Ample HVAC careers in North Idaho

It’s a question we ponder as a child, a teenager, a 20-something and often in midlife as well: “What do I want for a career?” Should I follow in my parents’ footsteps and help run the family business? Perhaps going away to college for a few years will help introduce me to a career I hadn’t considered, but what if I don’t want to leave home? An industry that is thriving all across North Idaho are the “trades” and luckily for us, we don’t have to go far for a quality and affordable education.

Heating, Ventilation and Air-conditioning (HVAC) technicians are in high demand. With so much new construction in Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene, HVAC companies are having a difficult time finding enough bodies to do the work. “I have very much enjoyed my 41 years in the HVAC trade,” explained Gary Friebe, owner of Comfort Heating and Cooling in Post Falls. “It has provided my family and I a very good and steady living over the years. It has been very rewarding for me to be able to meet and build relationships with so many of our customers.”

Both Lewis-Clark State College and North Idaho College offer certificates and four-year degrees in the trades. As with any education, the more advanced your degree, the better pay, but going rate for a journeyman HVAC employee is often around $25/hour — a wage hard to find in our communities. Friebe says there are four factors that he really enjoys about his career: “Satisfying work by helping others, good pay and benefits, something different every day and a great way to interact with many different people.”

Installation of heating and air conditioning units in new commercial and residential buildings is keeping most companies busy now, but we’ve all seen firsthand the ebbs and flows of the housing market. During slower times of construction, installations might be down, but there is still plenty of work doing yearly maintenance and service. It can get brutally hot and frigid cold in North Idaho, and a career in HVAC will help you rest easy knowing you are helping people stay warm in winter and cool in summer. There are careers of all kinds, and if you’re young and planning your future or older and looking for a job change, a career in HVAC offers stability, good pay and work out from behind a desk. “There is a great opportunity for young people in this trade, and (there are) some good local trade schools in the area with a shorter schooling time than traditional colleges,” said Friebe.

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