Labor Rate

about $80/hr for mechancal repairs in so cal

$79.00 where I was working...Northampton (80 miles from Boston)

Since you guys generally pay more for EVERYTHING out there, I would say $84 isn't bad.

Well, if he were 20 miles EAST, he'd better have his floatation gear out!

You'll love this... our labor rate just cleared $100.00. We charge $102.00 american dollars/hour. I'm about 13 miles west of DC, by the way.

Hey! Bay Area - SF - CA. I don't charge myself much, just a couple of beers. Bill

Yeah, I know what you mean! I took my truck for rotation and balance, aware that my front pads were getting close. I had to pass up their nice offer of $90 for the pads and $90 for the labor!

That's about right, if a few bucks on the high side. It isn't outrageous at all.

The labor rate is generally configured from the warranty reimbursement rate, paid by the individual manufactures. The labor rate in a given area is therefore pretty much the same from dealer to dealer of the same brand.

Import brands labor rates in general are higher than domestics, in the same area however. When I was still in retail we always charge a higher rate for the techs in our import stores, even in our multi dealership where the same techs would work on several brands. Why? Because we could.

mike hunt

Many areas of the county, like the mid Atlantic states, are over $100 per hour. The training the techs need today demands more of them than just a few years ago.. Particularly for what they are now calling super tech, the guys with the electronic experience needed to properly work on today's high-tech vehicles. The most knowledgeable techs in my former fleet service business, who were members of the Machinist Union, were earning in the six figures. They are well worth the price since extended down time a do overs cost fleets a lot of money when the do not have one of the most important 'tools' of their business, there vehicles

mike hunt

Probably both ways Ray...(and uphill at that) :) (sorry, couldn't resist)

Like Framingham?

For Toyota dealers, it is the other way around. The warranty labor rate is determined by the retail labor rate. The manufacturer looks at 100 customer pay RO's and then matches the warranty rate to the retail rate.

Leominster?

I haven't heard that name in a long time. I was stationed at Ft. Devens '84 to '85. I understand Devens has been turned into an industrial park or something like that. Ayer didn't have anything to speak of, so we went to Leominster a lot. I have great memories of my time in Mass.

Leominster? Acton is the place.

Devens will soon have it's own Zip code. New housing and industry. Motorcycle training and licensing in the airfield parking lot. Very busy parking lot.

Yeah, right! It was better than nothing if there wasn't time to go to Boston.