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I bumped into the Director of Career services of my old auto tech school (Lincoln Tech) in the store the other day. I graduated from the school about 15 years ago, but she still remembered me. Anyway, we started talking about the school and how she spends all her time trying to place new graduates mostly into dealerships. So she tells me that new graduates can expect to make $10/hr at most dealerships. Seriously? There’s something very wrong with paying new guys so poorly in a skilled trade. Keep in mind that I live in the NY metro area. Salaries in general are higher here that most parts of the country.
Why is it that it’s okay to pay new technicians so poorly? This is one of the reasons why so many kids today don’t want to get into the industry. By comparison, you’d never see an apprentice electrician, for example, starting out at just $10/hour, at least not around here.
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What is worse than them starting at that rate is that dealerships are now dropping these graduates into flat rate immediately at that rate.
$10/hr flat rate is definitely not acceptable. When I first started I was making 45% of labor just like everybody else in the shop, but it wasnt a dealership. Never worked at a dealership and never will if I can help it. The jobs I have had paid 45% of labor, 50% of labor, $7/hr plus 15.5% of parts and labor after the first $1550, $10/hr plus 10% of parts and labor, and $22-$26/hr flat rate.
When I started off as a technician I got $10 an hour for like 3 months then got switched over to flat rate (Been in the field off and on for 2-3 years now. They wonder why technicians are leaving the field and they can’t keep them in. They come out with 30-40k of school loan debt (350 monthly payment), have to buy tools to work (Monthly payment of $100), let alone if they have there own place and have other bills to pay it’s a setup for failure. Especially with the flat rate system which guy’s are struggling to bill 30 hours per week.
I looked down the post and was interested at what Electrician Apprentice’s make per hour & Plumber apprentice’s make per hour so I decided to look it up and I was honestly shocked.
Electrician Apprentice-$10.00-$18.00
Plumber Apprentice-$10.00-$16.0010 Bucks flat rate is totally unacceptable in todays world. I just do NOT understand why its still like this after all these years. THIS is WHY dealerships have just a BAD name. They cant get and keep good techs to stay on
This is nothing new. This has been going on for years now and you would think someone would wake the hell up by now.
Today the only way to make decent money is to work for a large company and be a fleet mechanic. Thats what I did. Ten years ago I made 21 an hour plus with the over time I made more than I ever could at a dealership. And the best part was the benefits were really good. And today dealerships have the balls to pay ten bucks flat rate an hour. Boy are they behind the times:angry:my dealership the only people that they hire are entry level lube techs that have graduated a technical school of some sort or better. The lube techs make 8.25 / hour (minimum wage), semi skills start at 11.80 / hour and apprentices start at 13.40/ hour i wanna say, don’t know exactly. They only hire people in as a lube tech and you move up from that. Most lube techs have been there for few years and still are lubing for 8.25/hour. I as a semi-skill tech get just enough to cover 1 bedroom apartment and the bills. Then you got tools etc.
I resently graduated from a trade school with a dagree. I was offered two jobs from dealerships one at 10 an hour the other was 12. I am an ASE master tech. There was no way I would start at that. Then I was offered a job at a local AAMCO at 20 an hour with benifts at the start. I’m now the Trans re builder.
I feel that smaller shops will pay more if your a good reliable employee. You do have to start somewhere
I came out of lincoln tech started working at a dealership as a lube tech for 10/hr. Waited 3 months got a raise to 12/hr then finally just decided to go flat rate at 18/hr. Now i moved to Alaska so the cost of living is higher lube techs are paid 12 an hour and I’m making 25 flat rate as a line tech.
Man i officially started in this field about 3 1/2 years ago at a hyundai dealer and i started at $9hr..for 1 year they never gave me a raise due to the fact that, that specific shop was so unorganized we went through 6 service managers in that year..i applied at other dealerships and got a few offers but they were all around 8-10hr..finally i left and started at another hyundai dealer starting at 12…its crazy how cars are becoming more advanced but the pay is so crappy
When I started I started on lube and tires about 6 years ago I made $10 an hour starting wage, with no more training than autos class and working with my dad. I also made spiffs off of work sold I believe it was 5% of repair order. When I moved up to being a full on tech I got and get $20 an hour. It’s really sad that guys and gals who put money into schooling and tools get the shaft like that.
Thats funny started at a hyundai dealer too only got my silver cert though now i switched to dodge totally different beast. I kinda miss hyundai i knew those cars pretty good lol just made sense.
i been thinking of going to a different dealer but honestly i find hyundai cars extremely easy to work on..and currently im gold cert..i think its funny though how hyundai is trying so hard to become a high end model and compete with mercedes, bmw, etc…
At most franchise businesses they pay you 8.5-10 an hour. you may have work compensation. I started at 8.5 now Im at 9. I just cant wait until I have my 2 years in so I can take my ASE cert.
[quote=”gugar22″ post=44577] I just cant wait until I have my 2 years in so I can take my ASE cert.[/quote]
Don’t wait. Take all the ASE tests you can now. That way you’ll be ASE certified as soon as you get your two years of work experience.
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