An HVAC operations manager runs the field side of a heating and cooling company: service, installs, dispatch, the warehouse and the trucks. Each week they match people, parts and trucks to the work. They also fix what keeps causing callbacks and late arrivals.
By the HireBus team · Updated · Pay data: BLS, May 2025
Median pay, HVAC and plumbing contractors · BLS, May 2025
Lead and coordinate HVAC installation and service teams to ensure timely and efficient service delivery. Optimize scheduling and resource utilization to maximize operational efficiency. Ensure high-quality service standards that enhance customer satisfaction and contribute to overall business growth.
2. Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Manage daily operations of HVAC install and service teams to maintain optimal workflow.
Develop and implement scheduling strategies to improve team productivity.
Monitor resource allocation to ensure cost-effective use of company assets.
Collaborate with cross-functional departments to address operational challenges and customer concerns.
3. Key Tasks / Daily Activities
Coordinate daily scheduling and dispatch of HVAC teams to various job sites.
Oversee quality control and safety compliance during installations and service calls.
Communicate regularly with customers to provide updates and resolve service-related issues.
Review performance metrics and adjust team assignments to meet service targets.
Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
Minimum of 5 years of experience in operations or project management within the HVAC or home services industry.
Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage and motivate diverse teams.
Proficient in scheduling software and operational reporting tools.
6. Preferred Experience
Experience in a management role within the HVAC or construction industry.
Proven track record of improving operational processes and team performance.
Background in managing large-scale service operations with a focus on quality and efficiency.
Familiarity with regulatory standards and safety protocols in the HVAC industry.
7. Physical Requirements
Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 pounds during site inspections.
Work in environments that may include exposure to physical elements such as heat, cold, or confined spaces.
Regular movement around operational areas and job sites.
Mobility to work on uneven surfaces and climb ladders when necessary.
8. Work Environment and Schedule
Typical work hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Occasional on-call duties for emergency service requests.
Moderate travel between multiple job sites and customer locations.
Fast-paced and dynamic operational setting with emphasis on collaborative teamwork.
9. Compensation and Benefits
Salary range: $70,000 - $90,000 per year depending on experience.
Performance bonuses available based on operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision benefits.
401(k) plan with company match and additional fringe benefits.
10. Company Culture and Overview
We foster an innovative and supportive work environment that encourages professional growth and continuous learning.
Our culture is built on teamwork, transparency, and a commitment to excellence in customer service.
We value diversity and believe in creating opportunities for all employees to succeed.
At [INSERT COMPANY NAME HERE], you will have the opportunity to make a significant impact within a thriving company committed to excellence.
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 operations manager balances people, trucks and customers. In residential HVAC, two departments run on different clocks, emergencies come at all hours, and the trucks have to run in the worst weather.
Service and installs run on different clocks
Repairs are booked in time windows, often the same day. Replacements are booked as full-day jobs, days or weeks out. The two sides use different crews and trucks, and they make money in different ways. The operations manager sets the rules ahead of time for when an installer covers repairs or a tech helps on an install. That way nobody makes the call in a panic.
After-hours calls need a fair rotation
No heat on a January night can't wait for Monday. The operations manager builds the on-call rotation, decides which calls go out at night, and makes sure a qualified tech is always on. Check the pay rules too. The Department of Labor says a worker on call at home, who just has to be reachable, usually isn't working while they wait. Tighter limits on their free time can change that. Source: U.S. Department of Labor: Fact Sheet #22, hours worked under the FLSA.
The trucks are a department too
Each service truck carries a tech's whole day. A truck in the shop in July means a tech with no work and a customer who waits. The operations manager books truck repairs in the spring and fall, sets the rules for take-home trucks, and uses GPS to cut drive time and give customers honest arrival times.
Callbacks show up in two departments
A callback soon after an install often points to the install, like a bad charge or weak airflow. A repeat repair points to a missed diagnosis. The operations manager tracks callbacks by cause, tech and crew. Then they work with the production manager and field supervisor to fix the habit behind them. Each callback costs a truck, a tech's time and some trust.
