An HVAC chief operating officer makes sure the whole company can deliver the work it sells, from service calls and installs to tune-ups, dispatch and the warehouse. The COO writes the procedures, plans for the summer and winter rush, and leads the managers who run each department.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, HVAC and plumbing contractors · BLS, May 2025
The Chief Operating Officer (COO) for our HVAC division will lead operational excellence across all facets of service delivery. This role is pivotal in ensuring efficient processes, robust policy compliance, and strategic oversight of business operations, directly contributing to the growth and success of the company.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Develop and implement operational strategies to drive efficiency and profitability.
Oversee daily operations ensuring policies and procedures are consistently followed.
Collaborate with senior leadership to establish and execute company goals and benchmarks.
Manage cross-functional teams and foster a culture of continuous improvement and quality service.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Monitor and analyze operational performance metrics to identify areas for improvement.
Conduct regular team meetings to disseminate updates, address challenges, and plan for upcoming projects.
Engage with customers to gather feedback and ensure exceptional service delivery.
Coordinate with internal departments to align operations with strategic business initiatives.
4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Operational Efficiency: Achieve a capacity efficiency of at least 90%.
Policy Compliance: Maintain a policy adherence rate of 100%.
Customer Satisfaction: Secure a customer satisfaction rating of >4.8 stars.
Lead Conversion: Generate at least 150 high-quality leads per quarter.
5. Required Qualifications and Skills
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 10 years of experience in operational leadership, preferably in the HVAC or home services industry.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
Excellent communication and team management capabilities.
6. Preferred Experience
Previous experience in a senior operational role within the HVAC or home services industry.
Demonstrated history of successfully leading large teams and managing cross-functional projects.
Experience with lean management or Six Sigma methodologies is a plus.
Proficiency in industry-specific software and business intelligence tools.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to travel to various job sites and operational locations as needed.
Capacity to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds.
Comfortable working in diverse environments, including on-site inspections and field visits.
May require extended periods of standing or navigating facility operations.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Standard business hours with flexibility to work extended hours during peak operational periods.
On-call responsibilities for emergency operational issues.
Occasional travel required to regional or corporate meetings and events.
Collaborative office environment combined with periodic on-site visits.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Annual salary range of $150,000 - $200,000 USD, commensurate with experience.
Performance-based bonus structure tied to operational and financial KPIs.
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
401(k) plan with company match and additional fringe benefits such as paid time off.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.
Our team is dedicated to excellence in customer service and operational efficiency.
We value collaboration, diversity, and a commitment to growth that benefits both our employees and customers.
Join a company where your leadership and strategic vision will make a significant impact on our expanding operations.
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].
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Every COO turns plans into daily work. In HVAC, that work happens in customers' homes, swings with the weather, and runs under license and safety rules.
Every call should follow the same steps
Technicians work alone in customers' homes, so your standards live in the call process. The COO writes it: how the tech greets the customer, checks the whole system, presents repair options from the price book, offers the maintenance plan, and closes out with photos and notes. Then the COO audits finished jobs to see whether the steps are followed.
Maintenance plans are a promise to keep
Plan members usually pay for tune-ups and priority service. If their spring visit slips into July, or they wait behind everyone else on a hot day, they notice at renewal time. The COO sets how many tune-ups each season must cover and how member priority works when the board is full.
License records need an owner
Rules for field staff vary by state. In Texas, every air conditioning and refrigeration technician must be registered or certified by TDLR, and registered technicians must work under a licensed contractor. Add EPA refrigerant cards and any city licenses, and the records pile up. The COO decides where they live, who checks them before a new hire runs calls, and what happens when one lapses. Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation: Air conditioning and refrigeration contractors at a glance.
Heat safety starts with company policy
Summer service means attics and rooftops on the hottest days. OSHA's general duty clause requires a workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious harm, and OSHA urges water, rest and shade. New and returning workers need time to get used to the heat, which matters when you hire right before summer. California and Washington are among the states with heat rules of their own. The COO sets the heat plan supervisors carry out. Source: OSHA: Heat exposure.
