Mechanic Salary in the Bay Area? (how much, school, living)

[HTY483]

So how much does an Auto Mechanic make in the Bay Area? Lets say, someone with about 5 year of experience working at an average shop, not a dealership. What would be a typical hourly wage?

[Chuck5000]

No idea. I can tell you that 2 garage owners I know (one personally, one through a friend) say that it's very hard to get good mechanics here because they can't pay them enough due to high cost of living. My guy let his mechanics go and does all the work solo.

[Shelacious]

Depends on the job. AC Transit is currently hiring for journey-level mechanics, as an FYI.

[MountainHi]

Originally Posted by Shelacious

Depends on the job. AC Transit is currently hiring for journey-level mechanics, as an FYI.

If you qualify, this would be a sweet deal; full benefits. If you don't have a journeyman's license, do what you have to do to get one. Transit jobs are good jobs, unionized.

[HockeyMac18]

Originally Posted by Shelacious

Depends on the job. AC Transit is currently hiring for journey-level mechanics, as an FYI.

I have a friend that used to work for Caltrain and now works for MUNI as a mechanic, and he loves his job. Great benefits and salary from what he tells me (unfortunately, I don't know those exact details, but I know he can afford SF even today).

I know 2 other people who work for MUNI, but they're both drivers not mechanics - but they say the pay and benefits are great, also.

[FC76-81]

There are a few factors to consider. First, what type of car(s) are being worked on. And, what shop. Reason these are important is because many mechanics who specialize in German cars came from dealerships where they were sent to "school" to be certified to work specifically on these cars and the dealerships. NOW. A lot of these certified mechanics will go to work for themselves and/or another non-dealership auto shop. In that situation you have a choice as the owner of a German car. 1) Go to the dealership and pay $275/hr. for labor or, go to the guy who worked at the dealership and now works on his own for just a portion of the hourly rate.

The shop is also a factor. Some shops charge more while other charge less. You can get a feel for the "range" of what something should cost to replace/repair. But that's the best you can do. But do factor in the 1) type of vehicle and 2) the shop that you are getting the work done.

So if you are a mechanic, these are the factors to look at as to how much you can make. Best bet is if you know someone who's got a shop in the area and who will hire you. There are tons and tons of guys who can wrench on cars around here.

Hell, just last weekend I was in AutoZone and some guy was out in the parking lot doing a complete brakepad replacement on someone's van. The "mechanic" didn't even have any tools of his own. He got the floor jack, jack stands and some tools from AutoZone along with the pads and after the job returned all the equipment into the original boxes and was returning them to get a refund (this was the point when I was at the store picking up some bulbs for my car). I bet he charged the guy a $100 or so.

[2sleepy]

Caltrans was hiring mechanics, I don't know if they still are, but they pay well and offer great benefits.