How Much Money Do Mechanics Make $$$ Flat Rate VS Hourly (2022)

IG @nick.nakai
Discord / discord
#flatratemechanic #toyotatech #dieseltech #automechanicpay

[@ProjectRebuildLLC]

I started at $16 hourly as a mechanic at a tire shop, then 1 month later, went to a dodge dealership making $25 with 40 hr guarantee... very slow because it was a new location. Then I moved and got offered $38 hourly at my current job. after 6 months im lead technician making $45 with loads of overtime. I hate trading my time for money, but now that i'm management, I get to go home and focus on my side hustle and work on customer cars or continue flipping/ restoring classics.

[@aplus_mvp]

you became lead tech in 6-7 months from no experience ??

[@ProjectRebuildLLC]

@@aplus_mvp Yes, I’m very analytical on the things that happen in my life and for what it’s worth, I learned a little on my own before starting at the shop but compared to what I know now… I didn’t know enough… Currently my boss has me at another shop getting their diagnostic work caught up and he’s considering me for a Service Manager/ Foreman position on Salary only because I expressed my interest in management… (more money).. it’s all about how you sell yourself and are you willing to put in the work. I really should make a video lol

[@teddylundgren3984]

Wtf that shit is crazy

[@aplus_mvp]

@@ProjectRebuildLLC I literally started working here at dodge/jeep/chrysler dealership in canada 2 weeks ago and I've never heard of that. So you know about the online stellantis training ?

[@iinsanej]

@@aplus_mvp Been with Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram for 10 years. Get your training done and don’t get comfortable where you are at. Be a sponge and soak up all the knowledge from other techs. I was happy the first 3-5 years with them. Then got too comfortable. This year I stepped out of my comfort zone and got offered from a independent shop working on Euros and exotics. No warranty jobs and just straight customer pay. Never looking back on dealerships

[@nbdxchance9010]

I’m 19 I work as a diesel maintenance tech, making 26$ hourly I’m switching to 2nd shift soon which is 27$ an hour. Didn’t go to any schooling or college. Been loving cars since a kid, been working on cars for years. Love it but it has its ups and downs.

[@justus9332]

Are you working at Penske ?

[@nbdxchance9010]

@@justus9332 yes

[@justus9332]

I’m going to start either the 5th or 12th how is at Penske my job title is diesel mechanic 3

[@nbdxchance9010]

@@justus9332 it’s great. You learn a lot very fast, And I’m glad to work there. I think it’s a good job to have being really young I’ve learned to work hard. And it’s pretty fun gaining all the experience once you actually start working on semis/trailers. Jus gets repetitive sometimes

[@damnitdang]

Would've they have to pay you at least $30? In cali?

[@davidmorales6911]

I’ve been working @ Jeep for 3 years now I recently became flat rate. I’m only 20 years old. I definitely don’t have as much experience as my co workers but I like my job. Flat rate has treated me well. There are still some learning curves, but you just to man up, get through it and chase that bag 💪🏼

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Nice, I rec embracing the BS diag tickets because once you get good at that, everything else will be gravy to you. anybody can replace parts. Ive seen alot of new guys think they are top shit because they flag a ton of hours doing brakes and alignments all day. then once they get a trouble car they have no idea what to do.

[@ronijr4918]

Yeah atleast they gave you a 3 year head start. I got 5 months. Was 19 when I became flat rate. Currently 22 and have learned to survive.

[@gregoryfairchild2460]

I was a flat rate tech for years, but they revised it pretty tight lately. Where I worked we were 1099, paying our own taxes by set times of operation. No insurance, no retirement, it's all on you. I worked independent shops.Big tire chains expect a minimum $$ sold & logged per week. This is where guys are tempted to sell unnecessary repairs. Bc they will fire you for low profit. I live in the rust belt and they will debate you on extra time for rusted seized parts. 2.5 hour jobs turn into 4 hours with bad rust quite commonly. I live in a smaller city and did fine until the 2009-2016 slump recession. If you work fast and accurate not sloppy, you can make good money. If you're sloppy, cars will come back and you will get fired. Dealerships get paid 75% of the flat rate for an independent shop bc you mostly work on one kind of car and know what tools & how to take short cuts etc. I'd recommend find a shop that takes out taxes, pays workers comp, pays 50/50 insurance at least and some 401k etc. If you see same guys getting the gravy jobs, push you box out, that's why they're on wheels.

[@ianizzy-e4679]

I’m looking to get into the auto mechanic industry and your Chanel has been really helpful and informative

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Glad I can help.

[@henrysmith8012]

Go Aviation.

[@maxpainmedia]

@@henrysmith8012why?

[@the_first_resort940]

2nd year flat rate benz tech here, 27 a hour. I avg 60 hrs a week. All different kinds of bonuses that scale when above 50 hours. I take home after taxes about 1250-1750 a week after taxes

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Good stuff man keep it up.

