1

Building Engineer Apprentice Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Building Mechanic II

Santa Rosa, CA · On-site

$100K - $121K/yr

Union Apprenticeship Program * Training from Electricians union * Training from Local 39 stationary engineers * EPA 608 Certification Building Mechanics are expected to work and assess problems in ...

Building Mechanic I

Santa Rosa, CA · On-site

$89K - $108K/yr

Union Apprenticeship Program * Training from Electricians union * Training from Local 39 stationary engineers * EPA 608 Certification The Building Mechanics are expected to work and assess problems ...

HVAC Apprentice Technician

Brea, CA · On-site

$23.14 - $38.67/hr

Use cutting edge software and technology, a variety of hand-tools, and blueprints / engineering ... Family building benefits include fertility coverage and adoption/surrogacy assistance. * 401K match ...

HVAC Apprentice Technician

Brea, CA · On-site

$23.14 - $38.67/hr

Use cutting edge software and technology, a variety of hand-tools, and blueprints / engineering ... Family building benefits include fertility coverage and adoption/surrogacy assistance. * 401K match ...

Field Engineer Reports to: Superintendent Summary of Position: Blach offers a unique approach to ... apprentice in the field, building their craft skills as a carpenter during their 4 years of ...

Field Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$80K - $120K/yr

Field Engineer Reports to: Superintendent Summary of Position: Blach offers a unique approach to ... apprentice in the field, building their craft skills as a carpenter during their 4 years of ...

Stationary Engineer I

Sacramento, CA · On-site

$98K - $108K/yr

Research, read and understand applicable (building, plumbing, and electrical) codes Employment ... Or: 3. A certificate of completion from a Federal/State approved Stationary Engineer apprenticeship ...

We automate the verification of Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship (PWA) requirements under the ... The expectation is that you are already building this way and can push the pace further. As we ...

We automate the verification of Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship (PWA) requirements under the ... The expectation is that you are already building this way and can push the pace further. As we ...

We automate the verification of Prevailing Wage and Apprenticeship (PWA) requirements under the ... The expectation is that you are already building this way and can push the pace further. As we ...

Minimum of four (4) years of technical experience in all aspects of building engineering with a ... Two years of trades school or documented apprenticeship in electrical systems,refrigerationand HVAC ...

Minimum of four (4) years of technical experience in all aspects of building engineering with a ... Two years of trades school or documented apprenticeship in electrical systems,refrigerationand HVAC ...

ACCO Engineered Systems is one of the largest mechanical contractors in the country. Since 1934 ... Whether your project is a low or high-rise office building, a shopping mall, hospital, semi ...

Showing results 41-60

Building Engineer Apprentice information

See California salary details

$12

$21

$36

How much do building engineer apprentice jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 24, 2026, the average hourly pay for building engineer apprentice in California is $21.73, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.07 and $23.70 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Building Engineer Apprentice, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Building Engineer Apprentice, you need a basic understanding of building systems (HVAC, plumbing, electrical), mechanical aptitude, and typically a high school diploma or equivalent. Familiarity with tools such as multimeters, hand tools, and building automation systems, and pursuing certifications like OSHA safety training or EPA 608 can be advantageous. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication help apprentices learn quickly and work well in teams. These skills and qualities are vital for safely maintaining building operations, supporting senior engineers, and progressing in the facilities management field.

What are Building Engineer Apprentices?

Building Engineer Apprentices are individuals who are training to become building engineers by working under the supervision of experienced professionals. They assist with the maintenance, repair, and operation of building systems such as heating, ventilation, air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, and electrical systems. Apprenticeships typically combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction, helping apprentices develop technical skills and knowledge required for a career in building engineering. This hands-on experience prepares them for more advanced roles in facility management and building operations.

Can you become an engineer through an apprenticeship?

Building Engineer Apprenticeships provide practical training and hands-on experience in building systems, often leading to certification or further education in engineering fields. While apprenticeships develop relevant skills, becoming a licensed engineer typically requires completing a degree in engineering and passing licensing exams, but an apprenticeship can be a valuable step toward that goal.

