Free service technician job description templates: generic, HVAC, automotive, appliance, field/IT, and small business, with FLSA and EPA 608 help. DOCX.
6 free templates across generic, HVAC, automotive, appliance, field/IT, and small-business technicians, with the FLSA, EPA 608, DOT, and OSHA guidance the template farms skip. Download as DOCX.
A service technician job description has one trap the generic templates fall into: service technician is an umbrella term spanning many trades, and a vague posting draws the wrong applicants. The role installs, maintains, and repairs equipment, but an HVAC technician (who needs EPA 608 certification), an automotive technician (the largest group), and an appliance or field technician are different hires with different credentials and pay. The other thing the templates skip: a service technician is almost always non-exempt and hourly, and the role carries real compliance, EPA 608, DOT driving rules, OSHA, and state licensing. Name the trade and the compliance, and the posting reaches the right person.
At FirstHR, we build templates for the small, owner-run shops that make this hire, the HVAC contractor with five employees, the independent auto or appliance shop, usually without an HR department, and we add the FLSA, EPA 608, DOT, and OSHA guidance the template farms leave out. The six below cover generic, HVAC, automotive, appliance, field/IT, and small-business. The guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals.
TL;DR
Service technician is an umbrella term: it installs, maintains, and repairs equipment across trades like HVAC (needs EPA 608), automotive (the largest group), appliance, and field/IT. The role is almost always non-exempt and hourly with overtime, and it carries real compliance: EPA Section 608 for refrigerant work, DOT rules for CDL driving, and OSHA. Pay runs roughly the high $40s to low $60s at the median by trade. Download as DOCX.
What a Service Technician Does
A service technician installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs equipment, in the field or in a shop and usually with customers directly, working across install and maintain, diagnose and repair, document and parts, and customer and route. The equipment depends on the trade.
Because the title spans trades, the federal benchmarks come from the matching occupations, for the largest regulated trade the HVAC mechanics and installers category, with automotive and others mapping to their own.
Generic, HVAC, Automotive, and More
The single most important step before writing is to name the trade, because the industry versions are different hires with different credentials.
Generic Service Technician
The umbrella term
Installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs equipment across industries. The default meaning when no industry is named, which is why the posting should specify your trade and equipment.
HVAC Service Technician
Regulated (EPA 608)
Installs and repairs heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems. Federally regulated: handling refrigerants requires EPA Section 608 certification. The highest-paid and fastest-growing of the common trades.
Automotive Service Technician
Largest by employment
Inspects, diagnoses, and repairs cars and light trucks. The largest of these occupations by employment, with ASE certification as the standard credential and some dealership-specific FLSA nuances.
Appliance / Field / IT
In customer homes and sites
Appliance technicians repair household and commercial appliances in the field; field and IT service technicians travel to customer sites to install and fix equipment or systems. Both are route-based, customer-facing roles.
Name Your Trade and Equipment
Generic is the umbrella; specify your trade. HVAC requires EPA 608 by federal law. Automotive is the largest group and works toward ASE. Appliance and field/IT are route-based, in-home or on-site roles. A candidate for one trade is rarely a fit for another, so name the trade, the equipment, and the required certification.
Service Technician Duties and Responsibilities
A service technician's duties cluster into install and maintain, diagnose and repair, document and parts, and customer and route. The equipment shifts by trade, but these four areas hold across the role.
Install and maintain
Install and set up equipment
Perform preventive maintenance
Complete tune-ups and upgrades
Diagnose and repair
Diagnose and troubleshoot issues
Repair and replace parts
Test to confirm operation
Document and parts
Document service and work orders
Order and manage parts
Track service history
Customer and route
Communicate with customers
Manage a service route
Provide professional on-site service
An HVAC tech leans on refrigerant and electrical work; an automotive tech on diagnostics and repair. For a structured way to scope the role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by trade: generic when you adapt it yourself, HVAC for refrigerant work, automotive for vehicle repair, appliance for in-home repair, field/IT for on-site service, and the small-business version for an owner-run first hire. Use this guide to choose.
Generic Service Technician
Any trade
The universal version: install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair equipment. The right starting point when you adapt it to your specific trade.
HVAC
EPA 608 required
For heating, cooling, and refrigeration: refrigerant handling, EPA 608 certification, and HVAC diagnostics built in.