[@MatMcCrudden]

The pay changed big time in Australia , The government kicked out all the people from overseas when covid came in, so there were hardly any mechanics left . At one stage if you were an Australian mechanic you couldn't eve sit down for lunch without business owners ringing you at work offering some dam good pays trying to get you to work for them .

[@A1.CLiiiPz]

You work hard to be where you at Nikki. You deserve it

[@excessivemedia9295]

It's amazing that everyone is being transparent with their income. It's a shady practice to not be transparent with things . Like "what are you hiding" ?

[@LetsDriftMedia]

I’ve always been open to talk about it. When I was at the dealer hardly anyone would say how much they made. Now working fleet people will flat out show you there paycheck cause there’s nothing to hide lol

[@K1DWOLF]

Thanks for this video. I'm getting back into the automotive field due to teaching in Chicago public schools being very unreliable and seasonal. 😊🎉

[@TheBravo13x]

I’m hourly @$25.50 rn as an apprentice in a union Toyota shop. Also our warranty is times 1.5. Some law that just passed.

[@gsmiklo8555]

Damn do u diagnose yet or not much? Suspension work brakes tune ups ect?

[@TheBravo13x]

@@gsmiklo8555 yes, I do, I have a general idea of mostly everything, but I wanna do more electrical. My shop focus more on getting oil changes done, because of the owner being an old timer.

[@gsmiklo8555]

@@TheBravo13x nice same i need more pay haha changing parts not. Problem but rust here in the salt belt is im convinced its time to move around

[@TheBravo13x]

@@gsmiklo8555 rust you can get around. Heat and rust penetrate are your friends. Trust me, here in the Midwest unions, there’s a lot more money to be made compared to other states with no unions. Also think about your health benefits and 401K.

[@danerickson1632]

I'm a salary specialist in computer data communication and Air Conditioning and will do the Gravy Brake jobs and light mechanical stuff like belts and fluid maintenance. 70K a year.

[@antoniorubio3506]

Good For You Bro!! I Totally get it... Stick to Hourly ...

[@SC_XOLOs]

All my coworkers left the dealership to work for the county.. I guess hourly is better.

[@alexmendoza6314]

I once worked in a body shop and the guy who was my training lead flagged 235 hrs my first 2 weeks and 255 in the 2nd 2 weeks

[@deerking4848]

Nikko, Wanted to ask your opinion far the best tools for your buck, Im starting School soon at a tech college for auto mechanics and wanted to know where to get the tools for class with out spending 15k

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Harbor Freight. I did a video spending 1000$ at HF. With that was able to buy pretty much all the essentials.

[@jameelboss3868]

Hi brother main ek aisi technician hoon aur mujhe job chahiye aur main aapke sath kam karna chahta hun aur meri yah hasrat hai ki main aapke sath kam Karun aur main aapse kuchh sikho aap bahut intelligent Hain aur main aapke sath kam karna chahta hun main Pakistan se hun abhi main Yun hi mein kam kar raha hun ek company mein

[@wyomingtechnician6447]

Hello nick I'm a new auto tech working for a chain store. I'm paid hourly and it's nice having the guaranteed pay every week but I eventually want to go flat rate.

[@khaladdjaili8128]

Good I'm from Algeria Mechanik 20years experience possible partner with work contract

[@soldierandsunshineshow5583]

How much are you paid to diagnose I think that is the hardest part of the job

[@196clint]

Btw does your shop have all data? And do you miss the gasoline industries and people friendly environment (stores, food, malls)

[@alexfranco5831]

LETS GOOO 🔥

[@LetsDriftMedia]

🥰

[@santomarco3]

ITs interesting video. Thanks. I was work in BMW Europe which we have a monthly salary with company Tools And 30 days Holiday. And Now i work for BMW in canada with flat rate system. Which i have not for money because but the different between hourly And flatrate Is delivery service for customer. In flat rate everyone with my Canadian colleage try cheat something And they don't good quality job. I would Like to Heard your opinion for this . Thanks And enjoy Cali lifestyle.

[@taheral-shehaby8971]

How can i start as an automotive technician , if i am a new commer to USA , my current job in Egypt is aircraft maintenance technician

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Start applying at any shop near your area, if you already have experience it shouldn't be too hard to land a job here.

[@UtahTrucker]

I was just curious how many electric wrenches did you have did you have a three 8 1/4 or did you just have a 3/8 and put a quarter inch adapter on it

[@LetsDriftMedia]

I used just 3/8 and 1/2 for the longest. Then started using 1/4 and got a1/4 impact. Nothing wrong with using adapters though.

[@DKLGalactus5]

Be a cop 285 thousand a year.

[@levisbackyard]

So would you recommend going into being a flat rate tech? Especially for someone like me who is considering it for their first job.

[@LetsDriftMedia]

The younger you are the better easier to hustle and be motivated. But if it’s your first job I don’t think you will start as flatrate. All new guys usually start on the lube rack changing oil until the shop feels you are ready to move up.