Is 25 too late to start an apprenticeship?

Starting a Building Engineer Apprentice program at age 25 is not too late, as many apprenticeships welcome adult learners. Success depends on your commitment, relevant skills, and willingness to learn, with some programs offering flexible schedules for working adults.

What is the difference between Building Engineer Apprentice vs Building Maintenance Technician?

AspectBuilding Engineer ApprenticeBuilding Maintenance Technician
CredentialsTypically in training or pursuing certifications like HVAC, electrical, or plumbing licensesOften holds relevant certifications or licenses, such as HVAC or electrical certifications
Work EnvironmentOn-the-job training in commercial or institutional buildings, learning building systemsPerforming maintenance, repairs, and inspections in various building settings
Employer & Industry UsageUsed by employers training future engineers in property management or facilities managementCommonly employed by property management firms, facilities, and maintenance companies

Building Engineer Apprentices are in training to become skilled building engineers, focusing on learning building systems and gaining certifications. Building Maintenance Technicians perform hands-on repairs and maintenance. Both roles work in similar environments but differ mainly in experience level and training status.

What is the highest paid apprenticeship job?

Building Engineer Apprenticeships typically offer competitive wages, but the highest paid apprenticeships are often in specialized trades such as electrical, plumbing, or HVAC, which can pay higher due to technical skill requirements. Advanced apprenticeships in fields like aerospace, engineering, or information technology may also provide higher compensation as skills and certifications progress.

Is 27 too old for an apprenticeship?

Building Engineer Apprenticeships are open to individuals of various ages, and 27 is not considered too old to start. Many apprenticeships value skills, motivation, and willingness to learn over age, and older apprentices often bring valuable life experience to the program.

What are the most common challenges faced by a Building Engineer Apprentice during their first year on the job?

As a Building Engineer Apprentice, one of the most common challenges is adapting to the fast-paced, hands-on environment of facility maintenance and repair. Apprentices often need to quickly learn to prioritize tasks, troubleshoot mechanical or electrical issues, and communicate effectively with senior engineers and other team members. Balancing on-the-job learning with classroom instruction can also be demanding, but it is essential for building foundational technical skills. Constructive feedback and mentorship from experienced engineers are vital in helping apprentices overcome these early challenges and become proficient in the role.
What are the most commonly searched types of Building Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Building Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Building Engineer Apprentice jobs in California? For Building Engineer Apprentice jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Building Engineer Apprentice jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Building Engineer Apprentice jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Building Engineer Apprentice jobs? Cities in California with the most Building Engineer Apprentice job openings:
Infographic showing various Building Engineer Apprentice job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 9% Contract. Highlights an 94% In-person, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $45,206 per year, or $21.7 per hour.
Stationary Engineer (7334) - Multiple Departments Citywide (C00197)

Stationary Engineer (7334) - Multiple Departments Citywide (C00197)