Automotive
ASE preferred
For car and light-truck repair: diagnostics, ASE certification, and the dealership-versus-independent FLSA note built in.
Appliance
In-home repair
For household and commercial appliance repair in customer homes, with route management and background-check notes.
Field / IT
On-site service
For field and IT service technicians who travel to customer sites to install, configure, and repair equipment or systems.
Small Business (First Hire)
Owner-run, no HR
The flagship version for an owner-run shop hiring its first or next technician, with the first-hire compliance basics built in.
Match the Template to Your Trade
Any trade, adapted: Generic. Heating and cooling: HVAC (EPA 608). Vehicles: Automotive (ASE). In-home appliance repair: Appliance. On-site equipment or IT: Field / IT. Owner-run first hire: Small Business. Whichever you pick, classify as non-exempt and name the required certification.
6 Free Service Technician Job Description Templates
Download all six as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each follows the same structure: company overview, position summary, key responsibilities, qualifications, a compliance note, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets, set the company and reporting line, and post.
Download All 6 Job Description Templates
Generic, HVAC, automotive, appliance, field/IT, and small business service technician. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: Service Technician (Generic)
The universal version: install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair equipment. The right starting point when you adapt it to your specific trade.
Service Technician Job Description (Generic)
SERVICE TECHNICIAN JOB DESCRIPTION (GENERIC)
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Service Manager / Owner]
Employment type: Full-time, W-2
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly; confirm by duties)
Compensation: $______ per hour [+ overtime]
ABOUT [COMPANY NAME]
[Company Name] is a [type] service company in [City, State]. We are hiring a
Service Technician to install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair [equipment] for
our customers.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Service Technician installs, services, diagnoses, and repairs equipment in
the field or shop, working directly with customers. You will keep equipment
running, document your work, and deliver reliable, professional service.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Install, maintain, and repair equipment
•Diagnose and troubleshoot problems
•Perform routine and preventive maintenance
•Test equipment after service to confirm operation
•Document service performed and parts used
•Communicate clearly with customers
•Order and manage parts as needed
•Follow safety procedures on every job
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent
•[1+] years of service or repair experience (will train)
•Strong diagnostic and mechanical aptitude
•Comfortable with hand and diagnostic tools
•Driver's license (field roles) and clean driving record
•Relevant certification a plus
COMPLIANCE NOTE (read before posting)
Service technicians are typically non-exempt (hourly), so track hours and pay
overtime. Add any required certification or license for your trade, and if the
role drives a company vehicle, check driving-record requirements. This is general
information, not legal advice.
EEO STATEMENT
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer. Reasonable accommodations are
available for the essential functions of this role.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $______ per hour [+ overtime]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Template 2: HVAC Service Technician
For heating, cooling, and refrigeration: refrigerant handling, EPA 608 certification, and HVAC diagnostics built in.
HVAC Service Technician Job Description
HVAC SERVICE TECHNICIAN JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __ ([City, State])
Reports to: [Service Manager / Owner]
Employment type: Full-time, W-2
FLSA status: Non-exempt (hourly; confirm by duties)
Compensation: $______ per hour [+ overtime]
ABOUT THIS ROLE
An HVAC service technician installs, services, and repairs heating, ventilation,
air conditioning, and refrigeration systems in homes and businesses, working with
refrigerants under federal certification rules.
POSITION SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring an HVAC Service Technician to install, maintain, and
repair HVAC and refrigeration systems for our customers. You will diagnose
issues, handle refrigerants safely, and deliver reliable comfort and service.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Install, service, and repair HVAC and refrigeration systems
•Diagnose mechanical, electrical, and refrigerant issues
•Recover, recharge, and handle refrigerants per EPA rules
•Perform preventive maintenance and tune-ups
•Test systems and verify performance
•Document service and complete work orders
•Communicate findings and options to customers
•Follow OSHA and company safety procedures
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•High school diploma or equivalent; HVAC training preferred
•EPA Section 608 certification (required to handle refrigerants)
•[1+] years of HVAC service experience (will train apprentices)
•Strong diagnostic and electrical skills
•Driver's license and clean driving record
•NATE certification a plus
COMPLIANCE NOTE (HVAC)
EPA Section 608 certification is federally required to service equipment with
refrigerants (apprentices may work under a certified technician). The role is
non-exempt (hourly). Check your state's HVAC licensing rules. This is general
information, not legal advice.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Compensation: $______ per hour [+ overtime]
To apply, email __ with your resume.