[@levisbackyard]

@@LetsDriftMedia oops yeah that's what I meant but for like the industry in general, once I would get past the lube rack.

[@LetsDriftMedia]

@@levisbackyard no worries. If you are hungry and self motivated to pump out repairs you can make some good money. There is a lot of favoritism in the dealer world so be prepared for that.

[@Phoun615]

U crazy I take my 1 hr lunch at the same time every day, and after my shift i crack open a beer and im done. Take care of yourself first. I still do 65hr average on a 42hr work week. I agree about greedy I have a co worker that does a steady 110hr a week flag, he cons and complains to add more time. Im thinking going hourly plus overtime. Tesla is offering what I am making now but hourly

[@LetsDriftMedia]

I would look into your utility companies around your area for hourly they seem to pay the best and are union. I don’t think it’s worth it to go hourly at the same rate you are making flat rate. It’s gunna be a big pay cut. I only jumped ship to hourly because the hourly rate is 14$ more an hour then I was making flat rate.

[@rickywijaya1223]

Where should we start to learn it?

[@ibanez741852]

I've worked hourly and flat rate. Usually the most knowledgeable techs on flat rate make lower hours. They can get wrapped up in a 4 hour diag job that only pays an hour, while the guy next bay over can bust out several easy jobs that he's done hundreds of times and double the hours. Even if you make 5 bucks an hour more but they double the hours, it blurs the line on who the dumb techs are. Hourly is nice because my mortgage company doesn't care if I had a good week or a bad week.

[@TeslaTech305]

Did flat rate for 8 years and I loved it made great money but having a family changed that for me. I went on the hourly side and never looked back. I like not stressing about how much I’m going to make this month

[@ng6950]

@SCMongooseT4R what other opportunities would you recommend?

[@rob7hg]

I have worked in dealerships and independent shops for many years. Every dealership I've worked in always has one or two techs who get all the gravy while everyone else it becomes a revolving door when you consider factory warranty times are about one third the actual time. So I guess that's why tools boxes have wheels on them. I learned early on while working warranty jobs that the pen is mightier then the wrench.

[@rubenbacio3874]

LMAO 😅 yes bro doctor up the story.

[@chrism5433]

Thankyou 🍺🍺. We all want to get paid a reasonable wage for work done with benefits. As a mechanic we all know there is no easy job , while getting a balanced Family life . All mechanics deserve more respect for the work we do. Most people don't understand how much we need know and tools needed compared to other trades . We deserve good wages and respect . Do it right men 🍺🍺

[@zacstern1513]

Been working @ Nissan for 5 years now am only 23. Went flat rate at the end of 2021 after training with a master tech for 2 years. Flat rate has treated me well. A lot stress but love what I do. When I see my paycheck at the end of 2 weeks I know it was worth it.

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Can be very rewarding when it’s a good pay period fersure

[@janarvind5400]

Nissan tech as well down in Houston. Definitely very rewarding if you bust your ass and motivated. The stress is there but I can deal with it.

[@jrm2861]

I’m a Nissan lube tech working to start flagging

[@naratouzumaki]

Crazy cant even get a job at a dealer about to be 22 years old and cant even get hired

[@AK-bx8jx]

Idk where u at but all techs I know since 2012 all at 30-57$ now, all independent shops. 23$? I’d push my box out quick

[@GIXXERyan]

Was flat rate for 18 years and recently went fleet with my municipality. I should have went hourly from the start. My stress levels are so now zero, and I can focus on just doing the work. The pension, benefits, earned days off, holidays, sick leave far FAR outweighs any extra money killing yourself on flat rate.

[@RenePerez-pu4cj]

Municipality jobs is the way to go as a mechanic. Since I went that route, I never looked back. As you said, nothing outweighs the benefits you get from a municipality job

[@RenePerez-pu4cj]

@SCMongooseT4R Really comes down to one thing, and that's job security. You won't get that working flat rate

[@javierosorio5169]

I agree , I work for the city also and I’m 45 ,the good part about it , is I started working at a young age . And at 50 , I get to retire (78 plan ). Pension 28 years service plus age 50 = 78.

[@mikeweninger1607]

I been working flat rate at dealerships for 30 years.. I take 3 different medications for my blood pressure.... Need I say more?

[@nismo2070]

I've been doing flat rate for 30 years. I absolutely hate it. The labor times have gotten ridiculous. They keep knocking them down every 2-6 years in case you didn't notice. I have made damn good money, but flat rate just encourages hacks/half assed work/greed.

