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I thought about posting in the work forum, but its hard to find mechanics there.
So far with the flat rates that mechanics get paid, is it a bad job in terms of pay? I heard in the past it paid very well, but nowadays shops have been cutting wages.
if you are a mechanic, or knows someone that is, please tell me how it is, how is the pay, the hours spent physically at work per week, etc. I think its a job for young folks, as maybe the older folks have so many aches and pains thru years of wrenching.
My buddy was a Ford mechanic, went through their program and wrenched for 5 years. They used to pay book time (which was based on using hand tools, while most used air tools). So back in the day you got paid 50-60 hours of work time but really only worked 35-40 hours. When they refigured the book time using air tools as the standard he quit....
Now working as a service writer he makes more money without getting dirty!
Depends on your definition of a good job... salary, benefits, career advancement, retirement?
I have a good friend that's been a Ford mechanic for 25 years, he's a Sr. Master Mechanic, certified in many areas. Knows his stuff very well, can usually run circles around the young guys. Think he was making $90-100k per year... getting paid for 60-80 hours by the book, only working 40-50. Hurt his back at work last year, is in constant pain now and takes medication, was out of work for almost a year, disability ran out. Not saying this is typical outcome of a career mechanic, but it's certainly something that can happen when doing work that's hard on your body. Not sure what he has for retirement, maybe a 401k, but not sure if Ford does any matching.
Depends on your definition of a good job... salary, benefits, career advancement, retirement?
well good job as in enough money to support a family and provide a house. I know a friends uncle in high school who was in his 40's, who was recovering after a transmission fell on him, I dont know ifhe ever worked again but it opened my eyes.
what I see in mechanics is this, they have the knowledge, but if they are paid low to the point where its not rewarding, society will have problems. where I work (in a private high school, not run by city) many teachers leave because the pay is not there.
Can it pay good? Absolutely. Highly competent and skilled techs with the right certifications and credentials can easily make around $100k a year working 40-50 hours a week. However, that really isn't typical. Most average guys at a dealership after gaining experience are usually earning in the $50k-$60k range. Folks right out of school, just breaking into the field and working in chain shops and things can be lucky to break $30k a year. On top of that, being a mechanic also requires a significant investment in your own tools. Many career guys easily have $15k+ invested in their tools and boxes and that largely comes out of their own pockets.
Part of making good money is also getting into the right area of mechanics. Currently heavy duty diesel techs are in extremely high demand and that's where the most money is in terms of pay and signing bonuses. I've seen some dealers and fleet shops offering upwards of $10k in total bonuses paid out over the course of a year on top of the regular pay if you meet certain performance levels. There are a few guys I know of that are basically "journeyman" diesel mechanics that go from place-to-place picking up the bonuses and getting a pay increase each time. It's not unusual to see guys graduating high in their classes from diesel tech school starting at $40k+, not counting sign-on bonuses and tool stipends. Yet again though, these are the "top" guys.
ETA: I work in a building full of highly skilled, but older mechanics who now basically evaluate and negotiate repairs for fleet customers. A lot of them are earning less then they did in the shop, but they are all happy to not be out in the weather and beating up their bodies. It's the kind of profession that breaks you down after a while and most guys can't really make a lifelong career out of it. I usually advise anyone going that route that once they get established in the shop, they shouls look at continuing their education be getting a business or similar degree and looking to parlay their shop experience into an office job as either a service writer, service manager, parts manager or something like that. In the diesel fleet world, the trucking companies have entire departments full of folks dedicated to managing the maintenance of their vehicles, all relatively cozy white collar desk jobs that someone with mechanical experience and a degree could easily slide into.
From my own personal experience working for someone else is not the way to go.
My late dad worked for a Chrysler DLR at one time and then opened his own shop for yrs.
I myself never worked on cars for someone else but had my own shop and later a Parts House.
Getting the Flat shop rate plus the markup on the parts installed gave a good profit margin even with the overhead costs required........matter of opinion for some I'm sure.
Have a son that was getting 45% and the shop owner dropped it to 40%. He got hurt on the job and has been out of work almost a yr now and Workmans Comp is giving the you know what crappola.
If a person has the SMARTS and a SPECIALITY owning your own shop is the way to go.
This is a useful thread. My son is debating between Mechanic school and engineering school. He wants to work on making cars go fast, either eventually at his own shop restoring repairing and souping up classic cars, or working for one of the big three on SRT, SHO, or whatever GM chooses to call its performance divisions that week. He would really like to work on Ford's racing team, but he would like to design mustangs or Camaros as well.
I think he may be leaning more to the mechanic side than engineering. He is a good student, extraordinarily bright, but he is a bit ADD and does not like to sit still for hours figuring out a math problem. He prefers doing things. Not sure which one he would be happier doing, but it would be nice if he is able to make a decent living. Mechanic seems like it woudl get redundant and dull after a while. Engineer is more challenging, but rarely hands on/doing things. At least so it seems to me.
My Dad was an engineer for etroit Diesel and it always seemed like a pretty boring job to me. He liked it ok I guess though. He woud run engines, sometimes under extreme conditions until they broke and then take them apart, figure out why they broke and suggest how to make them not break. Of course he did this as part of a team. It seems like no one does anything in engineering on their own anymore. He did nto do his own wrenching. They had mechanics to do that for them.
Maybe my son will design or make that 100 MPG mustang from Birdemic.
How much you make depends directly on how good of a mechanic you are. A good mechanic is not limited to just working at Pep Boys or walmart auto where there is no real money and never will be. Dealerships pay commission .I believe an independent shop doing allot of business may be where the money is right now. People avoid the high buck dealerships during hard financial times.Problem is many private shops wont to work their mechanics very hard and then pay them 10 to 12 bucks an hour....avoid such places because there is no future there either.
Just a warning being a car guy. Be weary of the uti schools. Lots of car guys , go to them have a lot of debt and get jiffy lube oil change jobs. I have heard some people end up very succesful but I hear its like the top 10% or so.
I almost entered GM program but I missed a deadline and went an alternate route.
All I can say is get a job that is in demand, or better requires you to do it.
I ended up becoming an aircraft mechanic. FAA requires only I can work on the plane, not just any joe schmo that can turn a wrench even if they were a better mechanic.
How much does it take to start up your own shop. If my son goes the mechanic route, I will probably be funding the shop when he has learned enough to go on his own. How much do I need to have saved up?
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