Still Using Spreadsheets for Onboarding?
Automate documents, training assignments, task management, and track onboarding progress in real time.
This is the part the template farms skip, and for a service technician it carries real legal and safety weight. Four compliance areas belong in the hiring decision.
FLSA: non-exempt and hourly
A service technician is almost always non-exempt under the FLSA, an hourly role entitled to overtime at one and one-half times the regular rate over 40 hours in a workweek. Technicians at independent repair shops do not fall under the motor carrier exemption and must receive overtime. Two narrow exceptions exist: certain dealership mechanics under a specific FLSA exemption, and a motor carrier exemption that applies only to work on heavier vehicles in interstate commerce. Flat-rate or flag-rate pay does not by itself make a role exempt. So classify as non-exempt, track hours, and pay overtime unless a specific exemption clearly applies. This is general information, not legal advice.
EPA 608 and trade certifications
For HVAC and any role servicing refrigerant equipment, EPA Section 608 certification is required by federal law under the Clean Air Act, and the penalty for handling refrigerants without it is steep; apprentices may work under a certified technician. The certification does not expire. Other trades have their own credentials: ASE for automotive (recertify every five years), NATE for HVAC (voluntary, two-year cycle), EPA 609 for auto A/C, and CompTIA for IT field roles. Name the required certification in the posting and treat preferred ones as a plus, and track expirations where they apply.
DOT, CDL, and driving records
Field roles that drive a company vehicle need a clean driving record and a motor vehicle record (MVR) check, and this is a routine requirement in real technician postings. If a technician operates a commercial motor vehicle that requires a CDL (heavy GVWR, large passenger capacity, or placarded hazmat), the role falls under DOT rules including drug and alcohol testing and the FMCSA Clearinghouse, and even a mechanic who only test-drives such a vehicle can be covered. For most light-vehicle field roles, an MVR check and a valid license suffice. State the driving requirement in the posting.
OSHA and state licensing
Service work carries OSHA obligations: lockout/tagout (controlling hazardous energy), hazard communication, and, for elevated work, fall protection, the most-cited OSHA standard. Build basic safety training into onboarding. Separately, licensing varies by state and trade: HVAC, electrical, and refrigeration often require state or contractor-level licenses, frequently held at the contractor level with technicians working under them, while EPA 608 is the federal floor for refrigerant work nationwide. Check your state and trade before posting. This is general information, not legal advice.
For any work with refrigerants, EPA Section 608 certification is required by federal law, with steep penalties for skipping it. Separately, a service technician is non-exempt and hourly with overtime; independent-shop techs do not get the motor carrier exemption, and flat-rate pay does not make a role exempt. Field roles that drive need a clean motor vehicle record, and CDL driving adds DOT rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
Requirements and Qualifications
This is a skilled trade learned largely on the job, with no degree typically required. Match the certification and skills to the trade.
Requirement
What to know
Education
High school diploma; trade school or apprenticeship a plus
Experience
1+ years typical; many shops will train the right person
Skills
Diagnostics, mechanical and electrical aptitude, tools
Certification
EPA 608 (HVAC, required); ASE, NATE, CompTIA by trade
Driving
License and clean MVR for field roles; CDL adds DOT rules
Classification
Non-exempt, hourly, with overtime
Match the requirements to the trade. The BLS data for automotive technicians and the O*NET profile for HVAC cover pay and tasks, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description.
How to Write a Service Technician Job Description
A strong service technician posting takes shape once you name the trade, set the compliance, and match the requirements. Here is the process the templates are built around.
1
Name the trade
Service technician is an umbrella term: generic, HVAC, automotive, appliance, field/IT, or a small-business version. Pick the matching template.
2
List the real responsibilities
Install and maintain, diagnose and repair, document and parts, and customer and route, calibrated to your trade.
3
Set qualifications
Usually a high school diploma, relevant experience with a willingness to train, diagnostic aptitude, a driver's license for field roles, and the trade's required certification.
4
Handle FLSA, certification, and driving
Classify as non-exempt and hourly. Name EPA 608 for refrigerant work, list ASE or others as preferred, and state driving-record or background-check requirements.
5
Set pay by trade
Benchmark the hourly wage to your trade and region; pay runs from the high forties to the low sixties at the median depending on trade.
