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Making a dollar as a mechanic

A while back I started a thread with the title "What does the mechanic get" which I was trying to dermine the salary of a mechanic. All in all, the responses seemed pretty bleak although I didn't specify what type of mechanic we were talking about.

Yesterday I went to the performance shop where they do Dyno testing and engine "Blue printing". As I was discussing my intake manifold problem I asked the guy out of curiosity, how much he would charge for a rebuild. He prefaced the return answer with "Now, we are a perfomance shop" and then told me a rebuild by him would cost somewhere around 5k.

Later on that night I was watching the news and they had a little segment on Jessie James (Monster Garage) who just sold a bike he build for 250k.

So I guess there is $$$ to be made but not as much for the every day mechanic? So if you can fab and "blue print" an engine you can request a larger dollar for your work.

BTW, the guy told me he had a customer come from another shop where he paid upwards of 800.00 to grind a crank and it still wasn't right. The customer paid this guy 90.00 and it worked perfectly. His story of course.

Bill

Reply to
William Oliveri
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Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

I think, Bill, that you aren't really in touch with the trades. The machinist (if there really is such a thing anymore) is getting paid very well these days. The real ones, that can actually make something from nothing, are pulling down $30-40 per hour, as tool and die makers, usually. The button-pushing variety of machinist isn't doing as well, but certainly is no slouch. Mid-20's per hour is common. Not to mention the various benefits that accompany working in a factory environment, like a hefty match on the 401k, real medical coverage, etc....

Further, it is my opinion that anyone that pursues a trade career will be employed for life, and probably very well paid. My daddy taught me that at a young age (he was, and is, a machinist), and I took it to heart in the automotive trade. I have done very well with that. My brother in law is an electrician, and he does very well (high 20's per hour). When is the last time you had to hire a plumber or carpenter? They are also doing very well.

No, the trades are alive and well in this country, and the free market is driving wages through the roof, as high school and college grads seek out cleaner and yuppier jobs in the IT industry. Kids don't have any interest in getting their hands dirty for a living anymore, and it's too bad in a way, but it has done very good things for the wages of us peon blue collar workers. The blue collar guys make the world go round, and finally the wages are catching up to us.

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry Newton

Good technicians can make over 100k a year depending upon skill level and product specialty. High line techs, those working on Lexus, BMW, MB, Jaguar, Porsche, etc. make GREAT money and in general the dealerships are better places to work than the GM, Ford & DC stores. Regardless, although hard work, being an automotive tech can be quite financially rewarding. It helps to have a 2-3 year automotive technology degree, ASE master certification and other credentials. As in any other field, the education really helps get you in the door.

Reply to
Jerry McG

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

I currently reside in New England, but spent 35 years in the Arizona desert first. I hear what you say about the guy that rebuilds heads all day. But he can't really demand any money, because the engine overhaul business is extremely competitive (Neco, Jasper, etc). The exception is the hotrod market. I interviewed for a position at Arizona Speed and Marine. They are paying pretty good for techs that will just swap engines and other major components. They machine all of their stuff in-house, and charge handily for it. I would imagine that those machinists are making some bread.

When you said machinist, I assumed you meant the guy that makes things, not the engine rebuilder.

Jerry

Reply to
Jerry Newton

Reply to
mic canic

And then folks wonder why they feel ripped off going to a dealer...

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

mic canic wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Reply to
mic canic

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

Reply to
L.W.(ßill)

you do the math i turn80 hours.meaning i get paid for 80 hours worth of work and get 27.50 for each of those hours and i'm only there 45 hours thats hgow it works at a flat rate shop it's not a percentage shop pay plan

"L.W.(ßill) Hughes III" wrote:

Reply to
mic canic

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