HELP, my younger brother wants to go to UTI and be a mechanic
06-14-2013, 06:53 AM
#1
HELP, my younger brother wants to go to UTI and be a mechanic I've searched threads and read pros and cons about these commercial auto tech schools. My Lil bro seems to think he's gonna graduate from this 52 week, $30k program and make $50 an hour working for Honda. He did no research and these enrollment reps at UTI are selling him. I can say he is very mechanically inclined, he's bright but doesn't like school so he did poorly in HS, and failed out of CC. I told him go to operator school and in two years he can make $100k, he argued that he's not interested in that. He thinks he likes working on cars and engines bc he's just tinkering now, and he's doesn't have to punch a clock and do it for a living. I don't look down on mechanics at all I am just trying to get some advice on what he is looking at realistically as far as pay and landing a job in this field. He really wants to build engines, probably own a race shop. Would someone help me to advise this 21 year old know it all living with my parents *** hole. Thanks Fellas
06-14-2013, 07:05 AM
#2
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Though i was going through the same thing i was going to go do auto tech school, but i researched and found salaries, pay, job market, etc... it seemed like a hit or miss in this field to me then the pay was not fantastic neither from what i saw. All i can say is to tell him to leave it as a hobby and go find a another field to work on ,operator, and fund that hobby with the extra cash he will be getting. Although i seen some people do really good in the auto tech field.
06-14-2013, 09:07 AM
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I know a couple techs n they are all very stupid unless they went to like SAM. I heard UTI wasnt a very good school. Oh n there income pretty much blows. Im in school for an operator im a welder right now at the plants making good money at 22yrs old.
06-14-2013, 09:15 AM
#6
Went to Uti it's not a bad school, you get out of it what you put in. But it's a rough field, I know guys that find a little niche and do well. I work at a ford dealer and don't do the greatest. And starting out the tools you need takes a lot of money. Been doing it 6 years have 20+ grand in tools and counting. If he is about performance I would go to SAM. I probably should have. But this is someone that has done it. I won't lie been trying to get out of the field and hope this next job interview goes great lol. Then I will make bank.
06-14-2013, 10:00 AM
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Worked as a Parts Guy in a Dealership for the last 12-13 years now and Love it. Maybe he should get into parts and start there. The avg. dealership parts dept manager makes well over $100k at any decent dealer.
Parts guys average over $50k and we don't have to even get our hands dirty.
I guess it just depends on what your level of income you are comfortable with and he thinks he needs to make in order to be happy.
Parts guys average over $50k and we don't have to even get our hands dirty.
I guess it just depends on what your level of income you are comfortable with and he thinks he needs to make in order to be happy.
Last edited by HoustonZ; 06-14-2013 at 10:10 AM.
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06-14-2013, 10:12 AM
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If you're going to do it, go all the way and get the education that will put you in nascar pits or NHRA...There is good money in dealership tech work, good buddy of mine did it for 15years but he was the best at each dealership he worked at. Its mostly based on flag hours and its about finishing a job well before the flag pay. Finishing an 8 hour job in 3 hours, etc. Just go big, enjoy your work whatever you do, if you don't you wont be good at it.
06-14-2013, 12:59 PM
#9
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Well, I think he's like a lot of 20-something year olds that will rush into something at the drop of a hat because they think they'll like it and don't reasearch it. My 21 year old son is the same way right now. I've told him where the money is but he would rather follow whims or just goto comm. col. with no direction. I'm a ASE master tech with about 13 years in who has sucessfully ran a garage and for the last two years I've worked as lead tech in another. My parents had a garage but I didn't work in the industry until I was about 30. I used to like cars, souping them up, racing, and the hobby until I was about 31. After doing it for a living you'll be sick and tired of them within a year. Probably if you're making bank working for some racing team you'd still like it but that's about like being good at high school football and planning on being in the NFL, fat chance. More realistically you'll be making 25-40 starting out in a **** hole ran by the *** hole who's hovering above it taking dumps on you. Now that's not what I have to deal with but it's most likely what the recent UTI Grad has to look forward too. Spend a few nights reading these kinds of post's on the forums of www.flatratetech.com. If that doesn't straiten out the BS he's been fed nothing will and he deserves what he gets.