[@sergiocisneros5752]

I’m 26 working for Pepsi Beverages as a Fleet Mechanic making 38.50 , left the dealers as an apprentice making 26.50 and it’s the best decision I ever made. I Was flat rate for the last year at the dealers and would get rocked by warranty times not to mention we only had a 36 hour guarantee. Recommend fleet for anyone getting in the business

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Wow didn’t even think of Pepsi when it came to fleet. That’s really good pay for hourly too good stuff

[@beastfromtheeast9318]

I worked for pepsi for a couple of months as a machine operator. It’s a terrible company to work for. They don’t give a fuck about their employees and work you like a fucken dog.

[@sergiocisneros5752]

@@LetsDriftMedia utility fleet is where the real money is. Out here in Chicago we have ComEdison for our electricity provider and their fleet mechanics make 57 an hour.

[@mantan6196]

I'm definitely going back to fleet service

[@MobileMC74]

After 12+ years repairing forklifts I interview tomorrow for frito lay fleet tech. Fingers crossed

[@adventuresandvacations4947]

Flat rate will teach you how to hustle, and about how important productivity is. Great for young guys, but it's not sustainable as you get older. Look around what's the average age of the guys around you at your shop and other shops. Look at how they move their backs, knees, arthritis.

[@Use2FACTAUTH]

I’m still new to the automotive world and I make hourly + 2$ extra per flat rate hour until I’m able to be on my own. Although I know some people making huge paychecks with flat rate hours. I think I’d prefer a consistent hourly check and not have to worry about a slow week, as I have seen guys stressed out the whole day because there’s not enough work coming in.

[@anthonyn3lla595]

I'm in NY. Flat rate means if you not turning wrench you not getting paid. No buffer. No hourly rate make up. No clock in time. I've had weeks when I've gotten 120 hrs in a week and others with 20 hrs. You are in control of your own destiny. Flat rate is a good and bad thing. Also if anyone else is in NY and is flat rate or starting out. The sweet spot is between 50 and 65 hours. Anything after the tax man hits you big time. Best of luck to all my tech brothers and sisters. We got this. Thanks for blessing the ppl with videos like this. Sending love from my family to yours. Stay blessed ppl 🙏

[@ghostwrench2292]

My dealership went to a 40 hour weekly guarantee this year with bonuses for flagging over 40 hours per week. As much as I hate flat rate, I’m kind of addicted to it with always trying to make my hours or get into the bonus ranges. You get that nice paycheck from bonus and then you keep pushing to get it again. Then you have a tough week where you have to take the guarantee and you feel like a loser. Hourly would be more relaxed but I like the opportunity to double my paycheck because when you do, it’s a rush!

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Agreed man, nothing like flagging double your clock in hours. Def an awesome feeling that I miss about flat rate.

[@midwestapprentice1904]

i feel like a guarantee is the best way to go

[@MostGenericUser]

I'll take the guarantee if you don't want it lol

[@RaiderJoes]

Yeah already retired so getting into this to learn something new and have fun, guaranteed sounds stress free to me

[@tylerangle1990]

In my experience, not much. Maybe I’m just a crappy mechanic but after putting almost 10 years into the gig and growing up around it I’d like to think I know a little bit. I never saw very good money doing it. Especially not when you factor in the expense of tools and the toll it takes on your body. Depends on the situation though. A service advisor/manager can make or break a flat rate tech if they want to.

[@carlt6932]

Some very good mechanics don't do well in a dealership. You may be better off having your own small shop.

[@josejuaquin794]

I started as hourly wage at 21 per hr. After about 16 months I went flat rate, but quit after 3yr I hate the stress and uncertainty, money was ok. I got a job with state gov. Being there 9yr Mon to Fri steady income no complaints still going.

[@tanishamojica9747]

What job is it?

[@OctaneStreet]

I had no clue how well Cali paid techs. I've known many techs who were and are being paid ~$28/hr CANADIAN. This is for hourly work and not flat rate, but man is the discrepency huge. I definitely feel like the trade is underpaid where I live in Canada. Great rundown of your own experiences though! Very informative to watch.

[@ErickVillalobos-z1u]

Cali payd "well" but its because renting somewhere to live out there cause 10000 for one bedroom bathroom

[@taclite4565]

I feel very fortunate to work for a company that pays me hourly plus commission after I reach my monthly gross. So like a flat rate the more vehicles I get in helps me meet my “bonus” which calculates out to another paycheck plus my 2 other paychecks for the month.

[@ToDaMn]

Terrible system!! So I physically work 50 hours a week. Start early stay late work through lunch, and Flag 65 hours sounds good except next week I flag 40 hours wait now the dispatcher has an attitude and now I flag 38 hours. Plus I don’t get time and a half and have to buy my own tools.. Get a union job!!! Do the math and see what you are making the dealership 🤯

[@Maroco918]

Salary or hourly is the move

[@b0lbi]

Went from flat rate to hourly. If you are a master tech, you are getting the difficult warranty work with labor times that are sometimes impossible to beat, or diag tine that is never paid. Now i get paid the same every check with the option for overtime. Even get paid to fix mistakes. Flat rate doesn't work anymore. Companies have figured out how to weaponize it against the techs

[@britup1]

I just left a union shop in Illinois and the contract guaranteed that the flat rate tech would get 35 hours paid a week if there wasn’t any work, no matter what. Another thing is that if you’re working not clocked in or taking short lunches, you better not get hurt while you’re not clocked in or the management will just laugh at you.