Keep the posting neutral and inclusive, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on protected characteristics.
Service Technician Pay by Trade
Service technician pay depends on the trade, and because the title spans several occupations, the benchmarks come from the matching federal categories.
Pay and Demand by Trade (BLS)
HVAC technicians had a median wage of $59,810 in May 2024 with 8% projected growth (much faster than average), automotive technicians about $49,670 (the largest group at 805,600 jobs), diesel about $60,640, and medical equipment repairers about $62,630 (BLS).
So depending on the trade, a service technician typically earns from the high forties to the low sixties at the median, with the lowest earners in the mid thirties and the highest above eighty or ninety thousand; general maintenance workers sit around $48,620 and small engine mechanics about $48,240. Because the role is non-exempt, you pay an hourly wage plus overtime over 40 hours in a workweek, so describe the pay as an hourly rate. For a posting, benchmark to your specific trade and region rather than a single national figure, since pay ranges widely, and include a good-faith range where your state requires pay transparency. National compensation surveys are the right reference for trade-specific and regional detail.
Hiring a Service Technician
The service technician is a high-fit, recurring small-business hire: the average HVAC contractor has about five employees, most repair and appliance shops are small and owner-run without an HR department, and steady demand means hiring recurs. Here is what actually matters.
Service technician is an umbrella term, so name your trade
Service technician is a deliberately broad title that covers a skilled worker who installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs equipment, and the generic template sites lean into that breadth without ever helping you narrow it. In practice the role splits by industry, and each version draws different candidates with different credentials. An HVAC service technician needs EPA 608 certification by federal law and is the highest-paid and fastest-growing of the common trades. An automotive service technician is the largest group by employment and works toward ASE certification. Appliance and field or IT technicians are route-based, customer-facing roles, in homes or at customer sites. So while you can start from the generic template, the posting that actually attracts the right person names your trade, your equipment, and the certification you require, rather than advertising a vague service technician role that pulls a mismatched mix of applicants.
This is a high-fit, recurring small-business hire
Few roles fit a small-business HR tool better than the service technician, because the employers are overwhelmingly small and the hire recurs as the business grows. The average HVAC contractor in the US has only about five employees, and roughly seven in ten HVAC firms have fewer than ten people; auto repair and appliance shops are similarly small, with a large share of technicians self-employed or working for tiny independents. These are hands-on, owner-run businesses without an HR department, where the owner or a service manager writes the job description and runs onboarding personally. Demand is strong and steady (HVAC alone projects about forty thousand openings a year), so hiring technicians is a recurring task, not a one-time event. That combination, small owner-run employers, steady hiring, and real onboarding and certification needs, is exactly the profile a small-business hiring and onboarding tool is built to serve.
Compliance is the differentiator nobody templates: FLSA, EPA 608, DOT, OSHA
The part that separates a careful technician posting from a generic one is compliance, and not one of the template farms in the search results touches it. Start with pay: a service technician is non-exempt and hourly, entitled to overtime, and technicians at independent shops do not qualify for the motor carrier exemption, while flat-rate pay does not by itself create an exemption. Then certifications: EPA 608 is federally required for refrigerant work with steep penalties for skipping it, and ASE, NATE, and EPA 609 matter by trade. Then driving: field roles need a clean motor vehicle record, and a technician who operates a CDL-class vehicle falls under DOT drug-and-alcohol rules. Then OSHA (lockout/tagout, hazard communication, fall protection) and state or contractor licensing. None of this appears in a copy-paste template, yet each is real exposure for a small shop. Naming the classification, the required certification, and the driving and safety requirements in the posting and at onboarding is both more accurate and a genuine risk reducer. This is general information, not legal advice.
After You Hire: Onboarding
The job description is step one, and because the role is compliance-heavy and the hire recurs, the onboarding should be repeatable with certifications and safety front and center. Start with the employment basics: get the offer or employment agreement signed with the hourly rate and non-exempt status, complete Form I-9 within the first days along with the rest of the new hire paperwork, and gather tax forms.
Then handle the technician-specific items as a standard checklist: verify the required certification (EPA 608 for refrigerant work, ASE or others by trade) and record expiration dates, run a motor vehicle record check and any drug screen for field roles that drive, set up OSHA safety training, and issue and document tools and PPE, the kind of structured start the employee onboarding guide describes. Store the signed onboarding documents, certifications, and records centrally.
