An HVAC bookkeeper keeps the books for a heating and cooling company. They pay supply house bills, reconcile accounts, and check technician commissions before payroll. They also tie costs to each job, so the owner knows what an install really made, and match lender deposits and plan payments to the right accounts.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, HVAC and plumbing contractors · BLS, May 2025
Oversee and manage financial records specific to HVAC service operations. Ensure accurate processing of invoices, reconciliations, and vendor payments. Contribute to maintaining high financial integrity and efficiency within the company.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Maintain and update financial records and ledgers accurately and in a timely manner.
Process invoices, reconcile accounts, and prepare financial statements.
Manage vendor payments and monitor cash flow to ensure smooth operations.
Collaborate with the finance team to prepare month-end and year-end closing reports.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Review and process incoming invoices and expense reports daily.
Perform regular reconciliations of bank and credit card statements.
Maintain accurate documentation and filing of financial transactions.
Communicate with vendors and service providers to resolve discrepancies.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Invoice Processing Accuracy: Achieve a minimum accuracy rate of 98%.
Timeliness in Monthly Closes: Complete 100% of month-end reconciliations within 5 business days.
Discrepancy Resolution Rate: Resolve 95% of identified discrepancies within 48 hours.
Vendor Payment Timeliness: Ensure 100% of payments are made by due dates.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or a related field.
Minimum of 2 years of bookkeeping or accounting experience.
Proficient in accounting software (e.g., QuickBooks) and Microsoft Excel.
Strong attention to detail and exceptional organizational skills.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience working within the HVAC or home services industry.
Familiarity with processing work orders and tracking expenses specific to service operations.
Previous experience in a fast-paced environment with multi-tasking responsibilities.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to sit for extended periods while working on a computer.
Occasional lifting of light materials (up to 10 lbs) for file handling.
Adequate visual acuity for detailed record keeping and data entry.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard office environment with minimal exposure to hazardous conditions.
Typical work hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Occasional overtime may be required during peak periods.
Possibility of remote work arrangements based on company policy.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary in the range of $50,000 - $60,000, based on experience.
Eligibility for bonus incentives based on performance.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision benefits.
401(k) plan with company matching contributions.
Paid time off (vacation, sick leave, and company holidays).
10. Company Culture and Overview
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], we foster a culture of continuous growth and innovation.
Our team is passionate about delivering exceptional home service experiences while nurturing professional development.
We value collaboration, transparency, and a commitment to excellence, ensuring every team member can thrive.
Join us in a supportive and dynamic environment where your contributions truly make a difference.
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
Every bookkeeper pays bills, reconciles accounts, and closes the month. In HVAC, the money is tied to jobs, techs are often paid on what they sell, and a lot of revenue comes through lenders and maintenance plans.
Every supply house line belongs to a job
Technicians pick up parts at the supply house all day, often on the company account. The bookkeeper matches each line on the supply house bill to a job or to truck stock. Any receipt without a job number gets chased down. Skip this, and installs look like they made more than they did, and nobody notices parts going missing.
Commissions and spiffs change overtime pay
If techs earn commissions or spiffs on top of hourly pay, overtime gets harder. Under federal law, commissions paid to non-exempt workers count in the regular rate used to figure overtime. So do bonuses promised for hitting a goal. If a commission is figured after payday, you still owe the extra overtime once it's known, spread back over the weeks it was earned. Your state may add its own rules. Source: 29 CFR 778.117: Commission payments (Cornell LII).
Financing deposits can arrive short
When a customer finances a new system, the lender pays your company. Many lenders take a dealer fee out of the loan before they send the money, so the deposit can be smaller than the invoice. The bookkeeper matches each deposit to its job, books the fee the way your CPA says, and chases any finished job the lender hasn't paid. Source: Hearth: What is a dealer fee?.
Plan money may not be income yet
Ask your CPA how to book maintenance plan sales. One way counts the money as income right away. Another holds it as deferred revenue and counts it as the tune-ups get done. Field service software can do the second. ServiceTitan, for example, can move part of a membership into revenue each time a plan visit is finished. The bookkeeper sets it up and checks it each month. Source: ServiceTitan Help: Deferred revenue for recurring services.
Sales tax depends on the state
HVAC work mixes equipment, parts, and labor, and states tax them in different ways. Washington, for example, applies sales tax to installing and repairing property for others, and it lists furnace repair by name. Other states treat repair labor differently. The bookkeeper sets up tax codes the way your CPA says and checks that each invoice uses the right one. Source: Washington Department of Revenue: Services subject to sales tax.