[@raysboatingandadventure1277]

I worked 100% commission for 20 years. I was in the top 5% in the country. At the end, the dealership changed, started making less. We had 2 primadonna techs. They remember every car and recommendations. You start at 7, get there at 6:30 for night drops. Work till 6, late nights till 7-8 pm. That's how flate rate makes money. Lot of stress. Now I'm hourly, and it's hard to slow down. Everybody has to pace to end of day near when work is over. Hourly has it's pluses, to make more, Saturday is in picture. Your videos are right on. Keep up the good work. Sounds like cdl a is in your picture to keep this position. Flat rate not so much. Thanks

[@madcannagrow2833]

Best advice I can give. Develop your own clients do side jobs, invest into yourself (service truck, small shop) and then go independent. I can make a weeks in a day sometimes with less work since your making money for yourself not a shop.

[@felixramos5808]

Where im at, we work on a team system. The team leader gets $2 for every hour we flag and if we meet our daily hour goal and have the best effeciency out of the rest of the teams then we get cash rewards. So there is team motivation there lol

[@commoncents8588]

Not a complaint. I started 50-50. $2.10/hr Later 40/60. Then 30/70, after 48yrs most dealers were corporate and were tightly run. Manufactures cut times, Dealers cut times, Recalls were more prevalent, Maintenance was cut substantially, no dealer retirement only 401s, inflation constant, age is factor later on. Technology can pass you in a instant. I enjoyed recalling All you talked of. Money management is at the top of the list. Thank You

[@yoyomaster4545]

I work at a Dodge Dealership in Northern Cali, what they do at my place is a minimum rate which for me is 30/hr thats if you do not produce your 40 hrs (weekly pay over here) but if you produce at least 34 hours you get a production rate at 35 hr. Chrysler Warranty time is Horrible!!!!

[@Not2day-Satan]

Favoritism. So true. Flat rate kicked ass when it was good but when it was SLOW, fuck that's torture. Dealerships are way more fucked up when it's flat rate. It can be a snake pit in some places when the car count gets low. Im happy to be hourly. Over-Time and Double-Time is my new money maker. It's a lifestyle change. Good luck dude

[@damderrick]

Been doing this for 20 years. It's time for flat rate to be abolished in its current form. Everything is going electric. These days I'm an electrician or software engineer at my local dealer. The good ol days of crazy high hours are over unless you're at an independent shop. Dealer work is now oil changes, warranty and crap work.

[@abochavez]

Here in CA i’ve only worked at independent shops and made hourly pay. Only a few of a dozen shops are willing to pay the double minimum with your own tools.

[@AJourneyOfYourSoul]

Isn’t it the law? I don’t think they have any choice.

[@ricardoalamo8704]

Good video nick! Lots of variables in the flat rate system, maybe one day I too will switch to the hourly life. Keep the videos coming.

[@MEDEDOME]

I did 34 years flat rate in a large GM dealer with no hourly guarantee only getting paid the hours you made. The stress of never knowing what you will earn week to week is very tough and that never changed. Most my years I averaged 10-14 hours per day. My best 2 days in a row was 41 hours flat rate. I was earning around $34 per hour with my level of training and certifications. That was a few years back. My average 2 week hours were usually between 100 and 120 hours. It was a dog eat dog way of making a living our shop employed about 18 techs. Everyone was always watching what everyone else was getting for work. I hated flat rate always wished they would pay a fair hourly rate. Flat rate encourages repair short cuts and over charging practices giving the industry a bad name. Glad I am retired now.

[@strategicservices9906]

i dont care what you say but flat rate jobs are rushed

[@elel4284]

i love flat rate for many reasons when i was hourly there is always the tech or shop foreman who wants to drain or that guy you work with who gets pay hourly but doesnt help you but the shopforeman likes him because its his race or simply jiat likes him ❗️

[@DanielDroegeShow]

Flat-rate mechanics I worked with always had a base and they would drag their feet and put all warranty work on one week and bust their butts the next week to max out their % bonus. They would always go from $800 to $2,000.

[@larrypuzon1430]

Flat rate is design for Tech to get greedy,Hourly is for slackers i did both .I like hourly tho less stress and honest money

[@zhaoliao5153]

Iam 35 and have been at Toyota for 14 years as a master tech with hourly pay with flat rate bonus and pretty much it’s like this in most of California shop

[@isorozco511]

flat rate sucks the times keep getting cut, theres hella favoritism, diagnostics is usually free and no one has 40 hr guarantee anymore. This industry sucks. Not to mention it fluctuates like a MF. Get into IT instead of auto for all those young guys watching this.