A documented, repeatable onboarding process matters here because the same steps repeat with every technician hire and the certification and safety paperwork has to be right. FirstHR supports it directly: an onboarding wizard and task workflows so each step is tracked, e-signature for offers and acknowledgments, training modules with certification expiration reminders (EPA 608, OSHA, NATE, ASE), document management to store certifications, MVR, and drug-test records, and a simple HRIS with an org chart as the company grows. Because pricing is flat rather than per employee, a small shop pays one rate. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with a payroll provider. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
Service technician is an umbrella term, so name the trade (HVAC, automotive, appliance, field/IT) to reach the right candidates.
HVAC technicians must hold EPA Section 608 certification by federal law to handle refrigerants; it does not expire.
A service technician is almost always non-exempt and hourly with overtime; independent-shop techs do not get the motor carrier exemption.
Field roles that drive need a clean motor vehicle record, and CDL-class driving adds DOT drug-and-alcohol rules.
Pay depends on trade, roughly the high $40s to low $60s at the median (HVAC about $59,810, automotive about $49,670, May 2024).
It is a high-fit, recurring small-business hire: the average HVAC contractor has about five employees and no HR department.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a service technician do?
A service technician installs, maintains, troubleshoots, and repairs equipment, working in the field or in a shop and usually dealing directly with customers. The duties cluster into a few areas: install and maintain, including setting up equipment and performing preventive maintenance; diagnose and repair, including troubleshooting issues, replacing parts, and testing to confirm operation; document and parts, including completing work orders and managing parts; and customer and route, including communicating with customers and managing a service route. Service technician is an umbrella term that spans many trades, including HVAC, automotive, appliance, and field or IT service, and the specific equipment and certifications depend on the trade. The role is hands-on and typically requires a high school diploma plus on-the-job training or a trade credential rather than a degree. This page includes a generic template plus HVAC, automotive, appliance, field/IT, and small-business versions, so you can pick the one that matches your trade.
What are the different types of service technician?
Service technician is a broad title, so naming the trade is the most important step in writing the posting. The HVAC service technician installs and repairs heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems and must hold EPA Section 608 certification to handle refrigerants; it is the highest-paid and fastest-growing of the common trades. The automotive service technician inspects, diagnoses, and repairs cars and light trucks and is the largest group by employment, typically working toward ASE certification. The appliance service technician repairs household and commercial appliances, usually in customers' homes. The field or IT service technician travels to customer sites to install, configure, and repair equipment or systems. There are also more specialized versions, such as diesel, heavy equipment, medical equipment, elevator, and telecom technicians, each mapping to its own federal occupation with different pay and requirements. Because a candidate trained for one trade is rarely a fit for another, the job description should clearly name the trade, the equipment, and the certification you require rather than advertising a generic service technician role.
Is a service technician exempt or non-exempt from overtime?
A service technician is almost always non-exempt, meaning an hourly role entitled to overtime at one and one-half times the regular rate for hours worked over 40 in a workweek. The work is skilled manual and technical labor, which does not meet the requirements for the FLSA white-collar exemptions. Importantly, technicians at independent repair shops do not fall under the motor carrier exemption and are entitled to overtime. There are two narrow exceptions to know: certain dealership mechanics, partsmen, and salesmen fall under a specific FLSA exemption, and a motor carrier exemption can apply to technicians who work on heavier vehicles used in interstate commerce, though a small-vehicle exception restores overtime for work on light vehicles. One common misconception: flat-rate or flag-rate pay does not by itself make a technician exempt. So the safe and standard practice is to classify a service technician as non-exempt and hourly, track hours, and pay overtime, unless a specific exemption clearly applies to your situation. This is general information, not legal advice; confirm classification with a professional.
What certifications does a service technician need?
It depends on the trade, and one certification is a federal legal requirement rather than a nice-to-have. For HVAC and any role that services equipment containing refrigerants, EPA Section 608 certification is required by federal law under the Clean Air Act, with significant penalties for handling refrigerants without it; apprentices may work under a certified technician, and the certification does not expire. Beyond that federal floor, certifications are trade-specific and usually preferred rather than legally required: ASE certification is the standard for automotive technicians and is recertified every five years; NATE is a respected voluntary HVAC credential on a two-year cycle; EPA 609 covers automotive air-conditioning work; and CompTIA credentials suit IT field roles. State and contractor licensing for HVAC, electrical, and refrigeration also varies, and is often held at the contractor level with technicians working under a licensed contractor. For a posting, name the legally required certification (EPA 608 for refrigerant work) as a requirement and list trade credentials like ASE or NATE as preferred. This is general information, not legal advice; check federal, state, and trade rules.