How much HVAC operations managers make
The closest BLS group for HVAC operations managers is general and operations managers. General and operations managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $105,740 a year ($50.84 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s about the same as the $105,770 median for general and operations managers in all industries. About 40,250 of the 3,503,020 general and operations managers in that survey work for HVAC and plumbing contractors.
Usually a salary plus a bonus tied to department profit, callback rates or customer reviews.
HVAC and plumbing contractors
$105,740$105,740 median Middle half $79,040–$158,540 10th–90th $57,570–$214,590
All industries
$105,770$105,770 median Middle half $72,320–$167,280 10th–90th $50,090–$253,390
$0k$50k$100k$150k$200k$250k$300k
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
$57,570
$79,040
$105,740
$158,540
$214,590
All industries
$50,090
$72,320
$105,770
$167,280
$253,390
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 HVAC or other home service field crews, not just an office
Reads job costing, labor and callback reports and acts on them
Makes staffing calls quickly when the weather turns
Holds managers and technicians to a standard and keeps good people
Explains a delay or a mistake to an upset homeowner in plain words
Teach these on the job
Your field service software and its reports
Your price book and maintenance plan rules
Your license holders, permit process and local inspectors
Your equipment brands and warranty process
Your safety program and incident reporting
HVAC operations run on field service software such as ServiceTitan, FieldEdge or Housecall Pro for dispatch, job costing and maintenance plans, plus GPS tracking for the fleet. Name your software in the ad, and say how many technicians, install crews and trucks the role oversees.
HVAC operations 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.
Review these monthly and by season. The targets in the template are examples, so set yours from your own history, since a July and a March look nothing alike.
On-time Service Completion Rate
Service calls and installs finished on the day they were booked, divided by all jobs booked, from your field service software each month. Track service and installs apart, since an install can run long for good reasons.
Customer Satisfaction Rating
Average score from your post-visit surveys or online reviews. Compare it by department, technician and month against your own past results.
Resource Utilization Efficiency
Hours techs spend on paid work compared with the hours they're paid, from timesheets and your field service software. A low number points to drive time, waiting on parts or a thin board.
Service Callback Rate
Jobs that need a return visit for the same problem within the window you set, divided by all jobs that month. Sort callbacks by cause, technician and install crew.
They run the field side of the business day to day. That means the service and install teams, dispatch, the warehouse and the fleet. They plan staffing for the busy weeks, set the on-call rotation, watch labor and parts costs, and handle complaints that reach a manager. The service, install and warehouse leads report to them.
How much does an HVAC operations manager make?
General and operations managers who work for plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning contractors earned a median of $105,740 a year ($50.84 an hour) in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The middle half earned between $79,040 and $158,540 a year. Pay also depends on your local market, experience and bonus terms.
When does an HVAC company need an operations manager?
Watch for an owner or general manager who spends the day on the dispatch board and job problems. Their time should go to sales, hiring and the numbers. Other signs are callbacks that keep rising, service and installs fighting over people every summer, and trucks that nobody owns. One person running the field frees the leader above them to grow the business.
What's the difference between an operations manager and a production manager?
A production manager runs installs. They order equipment, get permits, lead install crews and pass inspections. An operations manager is over service and installs, plus dispatch and the warehouse. The production manager often reports to them.
Does an HVAC operations manager need EPA 608 certification?
Only if they will service equipment that holds refrigerant, or scrap it. Federal rules require Section 608 certification for that work. The card never expires, so a manager who came up as a tech likely has one. It's worth asking for either way, since this role oversees the people who handle refrigerant.
Should an HVAC operations manager come from the field?
It helps a lot. Someone who has run calls or installs knows when a job is taking too long, and techs respect that. A strong manager from another home service trade can learn HVAC. Have them ride with techs and installers in their first months.
What should an HVAC operations manager job ad include?
List the departments the role runs and how many techs, crews and trucks it oversees. Say who reports to it, which software you use, how on-call works and how the bonus is figured. If you have more than one location, say which ones the role covers.
