systems in commercial buildings. Source: ASHRAE: Standards 180 and 211.
Budgets decide the timing
Many building owners plan big replacements a year ahead, in a capital budget. Schools often book them for summer break, when the rooms are empty. A rep who knows each client's budget cycle can get a proposal in before the money is set. Otherwise the rep ends up quoting a rushed replacement when a unit dies in July.
How much commercial HVAC sales representatives make
The closest BLS group for commercial HVAC sales representatives is sales representatives of services. Sales representatives of services who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $38.24 an hour ($79,530 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $69,990 median for sales representatives of services in all industries. About 24,510 of the 1,256,010 sales representatives of services in that survey work for HVAC and plumbing contractors.
Usually salary plus commission. Many companies figure commission on gross profit and pay it as the client pays, which stretches out on long projects.
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$79,530$79,530 median Middle half $59,030–$104,420 10th–90th $42,710–$139,990
All industries
$69,990$69,990 median Middle half $47,670–$100,480 10th–90th $37,980–$148,840
$25k$50k$75k$100k$125k$150k$175k
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
$42,710
$59,030
$79,530
$104,420
$139,990
All industries
$37,980
$47,670
$69,990
$100,480
$148,840
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
Finds and opens new accounts without waiting for leads
Explains technical options so the finance chief and the facilities lead both follow
Walks a building and records what's there accurately
Writes proposals with a clear scope and clear exclusions
Follows up on a slow deal for months and keeps notes current
Teach these on the job
Your equipment lines, brands and current lead times
Your agreement pricing and visit task lists
Your estimating tools and proposal templates
Your CRM and pipeline stages
Your roof access and site safety rules
Reps track accounts in a CRM, build proposals in the company's estimating or proposal software, and snap site photos and nameplates on a tablet. Many also follow bid invitations from general contractors on sites like BuildingConnected, so tell candidates which tools come with the job.
Check these in the CRM monthly but judge them by the quarter, since one large project can swing a single month. Set goals from your own win history.
New Sales Leads Generated
Qualified opportunities the rep adds to the CRM in a month: a named contact, a real need, and a budget or timeline. Leave out purchased lists and names with no conversation behind them.
Successful Deal Closures
Proposals won divided by proposals submitted. Split it by negotiated work, bid work and service agreements, since each closes at a very different rate.
Estimated Revenue per Sale
Average value of won projects, from signed contracts or purchase orders. Track service agreements on their own by yearly value, so small agreements don't pull the project average down.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Feedback from the client's decision maker after the job closes or after the first agreement visit. Ask whether the work matched what the proposal promised.
Career path
HVAC technicianServices rooftop units and boilers and sees what buildings need.
Sales representativeFinds accounts, walks sites and closes agreements and projects.
Senior account managerHandles the biggest clients and the largest projects.
Sales managerLeads the reps, picks the bids and approves pricing.
Maintenance agreements, repair quotes from service visits, and new equipment such as rooftop units and boilers. Some reps also sell larger retrofit or design-build projects and controls upgrades. Each line has its own sales cycle and margin. Track each one on its own in the CRM, with its own goal.
How much does a commercial HVAC sales representative make?
Sales representatives of services who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $38.24 an hour ($79,530 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $59,030 and $104,420 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
Does a commercial HVAC sales rep need an engineering degree?
The template lists a degree in business, engineering or a related field. On the job, the rep must read a nameplate, a mechanical drawing and a scope of work. Then they explain it to a buyer who isn't technical. Former service techs, and people from equipment suppliers or factory rep firms, bring that know-how with them.
How does a commercial HVAC sales rep differ from an estimator?
An estimator prices work from plans and specs: equipment, labor hours, cranes and subcontractors. The rep finds the work, walks the site, builds the relationship and presents the number. On negotiated jobs, a rep often prices smaller replacements alone and brings in the estimator for larger ones.
How do commercial HVAC reps find new clients?
They call on facility directors, general contractors and the firms that manage office and retail buildings. They go where those buyers meet, such as local BOMA or IFMA chapters, and they watch bid boards. Your own service base is often the best source: buildings you already maintain, where techs report old or failing equipment.
What changes when the client is a school or public agency?
Public buyers often post the job and take sealed bids by a set date. The SBA says many contracts, public and private, call for a surety bond. Prevailing wage laws may also apply, depending on the funding and the state. Bring in your estimator and sales manager early, since those rules change the price.