[@beepbopboop6903]

Wtf?!? Cali guarantees you 80 hours?? As a Florida tech who made 50 hours this pay period of 12 days at 9 hours a day I am blown away.

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Yea they do here. I’ve only flagged less then 80s to get that guarantee once or twice in my career tho so really didn’t matter to me. But I guess it is nice to have for when it’s super slow at the shop

[@jb2._]

I’m finally moving over to flat rate at Nissan after 2 years of being a lube tech and training with my shop foreman. Went to UTI and did the Nissan program I’m 25 and looking forward to it. Also in Cali

[@domnick7886]

Warranty flat rate vs customer flat rate are not the same. Warranty flat rate is almost alway half of customer flat rate. Working at a dealership where a lot of the work is Warranty. I spend many 50 hr work week on the clock to only bring home 20hrs pay. BEING MOTIVATED IS NOT A GUARANTEE. If you have a shop Manager WHO HAS HIS FAVORITES YOU WILL NOT MAKE MONEY. I would would do 6to8 Warranty transmission replacements a week knew every trick to speed up the job and still lost 1.5 to 3.0 hours per job. If those jobs were customer flat rate I would have made 1.5 to 4.0 hrs on each job. No pay for troubleshooting except electric which payed 2hr. Like you said rattles and water leaks guaranteed pay loss. PA there is no guarantee pay.

[@KabayanAR]

Been a tech for 15 years mostly working on all makes ,models flat rate. Past 3 years been on hourly. Past 1.5 years hourly with OT pay. I can make more than the flat rate master tech that gets $35. Flat rate is the past. Times change

[@LetsDriftMedia]

As much as I liked flat rate I’m so glad I’m hourly now.

[@MostGenericUser]

Holy shit I had no idea California had such an amazing mandated pay scale for flat rate techs. Really puts in perspective how screwed over some of us are. My company has stores in California yet where I'm at they're pinching pennies with their best techs that make them 6 figures of profit a year and letting them leave because they aren't being competitive enough with their pay rates, benefits and work environment. They only pay some master techs $30 hourly rate it's crazy that's a minimum for flat rate techs there. $2,400 every check would be fucking amazing right now alone

[@jimjab3631]

Mechanic is bank. You must be familiar with the cars and have a work ethic. Most float from dealer to dealer working on different cars... stick with one and bust out the repair from memory. It's just that easy. Currently work ethic is gone.

[@zaza5913]

My first mechanic job I made 600$ / month for 40 hours a week my next I made 10$ /hour I’ll tell you what that California flat rate sounds pretty good

[@mikeweninger1607]

With flat rate you learn how to cut and skip. Quality is not important. As long as the vehicle works, it good enough. Leftover parts, nut and bolts... Can't care. Quantity is what makes you money, not quality.

[@harold6863]

I typically do a 12 hour day eat lunch on the go. If you work hard it’s great. Worst jobs are rattles/suspension type noises. I do a lot of HV battery repairs as well as EV and Hybrid repairs. The times are very poor. Service times are great so the lube techs can flag more hours easily. That said I rather do the skilled work.

[@nirmit1298]

💯 Percentage true.

[@Maroco918]

I'm blessed with salary position, benefits, 401k and bonuses for any hours over 80per work week. Not to mention Christmas bonuses. Good jobs are out there, master your craft and bust ass. It pays off

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Exactly dont think flatrate dealership is the end of the line.

[@JG-dc7kg]

Flat rate is affected by weather: nice n sunny, lots of easy brake, suspension, and exhast jobs, rain or snow...not so good

[@NotShowingOff]

Looks like Flat rate is great if you want to learn a lot. Even if you get the nasty jobs, you could be making videos on KZbin on how to repair cars

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Yea it has its ups and downs. Gotta be careful filming videos at work and posting online. A lot of places are super strict on that

[@jonomotive2000]

From California went to Texas to work at a dealership and didn’t know we strictly get payed for flagged hours with no safe pay

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Lol yea I didn’t know either till a few years ago

[@TTSL818]

What’s safe pay ??

[@jonomotive2000]

@@TTSL818 let’s say you’re clocked in 40 hours and you only flag 20 hours that week you still get payed the 40 hours you were clocked in

[@randallarcher3085]

I'm really hoping that you add a CDL to your belt. Preferably A. But if you prefer driving trucks vs working on cars... you will have either option. I'm just saying and for those reading "give yourself more options because you become that much formidable in our field.

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Thanks, Currently hold an unrestricted CDL w/ hazmat at the moment. Feels good.

