Author Topic: A day in the life of an Auto Tech (Read 874 times)

mora · « **Reply #15 on:** January 28, 2006, 02:12:00 PM »

The work does suck everywhere, but is the pay really that bad over there? How much does an average tech earn? Is the pay solely based on provision?

J_A_B · « **Reply #16 on:** January 28, 2006, 03:41:22 PM »

If you're grossing over $50K/year, you should not have any reason to worry about money. Heck, I'd feel rich if I made that.

J_A_B

capt. apathy · « **Reply #17 on:** January 28, 2006, 03:57:23 PM »

J_A_B, you got kids? a wife? pay for your own healthcare?

when I put my wife on our 'COBRA' (pay it yourself) plan after my eligibility ran out it was $360 per month per person.
X 12 months, X family of 5=$21,600.00 + deductible + co-pay= one broke American.

when I was 17 I thought "if I could just make $12.50 an hour. I'd get $500 a week and I'd be living high." man was I a moron.

mora · « **Reply #18 on:** January 28, 2006, 04:24:42 PM »

I used to dislike commie public health care, but now I'm think it's not such a bad deal after all. The insurance companies seem to rip off private customers over there. $360/month is just a little less than I pay in taxes each month.

Replicant · « **Reply #19 on:** January 28, 2006, 04:31:21 PM »

Reminds me of my former job as well! It's been 10 years since I stopped doing that job..... phew!

Nomak · « **Reply #20 on:** January 28, 2006, 09:57:51 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by capt. apathy
the guy in the article needs to spend his cigarette money on union dues.

Read this......its from the same author http://flatratetech.com/pub108.htm

On the other hand........I think unions are a good part of the reason that Detroit auto makers are having problems. i.e. Joe Blow UAW guy gets paid way to much to do nothing and the costs are then passed down to me in reduced warrenty times. <----Shrug>

Dave

nirvana · « **Reply #21 on:** January 28, 2006, 10:37:50 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by capt. apathy
when I was 17 I thought "if I could just make $12.50 an hour. I'd get $500 a week and I'd be living high." man was I a moron.

$7 an hour is what i work for, about $240 per paycheck, every 2 weeks. It's not bad, but then i'm not paying for insurance on my car, healthcare, food, etc. I pay for gas, soon my AH2 account, and whatever else I want. My parents pay for nothing anymore except my account and soon not even that.

I can see the toll that worker on cars has. Hell i'd get home from a 10 hour day and wonder how the other 2 guys that did the harder stuff survived. I was doing 5 oil changes, maybe an alternator, maybe a started, brakes, a water pump perhaps, and balancing tires. I wasn't removing heater cores or doing AC work. I enjoy it though, it's the times when you think, "If I don't do this right, it could be someones life" that get to me. School auto shop has been a pretty big help in why things do what they do. I'm planning on military for a few years after high school then vocational school for mechanics, or a 4 year college for business and mechanics. It seems like the author is trying to discourage getting into the business. Reading "Tomorrow's Technician" also gives a nice slant to the other direction though.

I dunno, we'll see what happens in the future. Step dad's auto shop is paid off in 4 years and if I go into the business with him it won't be a horribly paying job being that he basically owns what is left of the business (after his 2 other co-owners took off) and he stops paying for their million dollar life insurance policies. Hell i've thought about building a car a few times with my step dad.

Alright i'm done.

Nomak · « **Reply #22 on:** January 28, 2006, 10:54:46 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by nirvana
It seems like the author is trying to discourage getting into the business.

Of all the Auto techs I know (I know alot of them) not a single one who has done it for 10 years or more doesnt wish they had done something else.

Get out while you still can.

The auto buisness is just fine....... just dont be a wrench.

Dave

nirvana · « **Reply #23 on:** January 28, 2006, 11:07:25 PM »

Nomak you work for a stealership or an independent? If you are waiting an hour for a part to come in then it might be messed up. I waited 4-5 hours for the rotors to come in one time so I know how it is to have to sit there doing nothing. Most of the time the techs take the ticket to my step dad who immediately calls the customer to confirm if they want the job or not, and then Carquest (about 5 doors down) has the part, or it's ordered and it's there within an hour at 2 at most.The attitude towards diesels is usually "**** it" same with most Euro cars. Audi's are a reluctance as well. As a $15 year old pulling $150-200 a week for "60 hours" probably only 30 or less of which I was actually busy (those other 30 hours spent apprenticing the other techs), it wasn't too bad. I can guarantee you a 50 hour work week is no fun for them, and recalls are even more of a pain in the ass, it's a career and it puts food on the table. Was a fine line of work for me.

Being that I don't know any of your backgrounds it would seem that you all had bad employers or worked at a POS dealership. If you can find an independent with a boss that isn't a total banana, you'd probably enjoy the job more. Maybe. Once again, 16 and naive.

MrRiplEy[H] · « **Reply #24 on:** January 28, 2006, 11:20:18 PM »

That story is a fine example of why it's great to live in finland.

Strong union protects the right of the mechanics here - nobody has to work below poverty level wages, overhours with no pay or fear getting fired on daily basis just because the GM doesnt like your face. No mechanic I know does sidejobs - they get enough doing their real work. Kids have free education and everyone has near-free public healthcare.

Thanks for bringing up stories from real life too, not only hollywood fantasies.

Nomak · « **Reply #25 on:** January 28, 2006, 11:32:09 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by nirvana
......Being that I don't know any of your backgrounds.......

State of Michigan Certified Master
ASE Certified Master
L1 Certified
Ford Certified Senior Master
15 Years Flat Rate experence
8 years yes 8 years independent shop experence.

Even with warrenty time the dealer is the only place to work IMO.

I can list many many reasons if you would like me to.

Dave

nirvana · « **Reply #26 on:** January 29, 2006, 02:06:23 AM »

Tech masters should be making 70,000-100,000 a year Nomak...IN THEIR DREAMS.

http://www.cap.daimlerchrysler.com

If you wouldn't mind, I would like to know the advantages to a dealership rather then independent.

mora · « **Reply #27 on:** January 29, 2006, 02:15:06 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by nirvana
If you wouldn't mind, I would like to know the advantages to a dealership rather then independent.

Better pay, better benefits, better equipment, better support, better working conditions all around, better jobs , better co-workers???

What's the average charge at a dealership per hour in jobs reguiring a Master Tech? I suspect it's not more than $70. That would be about the same as the $108k earning Master Techs hourly pay. Also how on earth can a Master Tech make THREE times as much as an entry level? Your entry level seems to be very very low. I suspect this is because of the lack of decent technical high school level education.

Nomak · « **Reply #28 on:** January 29, 2006, 07:33:14 AM »

There is a guy at my dealer who makes over 100k. He is obviously faster than I am. More importantly though........

He is master certified at the "Wallet Flush" I just shake my head and laugh when I see the stuff he gets away with......

Dave

Roscoroo · « **Reply #29 on:** January 29, 2006, 09:26:48 AM »

"He is master certified at the "Wallet Flush"

yea he puts it right into his own

one thing i found if your gonna work dealerships lock up all your parts from each job everyday . i hated coming in to 3 supercoupe warrenty jobs and 3/4's of my parts were missing .

(i avg over 50k @ the dealerships) ,,, made that and then some from the dodge truck frame plate recal ..i could knock those out in 40 mins .. 1.5 +.5 allotted book time