Does a small business hire service technicians, and is FirstHR a fit?
Yes, small businesses are the core employers of service technicians, which makes this a strong fit for a tool like FirstHR. The employer base is overwhelmingly small: the average HVAC contractor has only about five employees, roughly seven in ten HVAC firms have fewer than ten people, and auto repair and appliance shops are similarly small, with many technicians self-employed or working for tiny independents. These are hands-on, owner-run businesses without an HR department, and because demand is strong and steady (HVAC alone projects about forty thousand openings a year), hiring technicians is a recurring task. That recurring, compliance-heavy hire is where FirstHR fits: e-signature for offer letters and safety or certification acknowledgments, an AI onboarding wizard and task workflows to run a consistent pre-hire checklist (certifications, motor vehicle record, drug screen), training modules to track EPA 608, OSHA, NATE, and ASE with expiration reminders, and document management to store certifications, MVR, and drug-test records. Because pricing is flat rather than per employee, a small shop pays one rate as it grows. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with a payroll provider, and applicant tracking is coming soon.
How do I write a service technician job description?
Start by naming the trade, since service technician is an umbrella term and a vague posting draws the wrong applicants: generic, HVAC, automotive, appliance, field/IT, or a small-business version. Pick the matching template, then write an honest position summary and list the real responsibilities across install and maintain, diagnose and repair, document and parts, and customer and route, calibrated to your trade. Spell out the qualifications: typically a high school diploma, a year or more of relevant experience (with a willingness to train), strong diagnostic and mechanical aptitude, a driver's license and clean record for field roles, and the certification your trade requires. The differentiator the template farms skip is compliance: classify the role as non-exempt and hourly, name EPA 608 as a requirement for refrigerant work, note ASE or other credentials as preferred, and state any driving-record or background-check requirement. Set an hourly wage benchmarked to your trade and region. The templates on this page give you a ready structure for each trade with the FLSA, certification, and driving pieces built in.
How much does a service technician make?
Service technician pay depends heavily on the trade, and because the title spans several occupations, the benchmarks come from the matching federal categories. HVAC technicians had a median wage of about $59,810 a year in May 2024, and the field is projected to grow about 8 percent through 2034, much faster than average. Automotive service technicians, the largest group, had a median of about $49,670. Diesel technicians earned more, around $60,640, and medical equipment repairers about $62,630, while general maintenance and repair workers were around $48,620 and small engine mechanics about $48,240. So depending on the trade, a service technician typically earns somewhere from the high forties to the low sixties at the median, with the lowest earners in the mid thirties and the highest above eighty or ninety thousand. Because the role is non-exempt, you pay an hourly wage plus overtime over 40 hours in a workweek. For a posting, benchmark to your specific trade and region rather than a single figure, since pay ranges widely, and include a good-faith range where your state requires pay transparency. National compensation surveys are a useful reference for trade-specific and regional detail.
What happens after I hire a service technician?
Run a structured onboarding, and because the role is compliance-heavy and the hire recurs, make it repeatable with certifications and safety front and center. Start with the employment basics: get the offer or employment agreement signed with the hourly rate and non-exempt status, complete Form I-9 within the first days, and gather tax forms. Then handle the technician-specific items, ideally as a standard pre-hire and onboarding checklist: verify the required certification (EPA 608 for refrigerant work, ASE or others by trade) and record expiration dates, run a motor vehicle record check and any drug screen for field roles that drive, set up safety training (OSHA lockout/tagout, hazard communication, fall protection where relevant), and issue and document tools and PPE. Store certifications, MVR, and drug-test records centrally, since some must be retained for years. Then orient the technician to the trucks, tools, service software, route, and the way you work with customers, and set early check-ins. A documented, repeatable onboarding process matters because the same steps repeat with every technician hire and the certification and safety paperwork has to be right. FirstHR supports it with an onboarding wizard and task workflows, e-signature for offers and acknowledgments, training modules with certification expiration reminders, document management for certifications and records, and a simple HRIS. FirstHR does not run payroll or administer benefits, and applicant tracking is coming soon.