[@Miggezthepainter]

I do 200 hours in one week motivated painter 💪💪💪💪 the body shop way better then mechanics

[@Thenatureboy801]

Flat rate is just too unpredictable, I’ve worked at one dealership out of the 5 total I’ve worked at where flat rate was steady and you could always hit 140+ hours in a pay period. The rest were always 80-100 hours on a good pay period. I’ll never go back now that I’m hourly, I’m making over 40$ hourly and get a bonus based on how well the sales team is doing. The right tech jobs are out there. Always make sure you look out for yourself and if a shop isn’t taking care of you it’s time to go.

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Yup! Glad I left. I would never go back to flatrate.

[@barrygoldman2523]

If you do a crap job you're better off screwing up then they'll stop giving you crap jobs

[@robertrecco710]

Become a cop 125 a year plus benefits and perks and you do nothing all day but stand and write out bullshit tickets and get to have giirls on the side trust me you will thank me like my future helper couldn’t handle the carpet, business laying carpet, moving furniture 12 hour shifts. He said he had no life after work too tired told him to become a cop. Two years later comes to my work and thanks me so much best job he said he ever took goes home and has so much energy, because he says he does nothing all day but bullshit that doesn’t require no physical energy or thought

[@the_first_resort940]

So you’re proud of doing “nothing “ with your career? A law enforcement officer should set an example and make a difference . I rather be a tech atleast I don’t have a body camera strapped to my chest all day and and target on my back . Shit might as well call the career and real life cuckold

[@davidreidle7481]

I was flat rate for 27 yrs of my career. Chasing that carrot on flat rate took its toll on my body and health. I am now working for myself and making great money. In my opinion the flat rate system is a scam. It causes good mechanics to short cut to try to make money and it breeds dishonest mechanics to sell stuff customers do not need. The scam is the person that employs you does not have to pay you if things are slow, but they require you to be there 8hrs a day. Second if you get more than 80 flagged hrs a period. You pay a lot more in taxes(scam) but do not get a higher pay rate if over 80hrs. Like one person said 65-75hrs is the sweet spot so the tax man does not get it. Our tax system is set up to tax people working by the hour. They get time and a 1/2 if over 80 which is a higher tax. Lots less stress if you are paid by the hour. You can set up to pay your bills on time and set a budget with no stress on yourself.

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Nice man and I agree with all that.

[@justus9332]

Can you do like starting tools for diesel tech

[@Everydayprojects365]

Just like most things in this country the concepts and ideas are great but the execution due to the politics is trash.

[@celtic125434849]

Flat rate does reward hack mechanics though..

[@LetsDriftMedia]

ive seen some hack techs make good hours. Catches up to them tho when all their work keep coming back for rechecks.

[@timothyangelosanto9668]

I got 25 an hr 50 hrs a week guarantee gotta say reading the comments I guess I'm lucky . Get electrical experience that's what got me to 25

[@Maroco918]

Exactly. You added huge value to yourself there. The good jobs are out there. Just have to be willing to look. Best of luck to you and congratulations on the job!

[@GreatSax1]

Why do mechanics who get paid well feel like they need to commit fraud, like pretend they did throttle body cleanings or air flow sensor cleanings, or reuse oil filters?

[@LetsDriftMedia]

There are dishonest people in every industry regardless of pay.

[@HMPRODIGY]

Do you think its wise working at a dealership as a beginner? i had a couple months of training at a reputable school and i feel maybe its too much to chew on atm. But im willing to learn from them if they hire me

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Of course if you are just starting out that is great experience to gain, would not rec staying at a dealer for life but to get your feet wet and eventually move onto something better, definitely.

[@johnnyouk3513]

Flat rate first get that experience! Then switch to hourly fleet.

[@CoolCatsLC]

Just uploaded a short. They charged me $238 to install a few brake light bulbs in my corolla

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Wth you got overcharged !

[@backnine]

Why is the rust belt the same rate as say Arizona. When I worked in Chicago 40 + years we had Oxy Acetylene carts about every 3 bays. When I moved to AZ the shops did not even have 1. When the snow birds came down with there rust buckets they were charged time and material.

[@matsinkal]

Flat rate sounds shit

[@dabaydestrian437]

I make $80k at the dealer.. I guess it’s not bad considering I have no education or training

[@LetsDriftMedia]

80k is good money.

[@MOEGWALLA5150]

I started making 20 a hour a few years ago then started charging by the job then moved forward into charging 100 a hour then realized that was to low cause my interest was changing cause I wasn’t making enough now I charge 125 a hour doing mobile Mechanic work definitely worth the price only for upscale customers

[@JesseSammons1992]

You are not talking about a pay scale in a shop at that point, you are talking about running a mobile business. If you are charging $150+/hr thats great but that is not what you are actually making and you should know that! Showing up at a shop and making the hourly rate you are guaranteed that money.

