Short answer: Installers at The Cooling Company are paid in credit units, a set amount for each item installed, rather than by the clock. In practice that works out to an effective $28 to $38 per hour. Four things move you up that range: EPA 608 certification, the ability to run a crew without supervision, commissioning work that does not generate callbacks, and the breadth of installs you can handle independently (split systems, package units, ductwork, mini-splits). Because pay follows completed work rather than hours, overtime does not apply to credit units and efficiency is rewarded directly.
Ask about your specific number on the phone screen. Apply here.
Published pay ranges have a credibility problem in this trade. Everyone knows the game: the posting says "up to $40 an hour," you interview, and somehow the offer lands at $26 with a story about how the top of the range is reserved for someone with qualifications nobody actually has.
So here is the useful version. Installers are paid credit units per item installed, which works out to an effective $28 to $38 per hour. This post explains how that structure works and what actually determines where in that range you land, so you can look at your own resume and estimate it before you apply.
Key Takeaways
- Pay is credit units, not the clock. A set amount for each item installed, which works out to an effective $28 to $38 per hour.
- The top of that range is crew lead work: running jobs independently, commissioning correctly, handling package units and light commercial, and developing a helper while doing it.
- EPA 608 Universal is the single fastest lever if you do not already hold it, and we support you in getting it.
- Overtime does not apply to credit units. Pay follows the work completed, so a longer day on the same scope does not change the amount. Your hours are still recorded.
- Credit units are not commission. An installer who also sells still earns commission on top, under the same rules as everyone else.
- What we tell you is what you get. We do not quote high and revise down after you resign somewhere else.
What Moves You Up the Range
1. Certification
EPA Section 608 Universal certification is preferred for install roles and required for service technician work. If you are handling refrigerant without it, you are limiting both your legal scope and your pay. It is the cheapest, fastest credential in this trade relative to what it unlocks, and we support helpers and installers in earning it.
Beyond 608, Lennox factory training carries weight. As a Lennox Premier Dealer we have training access that a lot of independent shops do not, and manufacturer certifications on current equipment follow you for the rest of your career regardless of where you work.
2. Independent crew capability
The biggest single jump in an installer's value is the transition from "I need a lead on site" to "I am the lead." That means you can take a work order, load out correctly, sequence the day, make the judgment calls when the existing condition does not match the scope, and finish with a commissioned system and a clean site.
Crew leads at TCC own their install end to end. If you can already do that, say so in your application and be ready to describe a job that went sideways and how you handled it. That capability is what moves you toward the top of the range.
3. Commissioning quality and callback rate
An installer who produces callbacks is expensive no matter how the pay is structured, and going back to redo work is time that earns you nothing new. An installer whose systems get commissioned properly the first time, correct charge verified against actual conditions, static pressure measured, airflow confirmed, condensate routed right, is worth the top of any range.
We track this. Not to build a case against anyone, but because it is the clearest measure of installation skill that exists. If your work does not come back, that shows up in your pay.
4. Breadth of work you can handle
Residential split system changeouts are the volume of this business. But an installer who can also set a package unit on a curb, run a full duct replacement, handle a ductless mini-split, and work a light commercial job is far more useful to a schedule than one who can only do the standard changeout. Breadth is worth money because it makes you assignable to any day on the board.
What the Total Number Looks Like
Peak season matters here through volume rather than through overtime. Las Vegas summers drive demand hard from June through September, which means more work available to complete. Because installers earn credit units per item installed, more completed work is what raises earnings during that stretch.
This is the part installers coming from hourly shops tend to like once they see it: working cleanly and efficiently raises what you earn per day, rather than just ending your day sooner for the same money.
We are not going to publish an annual figure, because it depends on the volume and mix of work you complete, and we are not interested in advertising a number we cannot guarantee. We will walk you through the math honestly during the hiring process.
What We Do Not Do
- We do not pay a low base and call the rest "opportunity." Credit unit values are defined, not discretionary.
- We do not charge you for the privilege of working here. Company vehicle and fuel card, tools, uniforms, and PPE are provided. Every dollar you would spend on those elsewhere is effectively part of your compensation here.
- We do not tie install pay to selling. Install technicians install. Nobody is being scored on upsells they made from inside an attic.
Comparing Offers: What to Actually Ask
If you are weighing us against another Las Vegas shop, these are the questions that reveal the real number:
- Is a vehicle provided, or is it a stipend? A stipend that does not cover fuel, insurance, and depreciation on a work truck is a pay cut in disguise.
- Who buys the tools? A few thousand dollars a year of tool replacement is real money.
- How is the pay structured: hourly, piece rate, or commission? Each behaves very differently in a seasonal trade, and you should know which one you are signing up for.
- What is the callback policy? At some shops, warranty callbacks come out of the installer's time.
- How many people are on a crew? A "high" rate for doing a two-person job alone is not a high rate.
Ask us the same five questions. We will answer all of them directly.
Common Questions About Install Pay
What is the average HVAC installer salary in Las Vegas?
Ranges vary widely by shop and by how much of the compensation is real versus theoretical. The Cooling Company pays installers in credit units per item installed rather than an hourly wage, so what matters is the volume and mix of work available and what each unit is worth. What also matters, and is easy to overlook, is whether the vehicle, fuel, and tools are provided, because those items swing take-home pay substantially.
Do install techs get paid more than service techs?
Not at the top. Service technicians here earn $24 to $44 per hour, so the service range starts lower and ends higher. Service work rewards diagnostic depth and customer communication; install work rewards production quality and crew leadership. They are two different career tracks, and people move between them in both directions.
Does The Cooling Company pay per job or hourly?
Installers are paid in credit units rather than by the clock. A credit unit is a set amount for each item installed, so your pay follows the work you completed rather than the hours it took. Credit units replaced the timecard for installer roles. They are not commission: an installer who also sells still earns commission on top, under the same rules as everyone else. Because the pay is tied to the work rather than the clock, overtime does not apply to credit units and a longer day on the same scope does not change the amount. Your hours are still recorded. A technician who helps on an installation is paid their normal way, by the clock with overtime, no matter how much install work the day held.
How often do install techs get raises?
Advancement here is tied to demonstrated capability and certifications rather than to a calendar. If you earn a certification, take on crew lead responsibility, or expand the range of installs you can run independently, that is the conversation, and it can happen at any point in the year rather than waiting for an annual review cycle.
How does peak season affect installer earnings?
Through volume of completed work rather than overtime hours. June through September is the busiest stretch of the year, so there is more work available. Overtime does not apply to credit units, which is why working efficiently is rewarded directly: completing a scope well is worth more than stretching the day.
Get Your Number
The fastest way to find out where you would land in the range is to tell us what you can do. Submit an application, and we will call you within a few business days with a real number rather than a range and a maybe.
Full details on every open role are on our careers page.
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