I should add that a good senior Technician should be making 40% plus of shop rate.
Mine make 42.5%
Mine make 42.5%
Auto Technician Compensation
- Thread starter The Critic
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Obviously.
Until I decide to once again raise my shops rate, which all of my regular customers have been warned in the form of a letter mailed to them with their last bill, takes place as of January 1, 2024.
Your decision, but I don't think you'll find many other altruists in the automotive industry.
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Wish that were true in my field
Wish that were true in my field
My apologies, I don't know what it is that you do.
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I work in IT and the hourly rate is pretty huge for internal billing, or what we pay other companies to do things for us….. Likely far less when compared to law or something like that…
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Again great employees will always shine.
When I was a busboy at 14 it was a really great training and we were drilled on how important customers are. I’ve observed at Costco, employees will block a customer’s path dilly dallying, compete to get into the bathroom, many hints that it’s not about the customer. Even scold them for not knowing where drink lids are. But they are super successful.
AutoMechanic might be in the ‘squeaky wheel gets the grease’ situation if he asks boss for a raise.
I agree $21 an hour is low for a lead tech with skills and runs the place when manager is away.
In any industry, folks are wanting more money….. I don’t blame theme.
I agree $21 an hour is low for a lead tech with skills and runs the place when manager is away.
In any industry, folks are wanting more money….. I don’t blame theme.
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How do I apply for a job at your company ?
Just Kidding.
Good to see you’re paying good living wages to your employees.
Maybe AutoMechanic can work for you ?
How do I apply for a job at your company ?
Just Kidding.
Good to see you’re paying good living wages to your employees.
Maybe AutoMechanic can work for you ?
There is a good house for sale not far away, he would be a 5 minute drive to work.
Wow, the Costco employees around here seem genuinely happy. They are cheery and helpful. Some are even funny.
I love Costco.
Ot pretty much any industry. That's capitalism; they will pay as little as possible.
That's a management issue. Sounds pretty bad though...
Mechanic pay in the UK is totally awful. If I knew at 16 what I know now no way would I be turning spanner’s.
I was just outside of DC in one of the most expensive places to live when I worked in a big dealer for about 10 years straight out of high school.
Started (2003 right after graduating)with high school auto tech experience, was granted a full scholarship for being one of the 2 best students in the program, and introduced to this large area dealer for an interview. I had worked as a lube tech through high school and had a “race car” mustang that I’d tinkered with, so I had some experience.
Remember this was 2003…I think our labor rate was just shy of $100/hour when I started as an hourly helper. I think they payed me $14-15 per hour then. I quickly went flat rate (pretty sure for no more $, just the appeal of flat rate). Worked my ass off 6 days a week, made good money for my age. Switched teams at one point from Chrysler/Jeep to Hyundai/Subaru as I wanted to learn another make, and it seemed easier…way less “repairs,” way more maintenance.
Then I quit to go to an independent that was zero commute and more money (I think I had about 5 years experience at this point, went for $20ish / flat rate with guarantee of my hours there at least). Surprisingly the independent charged more per hour than the dealer I left, and was further from the high cost of living area. I think he was $125 / hour for repairs and diagnostics. He lowered his rates for maintenance. The shop foreman was a complete douche, but I loved the zero commute. The other tech there was awesome and I learned alot. I also enjoyed the direct contact with customers as opposed to the dealer where they hide their techs via layers of lot jockeys, service writers, managers, etc.
Chrysler / Jeep struggled after I left for Hyundai / Subaru and called me for a meeting. They’d been through a lot of mid-level techs like me to try to replace me and nothing worked out. I had them pretty good then, didn’t hurt that I was friendly with the manager at the time. We met for some beers and I got a $28 / hour offer plus incentives at different levels of hours flagged. He didn’t tell me that the shop was combining with Hyundai / Subaru to become a super shop and that he wouldn’t manage anymore, but I think when I was there at $28 (potential of $30 per flat rate hour) we were billing customers $120 at the dealership. That was 2013 though.
I’m still friends with guys there, but nobody will tell me what they make.
I’ve only worked for that one dealer group, but they liked to have 1 or 2 maximin “master techs.” They’d then train anyone and everyone else as highly as possible through online / CD-rom courses, which was enough to get the shop paid through warranty. Pretty bad way to operate, but that’s what they did. You’d (the customer) think any tech touching your car in a dealer is factory trained, not just “trained” by watching some online videos.