[@MOEGWALLA5150]

Yes a mobile service is what I do So for diagnostic I charge by the hour and if doing a job I charge by the hour and yes a shop is guaranteed but they are not going to pay me what they charge the clients. I have a lot of clients that go to these bigger shops 🏬 and still come to me when they can’t fix there problem so I make way better pay 💰 then a shop and my hours are way better for me to show up and talk to a client is 125 before anything happens and that price is only if they are in a certain area. People praise these shops 🏬 like they have some car golden gods in there but reality they get any bum off the streets that’s willing to work and let them touch a car 🚗

[@JesseSammons1992]

@@MOEGWALLA5150 You are missing my point, it is a business...you have costs associated with doing business. If you are charging $150/hr as an example you are collecting and actually taking home much less than that after you factor in your vehicle cost, tool cost, licensing costs, extra taxes etc. Also you likely arent actually billing 8-10 full hours a day. Point is just that you cant say you are making "$100+/hr". The question is how much are you taking home at the end of the month or the end of the quarter. This is in no way at all comparable to a technicians job or pay that shows up to work everyday and has work delivered to them.

[@MOEGWALLA5150]

@@JesseSammons1992 okay so after overhead expenses and everything else okay I definitely see your point verses going to a job and just getting paid without the extra overhead

[@MOEGWALLA5150]

I still love the factor of not working for no one ☝️ and the profit isn’t to bad I would still prefer to work for myself either way I worked at a dealership before for some time and made decent money but wasn’t fast enough and my overhead was way to much for to keep the job to be honest

[@katalysis]

Shops that only do hourly basically go out of business because there is no incentive for productivity or efficiency.

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Definitely does kill productivity no doubt. Luckily I work for a utility company now, so unless the government decides to shut down peoples water and gas I don't think I will have to worry lol.

[@opelspecialist247]

I want to work at any opel dealership please who can help 🤔

[@jessejaviangel]

I always stayed away from flat rate because I was never efficient to make book time in independent shops (2yrs experience). Independent vs dealership imo independent is hard cause you have to work on bmw one day and a ford the next. I now work at a independent shop were I work hourly But if I make flat rate hours I get paid double my hourly rate for jobs finished. Double edge sword.

[@traildisc155]

Crazy how low you are paid! I always heard japanese dealers pay crap Ford gm crysler always seem to pay 40-70 here in some areas in socal But its also more difficult to become master or world class and u have to rebuild units not replace all the time

[@guacamoleweiner69]

Im a fleet heavy duty mechanic and I work on huge equipment and trucks. Im hourly and make $28 hourly. I get mad overtime. I love it man. I make more than most of my automotive friends and im also less stressed. Sometimes repairs take a day or two but im getting paid regardless and gives me time to look for more issues. It also gives you the chance to take the time to work safely and use lifting devices. My dad is a master mechanic at RWC dealer (international, hino, izusu, etc) and is flat rate. Hes more stressed out and has wrecked his body due to rushing and not being safe. Parts get heavy and you should think twice about picking them up. I don't think with the stress and potential injuries from flate rate is worth it and would burn one out quickly. I hope you're loving the heavy duty stuff and rock on 🤟

[@wtf1231122]

What state?

[@abejr2513]

Is that the same as diesel mechanic?

[@guacamoleweiner69]

@abejr2513 99% of equipment I work on are Caterpillar so I would hope so😅

[@guacamoleweiner69]

@@wtf1231122 Arizona

[@abejr2513]

My bad for the dumb question. Thought about becoming an auto mechanic but I’m switching to an electrician. Hopefully dealership change the flat rate because a tech to get paid the process of each part being replace is BS!

[@sampierson402]

if you are thinking about getting in this career read this. We have a guy in the shop that'll turn 230hrs multiple pay periods. So far this pay period I have 15hrs while my other team mates have 50-60hrs. I have just assembled a cylinder head on a new short block last period for a 2019 camry, replaced evaporator core on an equinox (pia), a blower motor box assembly on a 2020 highlander under warranty, and a frame recall. They do the brakes and the easy stuff. And talk shit to me about how bad I am at my job.. Btw the frame recall on the tundra was my team leaders. He didn't want to do it. And he has an extra bay for his apprentice to do a questionable amount of brake jobs. Speaking on which, I haven't seen a repair order with a brake concern in a long time. a long time. a long time. So much for the top leaders controlling the box. Good thing they're not politicians.

[@sampierson402]

it sounds like theres some good shops out there with a lot less stress. I am getting more and more inclined to roll the box out to find another place for work

[@eltonyaso9769]

What’s your view on diesel technician jobs? Do they make good money?

[@LetsDriftMedia]

Depends where you work. I think you can make more money in the diesel field since there less techs out there for that, not to mention it usually opens more doors to working on heavy equipment /hydraulics. Also depends on your perception of “good money”

[@lotus956]

What kinds of mechanics work on warranty work? Do they even care about the job because it’s just warranty work?

[@LetsDriftMedia]

All mechanics get warranty work when you work at the dealer, and they usually dont care that much in general about the job but when its warranty the job usually pays a fraction of the labor time you would get if it wasnt a warranty job so its seen as b.s work to alot of people.