Here's some things to consider: The better you are the more likely you'll get the harder diagnostic jobs that pay the least. The "dumb asses" like Carlos knows will end up with all the simple brake jobs and wallet flushes that they can knock out in their sleep at half of book so that they can make 16 hours in an 8 hour day. If you're good, you'll get screwed at a dealership.
The parts guys and the service writers make more than you and sit in ac a lot and don't have to know or spend as much to do a good job.
Everything that goes wrong will be blamed on you.
Cars suck, they aren't muscle cars with cool simple repairs anymore. They are finiky computers that you can drive but have to meet all sorts of perfection to work correctly and stay on the road. As soon as you understand this you'll be better off considering if you want to be a tech.
75% of the people that spend 60K on a truck and another 12K on stupid crap to customize it (all of which makes it much harder for you to service it) will balk at a $1200 repair estimate, and if they do accept it but then the bill comes up to $1300 they flip **** because you "quoted" them $1200. And they just go someplace else if you raise the estimates based on the fact that it's 4' higher and has 2' of bumper to climp up and over to get to the engine that's 2' under the windshield buried in 1' of wires, pipes, hoses, and just plain crap that's sharp, hot, and rusted on. But it pays 4/10's and you get about 25% of that before taxes. Have fun.
You'll spend over 100K in tools if you're good and stay in for life, most of it in the first 5-10 years.
The guys making 100K working for somebody are really, really good, or really good at kissing the bosses ***, and very lucky to be in the right place at the right time or most likely all of the above. You'll still bust *** in the heat regardless. Politics rule, you won't survive a year with the don't have to listen because I know it all already attitude currently in use and you'll still owe UTI a lot of loot.
As far as SAM and learning to build engines, that's good for performance shops and racing teams only. 99% of the techs aren't employeed in those kinds of jobs. The rest of the engines are no longer worth rebuilding, they are all so specialized and complex that nobody can and will attempt to build them anymore. It's so much more cost effective (think more money in your pocket) to replace them with salvage or remanufactured units that as it happens that's about all we will do. Rebuild an engine for the common customer, give me a break.
Nobody you work for understands what you do or wants to pay you much to do it, but they also feel that ripping off the customers like they sometimes do warrants heafty salarys. So being a crook is a more valuable skill than being a technition in this market.
Some good things:
There's money to be made if your good enough and can prove it, if you start over a lot you'll have to prove it a lot in the mean time you won't make much.
Open your own shop and you're set, this is much harder said than done, and expences just went up 10 fold. And that's what I'm currently doing while still working for the man.
Not many young people are getting into this business anymore. I'm 43 and one of the younger ones (who make decent money).
Cars are getting harder and techs are getting scarcer, sooner or later something has got to give, as in the pay will have to go up or nobody will drive a car over 3-5 years old anymore.
Honestly I would find something in Energy that pays a **** ton more for less strenuous work, like an operator, and then just build cool hot rod cars on the side as a hobby, like half of the guys here. They are the ones with the coolest cars. I don't spend much time working on my stuff anymore. I have had a whipple kit for my truck for over 5 years now and have never found the time/drive to put it on. And as long as the Firehawk starts and runs without some Hyundai smoking me across the light, it's good enough for me to leave the hood shut.
Vernon
Here's some things to consider: The better you are the more likely you'll get the harder diagnostic jobs that pay the least. The "dumb asses" like Carlos knows will end up with all the simple brake jobs and wallet flushes that they can knock out in their sleep at half of book so that they can make 16 hours in an 8 hour day. If you're good, you'll get screwed at a dealership.
The parts guys and the service writers make more than you and sit in ac a lot and don't have to know or spend as much to do a good job.
Everything that goes wrong will be blamed on you.
Cars suck, they aren't muscle cars with cool simple repairs anymore. They are finiky computers that you can drive but have to meet all sorts of perfection to work correctly and stay on the road. As soon as you understand this you'll be better off considering if you want to be a tech.
