Auto Technician Compensation
- Thread starter The Critic
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I remember watching a YouTube where a Toyota tech in CA said he got like 33/hr and a lube tech 31/hr and felt frustrated that he went through all the training to be a master tech...same tech went to BMW and apparently no better and then he went to diesel engine repair...CA is amazing even a waiter who is tipped is in the $15/hr min range while in PA it's in the $2/hr range. My coworker even gets paternity leave when my co doesn't offer it cuz he's in CA
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
It's a Euro specialty shop. Those have never been cheap. Couple that with a very high cost of living area.
Also like said above, the compensation numbers they use don't reflect everything.
No one is going to take their Nissans or Chevys there. Cough..
Also like said above, the compensation numbers they use don't reflect everything.
No one is going to take their Nissans or Chevys there. Cough..
$60 an hour minimum as a lube tech?
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$1/minute
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You bring forward a very important point. The police chief in my town is over $600k. In my town we have patrolmen in the high 100's. Elementary principals in the high 100's. Superintendent 1/4 mil. BUT, they don't show up when people run reports on the median salaries, which is likely why many focus on median. They do mess up the averages.
I'll just interject common sense--why would a police chief in a city with millions of people, make less than one in a town of 50k people.
While the housing is potentially more affordable , rents may not be. Basics like utilities, groceries and transportation costs are up a lot(some cases 50%).You are also in BC where a shack on a postage stamp costs $1.2 million dollars, lol.
This is where he lives:
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Even here in Ontario, heavy truck techs, at least outside the GTA, don't make $55/hour, let alone starting. They'll be in the $30-something range.
I thiught he was a certified Technician, and does repairs?
If he is, and shop rate is 180, he should be making 60, which is 1/3.
AM is a certified tech as he stated in Post #21:
"I’d say $20-$21 is the magic number I’d be looking for. Considering I’ve done anything and everything and am capable of it though it may take me a little longer. I’m ASE certified trying to get master certified in it as I have a few coming due again soon. I’m also certified in Toyota maintenance and working on the next steps as well as hold several Subaru certifications too. If they told me i could make $21 an hour I’d be happy. And I hold one certificate too that they value a lot and that’s I’m first aid and CPR certified too which does matter in this industry they require all of our service advisors to hold that certification."
It is obvious that his employer is vastly underpaying him and the other technicians. I'm pretty sure that he works for the Shelor Motor Mile Group which is a HUGE multi-billion dollar conglomerate that owns and operates eight new & used car dealership locations in S/W Virginia.
Shelor Motor Mile
As Leo99 said, you get paid what you negotiate, not what you deserve. AM's employer did not get rich by passively accepting every low ball offer a customer threw at them for a new vehicle. Like all profitable dealership franchises, they play hardball with both their customers and employees.
I've only seen a brief mention of quality of life factors regarding employment. AutoMechanic is on the lower rungs of his career and life ladder. There is nothing wrong, and in fact I think it is beneficial to start at the bottom, learn the ropes, and advance yourself up with experience, knowledge, hard knocks, and wisdom. But, work hard AND smart.
Beyond the hourly pay, the healthcare, retirement benefits, and work atmosphere need to be considered. I.E., in my case my hourly pay is moderate for my level, but my healthcare/retirement and other benefits more than make up (403b contribution = 2x of mine!). 5 years at Costco, my adult son is earning $33/hour (1.5x on Sundays) with excellent benefits, opportunity to choose hourly vs. salaried, good vacation time, annual bonus, etc..
It's a shame to see young people get burned out and lose passion for their career choice, although it is not uncommon for people to gravitate to other segments as their skills and interests mature. IMO, if Automechanic finds his passion for a certain niche, he should develop a plan to achieve his interests, keeping quality of life a major factor along with appropriate pay. The best pay in the world won't make up for a miserable or toxic workplace. As others stated, self advocate your career. Note that my career and lifestyle choice is not the norm - I value much more than money.
Beyond the hourly pay, the healthcare, retirement benefits, and work atmosphere need to be considered. I.E., in my case my hourly pay is moderate for my level, but my healthcare/retirement and other benefits more than make up (403b contribution = 2x of mine!). 5 years at Costco, my adult son is earning $33/hour (1.5x on Sundays) with excellent benefits, opportunity to choose hourly vs. salaried, good vacation time, annual bonus, etc..
It's a shame to see young people get burned out and lose passion for their career choice, although it is not uncommon for people to gravitate to other segments as their skills and interests mature. IMO, if Automechanic finds his passion for a certain niche, he should develop a plan to achieve his interests, keeping quality of life a major factor along with appropriate pay. The best pay in the world won't make up for a miserable or toxic workplace. As others stated, self advocate your career. Note that my career and lifestyle choice is not the norm - I value much more than money.
Leave. Do something completely unrelated to the automotive industry. If you want to come back, don’t worry they’ll be calling you anyway.
When I got the old “well, I’m really trying to add more staff and I need that money to get workers in the door”(aka I wanna get my little buddy back in here who the owner fired) from a service manager I left. 2 years later I got a call from the new manager offering me $5/hr over what I was asking for when I left.
When I got the old “well, I’m really trying to add more staff and I need that money to get workers in the door”(aka I wanna get my little buddy back in here who the owner fired) from a service manager I left. 2 years later I got a call from the new manager offering me $5/hr over what I was asking for when I left.
When I saw him mention how much he'd like to make, meaning he's making less, I was shocked. They are underpaying him and taking advantage of him. I wouldn't even negotiate with a company like that.
Duncan's Honda, also in Christiansburg, has openings for mechanics with a pay range of $22-30/hour. TBC (??) - $20-28/hour.
Still-$21.00/hour for a competent mechanic is pitiful no matter where you live.
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Being a Costco fanboy and shareholder myself, I find the employees there to be quite disappointing. Sometimes I wonder if the work environment is actually caustic, yet the best in the industry? They have the lowest shrink bar none. I do the I’m not there for the shopping experience nor to make friends, but rather the products and the pricing. And the tires and gasoline.
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Work ethic and integrity are already in place, so keep at it with knowledge and experience!
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Rents were listed in one of the pics there, they seem to be pretty low. Cost of living has gone up everywhere unfortunately.
4WD
$50 site donor 2025
Yes - and what Chris (Clinebarger) and Trav have developed are superior diagnostic skills … nothing worse than a mechanic who fires the parts cannon enough times to get a hit …
When I left my shop, I was making ~$45/hr plus benefits. Our labor rate was something like $145/hr. I felt extremely underpaid. ASE certified, I was the main diagnostic tech, and I regularly handled tasks around the shop that were in no way my responsibility.
In the 45 days since I left, they've had to cut the quick-lube from first come first serve to appointment only, started closing an hour earlier, and from what I hear they're looking to hire a FOURTH technician because my replacement isn't working out and the other two techs can't keep up.
This is the company that barely gave me a goodbye after 13 years. It's a thankless profession.
In the 45 days since I left, they've had to cut the quick-lube from first come first serve to appointment only, started closing an hour earlier, and from what I hear they're looking to hire a FOURTH technician because my replacement isn't working out and the other two techs can't keep up.
This is the company that barely gave me a goodbye after 13 years. It's a thankless profession.
OVERKILL
$100 Site Donor 2021
Wow, that's wild. Our police chief makes $224,000, and this is a city of 110,000.
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