Mechanics hourly wages?

[ilikebigbutts]

:bsflag:

Let me educate you about flat rate. A service writer might make $X per hour that he sells, and a technician makes $Y per hour he is assigned. A writer may have to sell hundreds of hours a week to earn decent money. A technician must beat "book" time for every job he does to make decent money. If a writer does not sell, the technician doesn't have a chance to make. If a technician does not produce, the writer can't sell because he's too backed up.

See how that works out?

a service writter has more than one tech not all his techs back him up, it all depends how much he makes an hour.our service writers make decent dough, but they are pieces of shit that will throw you under the bus to save their ass.also, they give free stuff to the costumer so they get paid.the costumer can only afford so much,(they decide if they want work done or not) and you are stuck doing shit for free trying to beat time.so really it just depends, i work in a really bad dealer i think, but they are sponsoring me to go to school so i will stay for now.our master tech makes $22 which is a rip off for him.i make $12 hourly and i do pretty much anything with the help of my mentor if i have a hard time.i turn in around 6-7 hrs a day, so i could survive flat rate if the writters fed me work.once i get off school i am planning on finding a better place to work, stay there for 2-3 yrs and then hopefully open up my own shop...

 

[ilikebigbutts]

i wonder what if you had ur own shop, does that mean more $?? j/w

my dad's friend has a small 2 bay garage and says he makes an average of $500 a day after all expenses are paid...now thats mad dough...

 

[MassSupra89]

hmm.. some aspects sound good others sound bad..lol.. i think i'll just stick with criminal justice as a major and work on cars for a side hobby

Good choice. Haha working on these things all day takes most the fun out of going home and working on your own. It's become a chore more than fun to me recently.

 

[intense_2jz]

my dad's friend has a small 2 bay garage and says he makes an average of $500 a day after all expenses are paid...now thats mad dough...

cool, thats pretty good $

 

[bmoss85]

well i have an associates in race car technology, and i couldnt find a job at any race shop or dealership that would pay decent. im actually a mechanic for a manufacturing company and make more money than dealership or race team i talked to before coming to the company i work for now.

 

[ilikebigbutts]

cool, thats pretty good $

thats 10 grand a month/120 grand a year after you pay your bills...money that goes in your pocket...if i had a 2 bay garage id be more tahn happy if i made half of that.

 

[SySt]

a service writter has more than one tech not all his techs back him up, it all depends how much he makes an hour.our service writers make decent dough, but they are pieces of shit that will throw you under the bus to save their ass.also, they give free stuff to the costumer so they get paid.the costumer can only afford so much,(they decide if they want work done or not) and you are stuck doing shit for free trying to beat time.so really it just depends, i work in a really bad dealer i think, but they are sponsoring me to go to school so i will stay for now.our master tech makes $22 which is a rip off for him.i make $12 hourly and i do pretty much anything with the help of my mentor if i have a hard time.i turn in around 6-7 hrs a day, so i could survive flat rate if the writters fed me work.once i get off school i am planning on finding a better place to work, stay there for 2-3 yrs and then hopefully open up my own shop...

You are right about the service writers, they work for THEM. Anyone else does not matter, they'll definitly screw you if they have to. I have been working at a Ford dealership for 2 years now and I make 14/hr flat rate. I can hit 60+ hours in a 40 hour week given the work, and given the service writers don't screw me. So I can make anywhere from $400 a week to $1k a week.

I am really growing to hate the automotive industry and the people surrounding it. I will always like cars, but may not want to always be around other people that like cars or work with cars. I hope to go back to school for an engineering degree. I am VERY thankful I never want to a tech school to learn to be a mechanic.

 

[cuel]

i wonder what if you had ur own shop, does that mean more $?? j/w

And more headaches as well. Now instead of just working on cars, you have to deal with customers, parts reps, taxes, overhead, employees, shop maintenance, shop rent or mortgage payments, light, gas, water, and phone bills, and the list goes on.

You can't figure profit without first figuring salary for the long hours spent doing paperwork and such after everyone else has gone home. Yes, usually the owner does make good money, and collect the profits. That's after he spends a few years building his reputation. Those are tough years...

 

[dugums]

And more headaches as well. Now instead of just working on cars, you have to deal with customers, parts reps, taxes, overhead, employees, shop maintenance, shop rent or mortgage payments, light, gas, water, and phone bills, and the list goes on.

You can't figure profit without first figuring salary for the long hours spent doing paperwork and such after everyone else has gone home. Yes, usually the owner does make good money, and collect the profits. That's after he spends a few years building his reputation. Those are tough years...

Absolutely. You have no guarantees that you will even have a profitable business after MANY tough years.

 

[cuel]

That's true. The people I know that are making $120k + a year have been in business for 10+ years, and run respectable shops with good reputations. Most of them specialize in different areas(transmissions, imports, diesels).
The ones who made a point of gouging customers, or did poor work, didn't last more than a year or 2. Word of mouth will make you or break you.

If you want advice on getting into the auto tech field: Go get a degree in diesel tech. The Ford dealers around here are hurting for knowledgeable diesel techs, as the trucks are becoming more and more popular.

 

[OfnaRcR4]

I am actually going to school for automotive technology and am not liking the stories i hear, so i'm trying to find something else to go into. Just think when you get old. How are you going to feel at 40, 50 or older working on cars? God knows the government will have stolen social security by then. I just want something that is a little less strenuous.

 

[intense_2jz]

I am actually going to school for automotive technology and am not liking the stories i hear, so i'm trying to find something else to go into. Just think when you get old. How are you going to feel at 40, 50 or older working on cars? God knows the government will have stolen social security by then. I just want something that is a little less strenuous.

same now i have to thnk of something else makng $10+ for going to college to me is not worth it just my opinion

 

[cuel]

The mechanics I know who are exceptionally good, do it because they love it. I'm not far from 40 now, btw, and the "strenuous" part doesn't bother me. You're not call me old, are ya squirt?

Hell, I'll be wrenching on cars until the day I die. Maybe not other peoples, but always my own. It's a passion. If you think S.S. does any one any good today, you're sadly mistaken.

If you want something less physically strenuous, go into the computer tech field, accounting, or some other office job. Good money, benefits, and can sit around in the A/C getting fat and lazy

 

[intense_2jz]

hmm now i wanna be a dealership owner anyone know how to become one?

 

[bowsercake]

You have to have money to make money. Most everyone works hard to make their way up the ladder.

 

[phatbimmer]

Hell yes,

Being a tech is both fun and gay, depending on the situation lol and how you look at things. I'm an apprentice now and we work as a 3 man team (4 including me) the hours get divided in 3 and everyone is happy. If they don't make enough hours they get paid gaurantee for the week which is 40hrs. I guess it all depends on where you work and how much work you get, my dealership is pretty busy all the time, in the summer its pretty busy (no appointment needed). In order to make money you have to be fast and not sloppy fast but good fast and get things done right. I like it no matter what I do I try to do it fast and gain w/e experience I can from the guys that teach me, you have to start off at the bottom to work yourself up.

If you like wrenching you will like it, diagnosing noises and such is what gets you frustrated sometimes lol.

 

[Jeff Lange]

Not sure why this was in the General Discussion forum, I've moved it to the Off-Topic.

Jeff

 

[willfish]

hmm,

why not just make a thread on " what you make an hr " thread .....



Will