75% of the people that spend 60K on a truck and another 12K on stupid crap to customize it (all of which makes it much harder for you to service it) will balk at a $1200 repair estimate, and if they do accept it but then the bill comes up to $1300 they flip **** because you "quoted" them $1200. And they just go someplace else if you raise the estimates based on the fact that it's 4' higher and has 2' of bumper to climp up and over to get to the engine that's 2' under the windshield buried in 1' of wires, pipes, hoses, and just plain crap that's sharp, hot, and rusted on. But it pays 4/10's and you get about 25% of that before taxes. Have fun.
You'll spend over 100K in tools if you're good and stay in for life, most of it in the first 5-10 years.
The guys making 100K working for somebody are really, really good, or really good at kissing the bosses ***, and very lucky to be in the right place at the right time or most likely all of the above. You'll still bust *** in the heat regardless. Politics rule, you won't survive a year with the don't have to listen because I know it all already attitude currently in use and you'll still owe UTI a lot of loot.
As far as SAM and learning to build engines, that's good for performance shops and racing teams only. 99% of the techs aren't employeed in those kinds of jobs. The rest of the engines are no longer worth rebuilding, they are all so specialized and complex that nobody can and will attempt to build them anymore. It's so much more cost effective (think more money in your pocket) to replace them with salvage or remanufactured units that as it happens that's about all we will do. Rebuild an engine for the common customer, give me a break.
Nobody you work for understands what you do or wants to pay you much to do it, but they also feel that ripping off the customers like they sometimes do warrants heafty salarys. So being a crook is a more valuable skill than being a technition in this market.
Some good things:
There's money to be made if your good enough and can prove it, if you start over a lot you'll have to prove it a lot in the mean time you won't make much.
Open your own shop and you're set, this is much harder said than done, and expences just went up 10 fold. And that's what I'm currently doing while still working for the man.
Not many young people are getting into this business anymore. I'm 43 and one of the younger ones (who make decent money).
Cars are getting harder and techs are getting scarcer, sooner or later something has got to give, as in the pay will have to go up or nobody will drive a car over 3-5 years old anymore.
Honestly I would find something in Energy that pays a **** ton more for less strenuous work, like an operator, and then just build cool hot rod cars on the side as a hobby, like half of the guys here. They are the ones with the coolest cars. I don't spend much time working on my stuff anymore. I have had a whipple kit for my truck for over 5 years now and have never found the time/drive to put it on. And as long as the Firehawk starts and runs without some Hyundai smoking me across the light, it's good enough for me to leave the hood shut.
Vernon
Last edited by Manic Mechanic; 06-14-2013 at 02:07 PM.
06-14-2013, 07:25 PM
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I graduated from UTI about 13 years ago and will tell you it was a good stepping stone for my career. You do get what you put in though and a dealerships will hire out of UTI over a walk in.It is expensive but if the military is paying for then why not.I have been successful in my career but I do put in a lot of hours and if your good then your side jobs will be fed by word of mouth. When my side jobs caught up wih my salary i went on to open my own shop and did very well.Long story short if I was young and didn't have the military to pay for my school then I would just walk into a dealership and beg to be a helper/oil changer and work my way from there.Just like anything though you get what you put in
06-14-2013, 08:58 PM
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Go apply at the dealership, chances are they will hire him and pay him min wage or close and train him. Yeah it may only be min wage to start with but atleast the money iscoming in instead of having to go out of your pocket!
I had a 15k scholarship to uti and wyotech from winning the skills usa diesel competition in washington state my senior year of high school, i went to nationals in kansas city and got 23rd out of 50. I went to work for the local chevy dealership the day after graduating high school and was making 0.50 cents an hr over min. Wage but was learning a ton. Met two people working there that went to school for it(uti/wyotech) and they started out the exact same scenario at the dealership that i did. Sorry but a dealership doesnt care so much about what you went to school for they care about you being trained and working on their product and beating flat rate time doing so which makes then and yourself more money! Both of them had just paid off/were close to paying their school loans off 10 years after graduating and told me they wish they would have just done it the way i did for the exact reason that i was 30k ahead of them.