How much HVAC bookkeepers make
The closest BLS group for HVAC bookkeepers is bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $26.25 an hour ($54,610 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s above the $50,670 median for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks in all industries. About 20,690 of the 1,373,680 bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks in that survey work for HVAC and plumbing contractors.
Paid hourly or on a salary, sometimes with a performance bonus. A salary alone doesn't make the job exempt from overtime.
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$54,610$54,610 median Middle half $45,270–$63,180 10th–90th $36,410–$76,160
All industries
$50,670$50,670 median Middle half $43,520–$61,470 10th–90th $36,000–$74,550
$30k$40k$50k$60k$70k$80k$90k
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
$36,410
$45,270
$54,610
$63,180
$76,160
All industries
$36,000
$43,520
$50,670
$61,470
$74,550
BLS reports HVAC and plumbing contractors together. 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
Accurate data entry and reconciliations
A solid grasp of debits, credits, and month-end close
Payroll experience, including overtime
Keeping pay and financial details private
Asking questions when the numbers don't tie out
Teach these on the job
Your field service software and how it syncs to the books
Your technician pay plans and spiff rules
Job costing by job and by department
Your financing companies' funding reports
HVAC equipment and part names on supply house bills
Many HVAC bookkeepers work in QuickBooks Online or Desktop, synced with field service software such as ServiceTitan or Housecall Pro, plus a payroll system and bank feeds. Say in the ad which accounting and payroll software you use and whether jobs sync to the books on their own.
HVAC bookkeeper 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.
The targets in the template are examples. Set your own with your CPA or controller, starting from your past results, and review them each month.
Invoice Processing Accuracy
Share of bills and invoices entered with the right amount, account, and job. Check a sample each month, and count the corrections your accountant has to make.
Timeliness in Monthly Closes
Business days from month-end until the bank, card, and lender accounts are reconciled and the reports reach the owner. Track it every month and look for the step that slows it down.
Discrepancy Resolution Rate
Log each item that doesn't match on bank, card, supply house, or lender statements, with the date it was found and the date it was fixed. Count how many were cleared in time each month.
Vendor Payment Timeliness
Share of vendor bills, including supply house statements, paid by the due date. Pull it from your accounts payable report each month, and note any early-payment discounts you missed.
Career path
Accounting clerk or billing clerkEnters bills, posts payments, and learns the books.
BookkeeperKeeps the books, checks payroll, and closes each month.
Accounting manager or controllerOwns the close and the owner's reports. Often needs an accounting degree.
They keep the books for a heating and cooling company. That covers vendor bills and supply house statements, bank and card reconciliations, and the monthly close. They also check technician hours and commissions before payroll, tie costs to jobs, and match lender deposits and plan payments to the right accounts.
How much does an HVAC bookkeeper make?
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $26.25 an hour ($54,610 a year) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $45,270 and $63,180 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and overtime.
What is the difference between a bookkeeper and an accountant at an HVAC company?
The bookkeeper records the day-to-day: bills, payments, payroll inputs, and reconciliations. An accountant or CPA, often outside the company, decides how things should be booked and prepares tax returns. They also answer questions like how to handle plan revenue and sales tax. A common setup is an in-house bookkeeper and an outside CPA.
Is an HVAC bookkeeper exempt from overtime?
Usually not. Under federal rules, a salary alone doesn't make someone exempt. The job's duties have to qualify too. Labor Department rules say bookkeepers who do a lot of routine work generally don't qualify as exempt professionals. Some states set stricter tests. If you want to put the job on salary with no overtime, check with an employment lawyer first.
How do you test an HVAC bookkeeper before hiring?
Give finalists a short exercise with your kind of data. Use a sample bank statement to reconcile, a few supply house bills to code to jobs, and one technician's week of hours and commissions to check. Watch how they handle the item that doesn't tie out. Remove real customer and employee details first.
Can an HVAC bookkeeper work remotely?
Often, once your systems are online. Cloud accounting, field service software, bank feeds, and scanned bills let much of the work happen from anywhere. Some tasks still need someone in the office, like opening mail, depositing checks, and answering techs' questions about their checks. Decide who covers those.
What should an HVAC bookkeeper job ad include?
List your accounting and payroll software. Explain how your techs are paid and whether this job runs payroll. Mention job costing, sales tax, or lender reconciliations if the job covers them. Note whether you work with an outside CPA and who the bookkeeper reports to. Give month-end and year-end hours, so nobody is surprised.