City and County of San Francisco

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 16 days ago


City And County Of San Francisco rating

9.0

Company rating: 9.0 out of 10

Based on 25 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

66th of 703 rated public administrative organizations


Job description

Company Description
**Republished to include Medical Examination/Drug Testing information.**
San Francisco is a vibrant and dynamic city, on the forefront of economic growth & innovation, urban development, arts & entertainment, as well as social issues & change. This rich tapestry of culture and ideas is sustained by our City's commitment to heighten the quality of life for the diverse population of San Franciscans and residents of the greater Bay Area. Our employees play an important role not only in making our City what it is today, but also in shaping the future of San Francisco.
In addition to establishing a career with purpose and opportunity for professional growth, the City offers excellent benefits that include: competitive salaries; medical, dental, and vision insurance; defined benefit retirement plan; deferred compensation plan; long-term disability insurance; life insurance; and a generous paid time off package.
Come explore first-hand the many opportunities that the City and County of San Francisco has to offer.
Job Description
Stationary Engineers operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair a wide variety of pumping, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration and auxiliary plant machinery and equipment in a large complex or multi-faceted facility. They ensures that all equipment, machinery and systems are functioning normally and safely, and comply with all applicable safety rules and regulations.
STATIONARY ENGINEER POSITION AND JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
  1. Operates, maintains and repairs a wide variety of pumping, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, refrigeration, and power generating equipment in a large complex or multi-faceted facility to ensure the safe, correct and efficient functioning of the facility and equipment may be required to operate computerized building management systems, preventative or predictive maintenance computer systems or Computerized Data Gathering System (SCADA).
  2. Inspects and tests: machinery and equipment for safe, efficient and proper operation by visual and audio inspection during walk-throughs and by standard monitoring; fire prevention equipment to ensure safe and proper functionality; water storage and multiple distribution systems, high pressure zones, wood and steel storage tanks, pumps and relief valves, and samples of water.
  3. Makes entries and keeps records on shift operation by taking and entering gauge readings and accurate water laboratory analysis readings and temperatures on operating log sheets or into a computer data system to ensure preventative maintenance and equipment history; and changes charts and recordings accordingly.
  4. Receives, records and stores large amounts of treatment chemicals and may handle hazardous chemicals in confined or enclosed areas; must be capable of safely and properly handling chemical spills; may also include handling and treatment of industrial or hazardous waste.
  5. Contacts, communicates and is required to deal with contractors, building tenants and/or the general public in order to be able to discharge assigned duties.
  6. Maintains keys, communications equipment, and security (in the absence of Security Personnel), in order to ensure the security of a plant and buildings and grounds, including public safety. As part of an emergency response team, recognizes, evaluates, and responds to potentially hazardous situations.
  7. Performs control tests on water samples to determine chlorine and fluoride residual, pH, alkalinity, turbidity, color, saturation index and flocculation factors; under supervision, conducts water analysis and regulates treatment chemical dosages to maintain water quality in filtration plant, distribution system, or other large complex facility may also be required to perform water analysis on water/wastewater as required by the State of California; performs boiler water and cooling tower chemical tests, including pH, alkalinity TDS, etc., to monitor and control growth of organisms in water.

Qualifications
Experience: Four (4) years of verified journey-level stationary engineer experience in the maintenance, repair and operation of a variety of mechanical and electrical pumping, heating, air conditioning, ventilating and related plant machinery used in a government establishment, hospital, industrial, production or commercial building.
Experience as an oiler or firefighter will not be accepted as qualifying experience.
License and Certification
  • Possession of a valid California Driver License
  • Possession at time of hire a Universal Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) certificate issued by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Substitution
Any of the following may be substituted for the required experience:
  • Completion of a recognized four-year Stationary Engineer apprenticeship program
  • Graduation from a recognized four-year Maritime Academy with a degree in engineering or technology
  • Possession of at least a 3rd Assistant Marine Engineer's License of any (unrestricted) horsepower