Im sorry but ive been turning wrenches full time since i graduated hs and im 25 now and everyone i talk to i cant stress heavy enough that this career is not one to pay for schooling for. Yeah ive done fairly well(have a house, my toys,etc) but already feel it in my bones everyday and it kills your ambition to get out and work on your own vehicles after doing it for 8-10 hours a day. I worked at the dealership for about a year and a half and hit $14 an hr per flat rate hour then quit and went to work for a construction company working on their trucks/equipment for $19. Worked there for 3 years and got tired of the layoff of 3 months in the winter and went to the one im at now working on their trucks and being their shop foreman for $23 an hour.
Long story short knowing what i know now i wish i would have went to college for a real degree not beating myself up every day like i do, its especially hard now with a month old son that i want to be able to enjoy life with not be so broken that when hes 15 i cant do ****. If i would have went the other route id still have all of the ambition and desire to work on my own stuff also.
I had a 15k scholarship to uti and wyotech from winning the skills usa diesel competition in washington state my senior year of high school, i went to nationals in kansas city and got 23rd out of 50. I went to work for the local chevy dealership the day after graduating high school and was making 0.50 cents an hr over min. Wage but was learning a ton. Met two people working there that went to school for it(uti/wyotech) and they started out the exact same scenario at the dealership that i did. Sorry but a dealership doesnt care so much about what you went to school for they care about you being trained and working on their product and beating flat rate time doing so which makes then and yourself more money! Both of them had just paid off/were close to paying their school loans off 10 years after graduating and told me they wish they would have just done it the way i did for the exact reason that i was 30k ahead of them.
Im sorry but ive been turning wrenches full time since i graduated hs and im 25 now and everyone i talk to i cant stress heavy enough that this career is not one to pay for schooling for. Yeah ive done fairly well(have a house, my toys,etc) but already feel it in my bones everyday and it kills your ambition to get out and work on your own vehicles after doing it for 8-10 hours a day. I worked at the dealership for about a year and a half and hit $14 an hr per flat rate hour then quit and went to work for a construction company working on their trucks/equipment for $19. Worked there for 3 years and got tired of the layoff of 3 months in the winter and went to the one im at now working on their trucks and being their shop foreman for $23 an hour.
Long story short knowing what i know now i wish i would have went to college for a real degree not beating myself up every day like i do, its especially hard now with a month old son that i want to be able to enjoy life with not be so broken that when hes 15 i cant do ****. If i would have went the other route id still have all of the ambition and desire to work on my own stuff also.
06-14-2013, 10:50 PM
#15
Went to Uti in 2000, went to BMW step, worked for them for 9 years. Now with MB. Been there 2years. I went back to college 3 years ago. **** cars, **** cars, **** cars. It's a fun hobby, but when it's your job you hate it. I was the best of the best at Uti. Had 11 student of the phase. I had BMW and Benz fighting over me. I went to BMW. Pay was good, I topped out around 95,000, but got tired of the bullshit. I got fed all the crap hard diagnostic cars that the dumbasses that couldn't speak English or came from Firestone couldn't do. Tell your brother to go to college and get a REAL job. I regret it and consider it the biggest mistake of my life.
06-14-2013, 11:30 PM
#16
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Work on heavy duty trucks. With the oil field right now, heavy duty techs are making good money. I'm making 100k+. Granted, been at it for a while but I know guys getting hired or aroun $20/hr plus plenty of OT.
06-16-2013, 10:22 PM
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I went through the gm asep program in Dallas spent a few grand and have been very successful. The good thing about the program is that you have to have a job in order to be in the program so you get to work while your in school, makes it way easier. Plus you come out with a degree and not just certificates. A friend of mine went to uti and is now a lube tech at Mercedes. Lol so have him check out specific programs. Over 80k in tools my own shop and a great work history. I had to leave the dealership world because I was stupid and got dwi's when I was young. If I could go back, I would. I loved every minute of it but God had his plans for me and I'm just as happy now. If you have any questions about that let me know and I'll give you all of the information you need.
06-16-2013, 10:28 PM
#19
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They are a waste of time and money. You don't even need to go to one of these schools to become certified, just study up and take the tests. These schools aren't even certified, trust me a complete waste of time and money. Been there, done that. Can I get 1 yr of my life back?
On the other hand they would help only those who know just about nothing.
On the other hand they would help only those who know just about nothing.
