Im currently 18, been working on jeeps for about 2 years now and know a decent amount about cars and how to repair/rebuild specifically a jeep. But I'm heading into the Toyota/Lexus program at my community college and wonder if any technicians can tell me about experiences at any car dealer, not just Toyota or Lexus. And the average salary of pay that is earned for that company as a technician? I know that's what I'm going for and want to do, I'm not gettin it mixed up with a hobby. I am already working on cars and studying some ASE books an the information they have, trying to gain as much info as possible before I go into school/internship.
Any mechanics out there to tell me about experiences?
- Thread starter CJDan
- Start date
JPNinPA
Well-known member
I can't comment on being a mechanic as a career. But I will give my two cents on careers.
1.) Never stop learning and improving yourself, and don't sell yourself short.
2.) Follow your passion. If your passionate about what you do, you will do your best and be successful. The day you show up without passion you lose your career and gain a job.
1.) Never stop learning and improving yourself, and don't sell yourself short.
2.) Follow your passion. If your passionate about what you do, you will do your best and be successful. The day you show up without passion you lose your career and gain a job.
SteelHeadz
Super Moderator
Depending on how the company sets up your hourly pay, Flag time or a flatrate pay. For the most part, flagtime is better than the flatrate pay. Example, If the book time to repair a certain task calls for 2.5hrs and you can perform that task efficiently and accurately within 1.5hrs, you still get paid 2.5 for that task. In this case, IF the dealership you are working for is really busy and your schedule has been marked full for the days appointments then finish them all before the day is over and still can do some walk in work, you'll be banking it. On the other hand, IF there's not much work coming in and your schedule in the service dept. is barely getting you by, then your pay suffers. That's when a technician would wish he was on salary. Regardless of what type of hours he turns over, he still gets paid the same however, your for sure to expect the crappiest jobs in that case. Look for a dealership that will pay you to go to school and be a masters tech up to the highest level and pay for all the expenses required for you to complete the education standards required by the dealership. Chrysler does that, i know cause i'm one of them. After establishing your performance at the dealership you choose, the pay varies from the low $19/hr to $40/ hr. Again, that pay figures depends where and who you work for. ASE certifications are good to have however, the bottom line is, it's just a piece of paper that tells you what you know about the general perspective in diagnosing a vehicle but nothing specific as to learning and testing at a manufacturers level of performance. Good Luck..
duckkillerclyde
New member
my ex-girlfriend's brother did the UTI in sacramento then some volkswagon thing in rancho cucamunga. He gets steady work but has been completed for 3 years or so. His biggest gripe is that most of the dealerships share hours.
ie.
you do 60hrs worth of work in 40hrs
other mechanic does 30hrs in 40hrs
other mechanic does 40hrs in 40hrs
everyone gets paid for 40hrs
He says that most of the guys he works with get lazy and ride off of his back. I'm sure if you're the new kid you'll probably be the slow one in the shop and it probably takes a while to get fast enough to be the better faster mechanic. The problem with doing the toyota/lexus thing is that you'll probably be stuck with toyota/lexus for quite a few years. In the case of my buddy, his volkswagon school was 'free' in trade he HAD to work at a 'real' volkswagon dealership for 18 months to avoid paying for the school he got.
He has also had a hard time and hasn't been successful working for a dealership that wasn't volkswagon. I would suggest not going to toyota/lexus school unless there are a few options on where to work. I think that will be your biggest obstacle. He went from Sacramento to Spokane and just this year finally got hired on in Portland OR (closest volkswagon dealer to our hometown). Be ready to relocate after school is complete.
If you want more info, send me a pm and post it here on the board and I'll ask him for you.
ie.
you do 60hrs worth of work in 40hrs
other mechanic does 30hrs in 40hrs
other mechanic does 40hrs in 40hrs
everyone gets paid for 40hrs
He says that most of the guys he works with get lazy and ride off of his back. I'm sure if you're the new kid you'll probably be the slow one in the shop and it probably takes a while to get fast enough to be the better faster mechanic. The problem with doing the toyota/lexus thing is that you'll probably be stuck with toyota/lexus for quite a few years. In the case of my buddy, his volkswagon school was 'free' in trade he HAD to work at a 'real' volkswagon dealership for 18 months to avoid paying for the school he got.
He has also had a hard time and hasn't been successful working for a dealership that wasn't volkswagon. I would suggest not going to toyota/lexus school unless there are a few options on where to work. I think that will be your biggest obstacle. He went from Sacramento to Spokane and just this year finally got hired on in Portland OR (closest volkswagon dealer to our hometown). Be ready to relocate after school is complete.
If you want more info, send me a pm and post it here on the board and I'll ask him for you.
duckkillerclyde said:
I would
Start working as an intern for the 2 years I'm at college, and out of college I am
Guaranteed a job a long as I complete the program at my college, now depending on how well I do will decide my starting pay and where I work (toyota or for Lexus). But I know the better Grades i get the more people will want me to work for them an start me at a better pay rate, so I have every option open in this college I believe. Just depends on the level of effort I choose to put into it.
superj
Well-known member
I don't know about automotive but that's the storythey told us in aviation school too. Once it came to actually getting a job though, the best pay offer I was given ( I finished second in class with a 98.3gpa in a&p school and got two associates out of it) 12 bucks an hour, if I remember right. Move to a hub at minneapolis airport and 12 bucks from one of the big companies. I made more than that as a licensed golf cart mechanic. Needless to say I went back to construction and then back in the army again
