[stokesauto]

In response to what mobilemech70 said about underperforming, I’d assume we’re talking $75,000 a year flat rate. That’s about $29/hr. If he’s under performing and burning up time with come backs, he obviously not going to hit $75k/yr. 30 hr/wk would be $45k. If he’s not performing like he was supposed to, you cut his pay or replace him.

[stokesauto]

I’m a tech. Joined this forum because I’m trying to build a shop.

I don’t consider $75k/yr to be a lot for a good tech. It’s not the ’90s anymore.

Ajusted for inflation, $75k now is like $50k was 20 years ago.

I went to a tech school in ’01/’02, so I wasn’t a tech in the ’90s, but I know guys that were making $60k-$80k back then, and they all tell me the automotive business went to hell after 9/11.

It’s been 16 years since 9/11. How much have shop rates gone up, yet pay has been stagnant?

I left a dealer in ’06 and have no desire to work for a dealer again. I like indies, but they both have their pros and cons.

A tech being able to flag more than 100% doesn’t justify a low wage. A few years ago I applied at a shop in So Cal. I was hoping to get around $20/hr flat rate. The service manager said she had guys that had been there 6 years that were only making $18. I was like wtf? I was making more than that in Idaho with a much lower cost of living. She said all of her guys regularly flag 120%. So you’re telling me that it’s ok to pay a low wage and make them do more work so that it averages out a little higher? No thanks.

On the other side of that, the first indy I worked for told me his guys averaged 40hr/wk throughout the year. Ok cool. He started me at $17/hr. I later realized that with the hours we were open, I was at the shop for 60hrs/wk. Sure I flagged 40, but being there 60 hr/wk, I was making the equivelant of a $9.50 hourly wage would be with OT.

I could rant for hours about all the reasons we techs hate the auto industry, but I’ll just say that if shops want good techs, they need to start paying them what they are worth.

$40k is still listed as the median income anywhere you look. That’s not enough for a career that requires as much as being a tech does.

I’ve been working off and on as a contractor over seas because it’s the only way to make some real money as a tech. I’m sitting in Afghanistan right now saving money to put towards the shop I’m trying to build.

I’m really curious to see what will happen to the auto industry in the future. All I read about is what a shortage of good techs there are, yet wages are still way low. Something has to change.