How much HVAC chief operating officers make
The closest BLS group for HVAC chief operating officers is chief executives. Chief executives who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $174,130 a year ($83.72 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s below the $213,990 median for chief executives in all industries. About 760 of the 204,350 chief executives in that survey work for HVAC and plumbing contractors.
Usually a salary plus a bonus tied to company profit and operating goals, such as callbacks, reviews and technician retention.
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$174,130$174,130 median Middle half $93,740–$271,790 10th–90th $70,780–$421,320
All industries
$213,990$213,990 median Middle half $129,540–$356,200 10th–90th $75,700–$507,730
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
$70,780
$93,740
$174,130
$271,790
$421,320
All industries
$75,700
$129,540
$213,990
$356,200
$507,730
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
Has run field operations with technicians, installers and dispatch
Builds checklists, schedules and training that people actually follow
Reads labor, capacity and job reports and acts on them
Leads managers calmly and directly through peak season
Knows how to hire and keep technicians
Teach these on the job
How your field service software is set up
How your price book and plan perks are set up
License rules in the states and cities where you work
Refrigerant rules and the newer A2L refrigerants
Your manufacturers' install and warranty requirements
The COO runs operations from field service software such as ServiceTitan, FieldEdge or Housecall Pro, plus fleet GPS and whatever you use for checklists and training. List them in the ad and say whether the COO will set them up, clean them up or replace them.
HVAC chief operating officer 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 yours from your own numbers, then review them weekly with the department managers and monthly with the CEO.
Operational Efficiency
Booked job hours compared with the hours your technicians have available, each week and by department. Pull both from your field service schedule and timecards, and look for open slots before the peak season.
Policy Compliance
Pull a sample of finished jobs each week and check them against your written procedures: photos, completed checklists, permits where required, refrigerant records and closeout notes. Count the jobs that followed every step.
Customer Satisfaction
Your average online star rating and survey score after each job. Break it down by department and technician to find where problems start.
Lead Conversion
Count the calls and web requests that come in each quarter, by source, and how many become booked visits. Track how many replacement estimates close, too. A drop often points to slow response or missed follow-up.
The COO turns the CEO's plan into daily work across service, installs, maintenance visits, dispatch, the warehouse and the trucks. The COO writes procedures, plans technician capacity, tracks quality and callbacks, and leads the managers who run each department. Compared with the CEO, the COO spends less time with lenders and investors and more time in the field.
How much does an HVAC chief operating officer make?
Chief executives who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $174,130 a year ($83.72 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $93,740 and $271,790 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
What is the difference between a COO and an operations manager at an HVAC company?
An operations manager runs today's work: the dispatch board, tech schedules and job problems. A COO decides how the whole operation works: procedures, training, staffing plans, software and the managers who lead each department. In smaller companies, the operations manager does both. You may need a COO when the CEO still spends the day fixing problems across several departments or locations.
Does an HVAC COO need to have been a technician?
No, though field time helps. A COO who has run calls can judge install quality and talk shop with technicians. Many strong COOs come from operations at other field service businesses instead. If yours didn't come from the trade, pair them with a field supervisor or lead technician they trust, and have them ride along early and often.
What refrigerant rules should an HVAC COO know?
Start with EPA Section 608. Technicians who add or remove refrigerant must be certified, and the card never expires. EPA also limits most refrigerant sales to certified technicians or their employers. New home systems use refrigerants such as R-454B and R-32. EPA's list puts them in the A2L safety class and allows them only under set use conditions. Your equipment makers' install manuals give the handling steps.
What should an HVAC COO job ad include?
Name the departments the COO will run, the managers who report to them, and how many technicians, trucks and locations you have. Say whether you run a management system such as EOS. Say what's broken today, such as callbacks or peak-season capacity, so candidates know what they're walking into.
