The general public has a misconception that automobile mechanics make a lot of money, more so than most trades are paying. This article will explain that this is not so. In fact for the high technology of today's vehicles, the amount of training required, the tool investment, the poor labor rate provided by the manufacturers and the plan a technician gets paid with makes him in my opinion grossly under paid. Read on.
This article may be a little long but it is something that has been in the back of my mind for some time now.
A little about myself to justify that I know what goes on in the automotive business. After graduating high school in 1962 I went on to a technical school for training in the automotive field. I started as an apprentice in a gas station. After a two year hitch in the army I started working in a front end repair shop, and then went to a new car dealer as a mechanic. I spent my entire working career in four dealers and six years in an independent transmission shop as the head transmission rebuilder. I have now been at the same dealer for 24 years and retirement is just around the corner.
So, the question is, are automotive technicians making large amounts of money? The rest of this article pertains to mechanics/technicians that are working for the "MAN" and not pertaining to repair shop or dealer owners.
Years ago back in the 60's or so the auto mechanic was perceived as a dumb looking chap with a dirty overall on with an oily rag sticking out of his back pocket. His face and hands were dirty and grease was all over the wrench in his hand. Not to mention the cigarette clenched in his lips as he acted as though he were above you. If you happen to run into this character today when trying to get your car repaired run away as fast as you can to get away from him. Today's auto mechanics are now auto technicians and rightfully so. Again, read on.
Most all trades' people get paid either by the hour or on a yearly salary Autel MaxiCOM MK808. Not so an auto technician. He/she only gets paid for what they do and if the problem, no matter how complicated it may be, is not resolved the first time this technician may work hours to correct it for no pay at all whether or not it was their fault. I will explain how ridicules this is as I go on.
The car of today not only has to get you from one place to another but in doing so also has to have; a stereo system, dual climate control, duel heated seats (don't want your tushi to get cold), garage openers, GDS system, Onstar, automatic windshield wipers turning on (too much trouble to turn a knob?), Automatic parallel parking, automatic headlights, etc, etc, etc. Wow, are we getting lazy!
Sure all these systems make life easier and I will be the first to say I also enjoy some of them. The problem here is that besides the engine, transmission, traction control, anti lock brakes, air-conditioning and all other essential components which require on-board computers (one to six computers per car depending on make) plus numerous smart boxes we now have another dozen features requiring smart boxes which are monitored by the half dozen or so computers. Most of these systems are running using not the normal 12 volts but are reduced to ½ volts for many components.
The connectors, wire harnesses and grounds are not located at convenient places. They are behind the engine by the firewall were no fingers can reach. They are between radiator and grill, between fender and fender well, under rocker moldings, under seats, under dash, under center or upper consoles, above headliners, behind "A" "B" and 'C' pillars and any other inaccessible place you can think of. Try tracing these circuits for the half hour manufactures pay for diagnose. Yes, ½ hour diagnoses for almost anything is all most auto manufactures want to pay the technician. With all this technology this is kind of ridicules but it is a way of life.
This brings me to what we call heavy metal work. This would include engine and transmission removal, overhaul and replacement. This work is hard on the back after years of doing it plus if not working at a feverish pitch there is no way to make a decent salary working under manufacturer's time allowances. The times are based on the fact that after finishing one job you move on to the next one working at this same feverish pitch just to try and make a half way decent pay check by the end of the week. No wonder there are fewer and fewer trained and experienced technicians in this field.
Most middle aged technicians are worn out and discouraged and are looking for a less strenuous way to make a living. The people who came up with the labor operation time limit for these repairs have obviously never worked in the repair field nor have they ever seen the inside of a shop. Quite frankly I don't think they know the difference between a box wrench and a left handed tweeker pin. How they can dictate a technician's time allowance for certain jobs is beyond me. This time allowance I will explain at the end of this article.
Again, if a drivability problem is intermittent it is very difficult to find and repair it. Often this will require a second or third visit to repair yet the manufacturer and/or the customer will only be willing to pay for this repair one time meaning the technician is expected to do any follow up repairs for free. This can result in hours of work at no pay even if the technician is not at fault. How do you set the standard of where the pay starts and stops? With heavy metal the labor rates are equal to about half the time it actually takes to do the job at a normal work speed. Most manufacturers don't allow for extra time if bolts are rusted and require extra time for removal using the torch. If these engine and transmission jobs are rushed and a simple mistake is made by doing so it could lead to hours of unpaid and heavy work the technician will be expected to do for free Autel Maxisys MS908CV.
So, how does this pay system work? The technician gets paid per flat rate hour. Meaning, the "book" gives X amount of time to do a job. Half hour to diagnose a drivability or electrical problem is not feasible. Six hours to remove and replace a transmission? In most cases this can't be done. Again, eight hours to replace an engine is ridicules. These times are off the top of my head to set an example. Times do vary as to make and model but the times are still well below normal working speeds of the best technicians.
With all these electrical components the technician has thrown away his dirty overalls and oily rags and has to have extensive training to repair the complicated vehicles on the market today. Doing this with the pay rate given is a very taxing situation.
Depending on what part of the country you live in the average labor rate is $90 to $100 per hour. This is what the owner charges and the technician will only receive approximately $20 to $30 per flat rate hour. Not exactly "big bucks" by any means. Also every technician is required to have their own tools which can come to as much as $30 thousand dollars.
I know what some people who are reading this are thinking. If you no longer like the business Autel Diaglink, get out! This is easier said than done. By the time a technician is getting tired of this he/she is middle aged and has a family and house to support not alone the large investment in tools. The salary in the automotive field is just barely enough to get by but starting a new career for less income is for most too difficult.
I hope you enjoyed reading this article and that I shed a little light on a subject many people did no know about. Thank you for letting me vent. Bottled up for 40 years and now ready to retire.

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