Essential Functions require considerable physical effort in the repair and upkeep of machinery and equipment; and ability to lift heavy objects.
Work environment may require exposure to working conditions where minor abrasions, bruises and burns may be encountered; occasional disagreeable work inside close and dirty spaces.
Upon appointment to employment, and then on annual basis, employees may be required to pass a State mandated respirator Medical Examination and be clean shaven for respirator and self-contained breathing apparatus fittings. Employees must pass CPR training annually and First Aid every three (3) years.
Verification of Education and Experience
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at http://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.
Please review our articles on Employment Application and Minimum Qualifications and Verification of Experience and/or Education for further information.
Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@careers.sf.gov that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
SELECTION PROCEDURES
After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process which includes the following:
Stationary Engineer Written Examination (Weight 100%)
Candidates self-certifying meeting the Minimum Qualifications will be invited to participate in the online Stationary Engineer Core Exam. Candidates will be sent a web link via email that will allow them to take the online Stationary Engineer Analyst Core Exam that is designed to measure knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in job-related areas which have been identified as critical for positions in the Stationary Engineer classification.
This computer-administered test can be taken at home or at a time and location of one's convenience, but only within the time period specified on the test notification. Candidates must have access to a computer and reliable internet connection to participate in this exam.
In accordance with Civil Service Rule 111.11.4, inspection privileges do not apply to the questions and answers in this examination. This multiple-choice exam will be administered either on a computer or in a paper format. The type of format will depend on the size of the qualified applicant pool. Qualified candidates will be notified of the type of exam format in their exam appointment notification. Your score will be valid and 'banked' for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, you will not be required to re-take this test. If the selection process for a future announcement is held within one year of the date of this examination and it includes this exam your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However, after one year, you have the option to either (a) apply your test score to the other announcement or (b) re-take the test. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the examination and only in association with your eligibility for another announcement for which the test is used. Please note that, should you re-test, your re-test score would become your official score since it is the most recent.
Note: A passing score must be achieved on all examination components in order to be placed on the Eligible List Score Report. The hiring department may administer additional position-specific procedures to make final hiring decisions.
Candidates scores on this examination may also be applied to other announcements involving other job titles, when directed by the Human Resources Director.
Score Banking: Scores attained on the Stationary Engineer Core Exam will be 'banked' for three years, starting from the date of the examination. This means that, during this three-year time period, candidates need not take this test again. Rather, if another announcement you applied to and are deemed qualified for requires the Stationary Engineer Core Exam and is held within one year of your Stationary Engineer Core Exam date, your score will be automatically applied to that announcement. However, after one year, a candidate has the option to either (a) apply their test score to the other announcement or (b) re-take the test. Re-testing is permitted no sooner than one year from the date of the test and only in association with a candidate's eligibility for another announcement to which the candidate has applied and is deemed qualified. If a candidate opts to re-test, the re-test score becomes the candidate's official score since it is the most recent.
If a significant modification is made to this exam in the future, the application of "banked" scores may no longer be appropriate. In such a rare circumstance, candidates with "banked" scores would be required to re-take the exam sooner than the three-year period specified above should they apply to another job opportunity where the modified exam is used.
Eligible List/Score Report: A confidential eligible list of applicant names that have passed the civil service examination process will be created and used for certification purposes only. An examination score report will be established, so applicants can view the ranks, final scores, and number of eligible candidates. Applicant information, including names of applicants on the eligible list, shall not be made public unless required by law. However, an eligible list shall be made available for public inspection, upon request, once the eligible list is exhausted or expired and referrals resolved. The eligible list/score report resulting from this civil service examination process is subject to change after adoption (e.g., as a result of appeals), as directed by the Human Resources Director or the Civil Service Commission.
Upon passing the exam, candidates will be placed on the eligible list for a period of TBD.
To find Departments which use this classification, please see: https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2022-23.pdf.
Additional Information
Where to Apply
All job applications for the City and County of San Francisco must be submitted through our online portal. Please visit https://careers.sf.gov/ to begin your application process.
Computers are available for the public (9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday) to file online applications in the lobby of the Dept. of Human Resources at 1 South Van Ness Avenue, 4th Floor and at the City Career Center at City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 110.
Ensure your application information is accurate, as changes may not be possible after submission. Your first and last name must match your legal ID for verification, and preferred names can be included in parentheses. Use your personal email address, not a shared or work email, to avoid unfixable issues.
Applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@smartrecruiters.com that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
Note:
1. Please ensure the information on your application is accurate. It may not be possible to change after you've applied.
2. Your first and last name should match your legal ID for verification purposes. A preferred first name may be included in parentheses. Here is an example: Samuel (Sam) Jackson
3. Your email address should be consistent across all jobs applied to on our website.
4. Use a personal and not a shared email address. Doing so may prevent your application from submitting properly.
5. Upon successful submission of your application, applicants will receive a confirmation email from notification@smartrecruiters.com. Keep this email for your records. If you do not receive the confirmation email, your application was not submitted successfully and you will need to resubmit.
Medical Examination/Drug Testing: Candidates who are being considered for appointment for positions which may be required to pass a medical examination. Candidates who cannot meet the medical requirement will be placed under waiver until this requirement is met. The medical examination will be administered only to those applicants who are being considered for appointment.
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) has determined that Class 7334 Stationary Engineer is a

What City And County Of San Francisco employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom