Journeyman diesel mechanics in Orlando area... (schools, wages, living)

[keniwat]

I am wondering if there are any journeyman diesel mechanics out there in the Orlando area who can give me any feedback on what kind of wages you can make in the Orlando area, hopefully working for a county transit agency, tourist bus company, or Disney, whether it be as a ride mechanic or bus mechanic on their buses. My dh works for a county transit agency in a suburb North of Seattle right now, with a good wage and benefits, but we are really wanting to move to Florida at some point in our life.....hopefully sooner than later. As we are in our mid 40's now and I fear our window of opportunity will pass us and we will end up growing old in dreary, wet, gray Seattle. Yes....We have visited Florida several times and absolutely fell in love with it!....even during the hot, humid summer!! I would never move down there blindly without research, but can not seem to come up with anything on the internet about what kind of living my dh could make down there in his occupation. Im sure it is likely to be less than what he is making right now, but the cost of living is also quite a bit higher in our area. But trying to figure out if the trade off of palm trees, beaches, and heaven forbid "sunshine" would be worth it. As this old, tired cold body of mine is growing more and more tired of these wet, gray days every year that passes.

[annerk]

$10-25/hour, depending on experience. It can take a long time to get in with LYNX, but there are two major (non-union) bus repair facilities in the area as well as Mears and Disney that operate large fleets. It's rare to make the top end to start, usually you have to put in a couple of years and work your way up.

[keniwat]

My dh has about 15 plus years experience here with the same county transit agency and is union as in this field most places are in this occupation. Are most jobs union there, or more non-union? Those wages you quoted kind of discourage me, though not so bad the top end at $25, as the cost of living would be cheaper there.But would that high end be hard to get with his experience?.. Here, he pulls in $31 plus an hour, and with being union come with some great bene's as well. But with the lack of sunshine, poor schools, and higher cost of living here makes you wonder if it is all worth it....
Thanks for your feedback.
Anybody out there know somebody working in this field in the area?

[annerk]

I'll PM you.