Since 2013 I’ve been a government fleet lead tech. Completely crap pay but time off and benefits made me make the jump when we wanted to have kids. Adjusted our lifestyle and I kept both jobs for a little while, working 16 hour days, but happier now as it is to be out of the dealer life.
Started (2003 right after graduating)with high school auto tech experience, was granted a full scholarship for being one of the 2 best students in the program, and introduced to this large area dealer for an interview. I had worked as a lube tech through high school and had a “race car” mustang that I’d tinkered with, so I had some experience.
Remember this was 2003…I think our labor rate was just shy of $100/hour when I started as an hourly helper. I think they payed me $14-15 per hour then. I quickly went flat rate (pretty sure for no more $, just the appeal of flat rate). Worked my ass off 6 days a week, made good money for my age. Switched teams at one point from Chrysler/Jeep to Hyundai/Subaru as I wanted to learn another make, and it seemed easier…way less “repairs,” way more maintenance.
Then I quit to go to an independent that was zero commute and more money (I think I had about 5 years experience at this point, went for $20ish / flat rate with guarantee of my hours there at least). Surprisingly the independent charged more per hour than the dealer I left, and was further from the high cost of living area. I think he was $125 / hour for repairs and diagnostics. He lowered his rates for maintenance. The shop foreman was a complete douche, but I loved the zero commute. The other tech there was awesome and I learned alot. I also enjoyed the direct contact with customers as opposed to the dealer where they hide their techs via layers of lot jockeys, service writers, managers, etc.
Chrysler / Jeep struggled after I left for Hyundai / Subaru and called me for a meeting. They’d been through a lot of mid-level techs like me to try to replace me and nothing worked out. I had them pretty good then, didn’t hurt that I was friendly with the manager at the time. We met for some beers and I got a $28 / hour offer plus incentives at different levels of hours flagged. He didn’t tell me that the shop was combining with Hyundai / Subaru to become a super shop and that he wouldn’t manage anymore, but I think when I was there at $28 (potential of $30 per flat rate hour) we were billing customers $120 at the dealership. That was 2013 though.
I’m still friends with guys there, but nobody will tell me what they make.
I’ve only worked for that one dealer group, but they liked to have 1 or 2 maximin “master techs.” They’d then train anyone and everyone else as highly as possible through online / CD-rom courses, which was enough to get the shop paid through warranty. Pretty bad way to operate, but that’s what they did. You’d (the customer) think any tech touching your car in a dealer is factory trained, not just “trained” by watching some online videos.
Since 2013 I’ve been a government fleet lead tech. Completely crap pay but time off and benefits made me make the jump when we wanted to have kids. Adjusted our lifestyle and I kept both jobs for a little while, working 16 hour days, but happier now as it is to be out of the dealer life.
First he would have to apply-for and obtain Canadian Landed Immigrant status before he could go to work, not an easy or fast process.
Didn't know you left, Wish I could say it gets better working for a shop....You just get older & slower.
It's sad most Mechanics (Including me) spend/spent their prime being someone's work horse.
Wonder if other professions let good talent walk over a paltry $1000 a month then gladly give it to a new hire. (As an example)
Canadian dollars?
My wife “negotiated” a very good raise by asking a lady at her company who used to be her division supervisor that she no longer worked under if she could put her down as a reference. (No other prospects, wasn’t even looking but has been called a lot)
She is an insurance compliance manager for a home health care company that operates in four states. No one and I mean no one knows the ins and outs of health insurance like she does. Every state has different nuances of what and when things need to be done.
She was asked to do an audit of files a few years ago and found just over 800k in mistakes and got most of it corrected before they went stale.
That’s all she does now from the comfort of home with an occasional on-site audit with travel.
Word of the “reference” request traveled at the speed of sound and she was asked what she wanted, which is her current set up.
If you are doing the heavy lifting at a place of work they should value that and compensate accordingly. If they don’t value you then I’m sure you’ll be better off somewhere else.
She is an insurance compliance manager for a home health care company that operates in four states. No one and I mean no one knows the ins and outs of health insurance like she does. Every state has different nuances of what and when things need to be done.
She was asked to do an audit of files a few years ago and found just over 800k in mistakes and got most of it corrected before they went stale.
That’s all she does now from the comfort of home with an occasional on-site audit with travel.
Word of the “reference” request traveled at the speed of sound and she was asked what she wanted, which is her current set up.
If you are doing the heavy lifting at a place of work they should value that and compensate accordingly. If they don’t value you then I’m sure you’ll be better off somewhere else.
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