What to expect You will need your billable rate, technician wage, weekly billed hours, hiring costs, and replacement timeline. The calculation takes about three minutes.

Technician pay and billing

Average hourly billing rate

$

Housecall Pro reports HVAC rates of $75 to $150 per hour, with after-hours rates near $200. Enter the average hourly rate you charge customers.

Technician hourly wage

$

The starting figure uses the May 2024 BLS median for HVAC mechanics and installers: $28.75 per hour, or $59,810 annually. The May 2025 median is $29.33. Enter your average technician wage.

Billable work affected

Billable hours per technician each week

Enter the average number of hours a technician bills customers each week. The starting figure of 25 is an example you can replace with your own average.

Weeks from departure to full productivity

Count the time from departure until the replacement reaches full productivity, including vacancy and training time. The starting estimate is eight weeks. Published industry estimates suggest 6 to 10 weeks to hire and another 4 to 8 weeks to reach full productivity.

Scheduled work you cannot cover

%

Enter the percentage of scheduled work you cannot reassign during the vacancy. The starting figure is 50%. The workbook tracks reassigned work separately.

Hiring, training, and turnover figures

Hiring expenses

Recruiting and advertising cost per hire

$

Other hiring costs

$

Add background checks, driving checks, drug screening, uniforms, and onboarding supplies.

Interview and screening hours per hire

Count the hours spent reviewing applications and interviewing candidates. The calculator values these hours at your office hourly cost.

Training and office time

Paid training and ramp-up hours

Include paid ride-alongs, orientation, and supervised training hours. The calculator values these hours at the technician's hourly wage.

Office hours for each departure and replacement

Include scheduling changes, payroll updates, departure paperwork, and new-hire setup. Record interview time under hiring expenses.

Office staff hourly cost

$

Enter the full hourly cost of the owner or office manager's time.

Annual turnover

Average number of technicians

Technicians who left in the past 12 months

Your target annual turnover rate

%

Use your departures from the past 12 months and your target turnover rate.

Cost to replace one technician

$0

0% annual turnover

Estimated annual turnover cost

$0

Potential annual savings at your target turnover rate

$0

Estimated cost per technician departure: $0. Estimated annual turnover cost: $0.

Your turnover cost breakdown

Email your results

Email yourself a copy of your turnover estimate and inputs.

How the calculation works

What goes into technician turnover costs

Replacing a technician involves hiring, paid training, office time, and lost billable work. The breakdown shows how much each category contributes to the total cost.

See the calculation

Hiring expenses

Hiring expenses include advertising, interviews, screening, background and driving checks, drug screening, and uniforms.

Training and ramp-up time

Include paid ride-alongs, orientation, and supervised training. Published estimates suggest 4 to 8 weeks for a new technician to reach full productivity.

Office time

Office time includes scheduling changes, payroll and employee record updates, departure paperwork, and new-hire setup.

Lost billable work

The lost billable work estimate uses vacancy weeks, weekly billable hours, the percentage of work lost, and the difference between your billing rate and technician wage. The result represents estimated contribution before parts and other job costs.

Technician retention

Support retention through the first year

The Tech First-Year Retention System includes seven guided check-ins and lets you review retention at 90 days, one year, and by hiring source.

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One-time purchase. Instant download.

See the Tech First-Year Retention System

30-day refund. Reply to your receipt or email support@truestephr.com.

Related resources

Related calculators and research

Reference note What employee turnover costs Compare replacement costs by role, from departure through full productivity.
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Reference note Onboarding and the 30-60-90 ramp Plan training and early check-ins for new employees.
Calculator Empty Truck Cost Estimate the daily revenue at risk from an unstaffed truck and the total across the vacancy.
Calculator Cost of Turnover Estimate the cost of replacing an employee, including separation, vacancy time, recruiting, onboarding, and ramp-up.

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Compare this estimate with your records to help plan your next step.

Tech Turnover Cost Calculator

Technician pay and billing

Billable work affected

Hiring expenses

Training and office time

Annual turnover

Cost to replace one technician

Your turnover cost breakdown

Email your results

What goes into technician turnover costs

Hiring expenses

Training and ramp-up time

Office time

Lost billable work

Support retention through the first year

Plan around your turnover costs

Estimate turnover costs

Email your results

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