GreenBlood55

iTrader: (1)

Funny you mention that. I DID look into that, only to find out they require ASE certification AND 7 years experience.

94whitez28

If your working for a shop you probably won't make a whole lot. My father owns his own shop here in Oklahoma, and he makes pretty good money. They also work on high end to low end stuff. I help him out when I'm off work from pipelines, I hate it. Also mechanics on the pipeline make a whole lot of money but you have to have a rig setup.

97badass

iTrader: (8)

^^^ this our labor rate is $60 an hour, I make $10.75 with an extra $350 a month for insurance that I use to pay the wifes car payment.

trilkb

iTrader: (4)

I would look into deisel mechanic or heavy machinery/hydraulic. But if your going to do that you may as well just get training to run the heavy machinery.

I know a few people who have been changing oil in dealerships and slowly working their way up, and by slowly I mean, They hit a wall, had to switch dealerships/jobs and try to work up again. One guy had a second worker put on his lift, so he had to share a lift.

In other dealerships ive worked in, take mercedes benz, they had a couple UTI/Wyotech employees hired, But they are almost always hired in as a shop bitch and move up due to someone else getting fired, and if the dealership needs to cut someone...guess who gets to go? The best way to go about it would be to go to one of those schools and if you know someone who works at a shop, use them to get hired. Then just dont mess up. Ive seen alot of pick up trucks with tool box's in the back of them come and go.

Ive never been a mechanic at a dealership, i was just a lot tech/bitch. But i heard enough and saw enough of it to get the idea. The master mechanics always had 20-30years experience and werent going anywhere. Then it would fall down the ladder to the newbie (where you would be). Some places hire ASE certified mechanics and make them change oil all day too. Its easy sure, but its not what you want to do all day. Other places run them all the same, they get the jobs they are givin, no picking and choosing.

BIGCAT7274

It's a dead end field.

1ltcap

no it's not a dead end field. there's always gonna be cars. the key is to learn to diagnose them. once you know that.....you command a high salary. also, stay away from dealerships.

Zmg00camaross

iTrader: (11)

i wrench for a living. And work in a relaxed shop. There is no doubt I enjoy fixing a car and diagnosing it right also I love my tools haha. But pay sucks, Its weird how pay can vary. Make 20 bucks a hour in one shop and 12 bucks in another. What are other fields and Tech can get into?

bizerk1

It would be fun, if you get into a performance shop and work at one like Speed Inc or AMS, but your going to need crazy exp for them. So you would have to start as said earlier on grandmas winstar or soccer mom's sienna.

Also, I think the rates are differnt for differnt makes, I heard that the BMW dealer near me pays out like 50$ an hour. I am not a mech, Im going into Computer engineering and currently work at UPS makin 18.80$ an hour : ( ------- P.T.

bore.me

iTrader: (15)

There are other education options out there besides UTI, 2 year community college programs, or factory sponsored training. I'm finishing a bachelor degree in auto management. It is very flexible as far as careers go.

http://www.morrisville.edu/programso...managementbba/

gregrob

iTrader: (8)

If you want to do this right, read my words GO TO SAM.

Dont waste your time or money on schools like UTI and WyoTech, they are joke.

myk

iTrader: (4)

Agreed, and it's only human nature to want to desire a change and to dread the repetitious after a certain amount of time has passed. Ultimately, most people are known to change their careers more than once in their lifetime, something that would've been unheard of decades ago.

As everyone else has been saying, start at the bottom doing lowly clean-up/oil changing jobs, and move up...

killerz97

iTrader: (1)

I am currently going to SIUC and majoring in automotive technology. I love the school and my classes but I will also be able to do more than turn a wrench when I'm done with the program. I have worked in a small independent shop and a GM dealership. I will have to say the independent shop was a lot better than the dealership.

3 pedal SS

iTrader: (1)

The heavy equipment repair field is a lot better than being an auto tech. I have done both. Be prepared to get down and dirty and whatever needs done(odd, off the wall jobs,fetch parts,anything) . Getting into it should be a lot easier for you too. Hit up all the big construction companies in your area. Never give up.

JUSTINSWS6

Why dont you try to get a job at a performance shop with dyno's or ls based cars?

NemeSS

iTrader: (127)

Ive looked into working for a local lsx based performance shop.
For what they wanted me to do and know, the pay.offered was a joke imo.

Op
Consider commercial diesel repair and maintenance and not automotive.
You will change.oil and lube. But eventually move up to diagnose and repair.
Large companies with there own mechanic shop with a fleet of trucks and trailers.
You will learn to weld,change axle parts, brake parts,air brake parts. Its different from cars. Pays more, and is a well paid and sought after skills.
We had one guy come in that was a ase master tech to work for the company.
He did not do well and lasted a week. He was out of his league sort to speak, his own words.

trilkb

iTrader: (4)

I 2nd that doing your passion for work makes you hate your passion. You get burnt out during the week and do not want to work on your own car. I changed oil for 2 years, that was enough to want me not want to work on my own car. I cant imagine doing other peoples ****. But shop enviorement plays a huge part in that, some are so laid back you can pull yours in and work on it no issues.

I drive a gas truck locally, so normally every weekend i am wrenching.

Zebisko

iTrader: (3)

I went through UTI and then the Audi Academy, and currently work at an Audi dealership. Although I do enjoy working on cars, the politics associated with working at a dealership is ridiculous. As a mechanic, everyone challenges you on every decision, it's a constant fight just to get work done. It's a continuous battle just to get paid 40 hours in a week, at least where I am. Last year I averaged 42 hours of pay every week, and I know I was there much longer every day than that. There are better paying shops to work at however, you just have to find them.

LS_Canuck

As said previously, being a tech is a very demanding, thankless job where you are nothing more than a skidmark in the underpants of your service manager.... however, you can never go wrong with a job that you love, no matter how hard it may be.

If you really want to be a mechanic, and want to get paid very well to do it, come up here to Alberta. Once you become a journeyman, it's quite easy to pass the $100k/year mark as an automotive tech, 200k+ as an OTR tech around the oil rigs.

01M6TA

iTrader: (1)

Well ill give my 2 cents. I have 10 years turning wrenches and I am only 26. First off dealers suck. I have been heavy equipment for the last 8. Techs that work in a air conditioned shop bitch about getting dirty....come hang out with me in august or febuary when I have to shovel a tunnel through snow to work on a bobcat or something. To be a mechanic you have to love what you do. Second is you constantly have to strive to get better. Or you will go no where and prolly get laid off. I make good money and remember this, supply vs. demand. There are fewer and fewer people getting in this industry. The youngest person I work with is in his 40's. I may not make the most now but that will change. The owner of my company said he will be scared of me in 10 years because I will write my own check. If you dont have the mindset I have then you will prolly be miserable and should think of doing something else for a living.

DBurgLT1

Go to a tech school and get certified?