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 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
@@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 ?
@@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
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 🙏
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.
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
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.
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.
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 🍺🍺
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 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
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
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.
@@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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 💪🏼
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.
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!
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
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
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.
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
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.
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!!!!
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.
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 ❗️
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.
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
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
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.
California, its nick named the tool wage. If you are required to supply your own tools, you are given double minimum wage. But during the initial training period, you get a few more dollars per hour than minimum wage. You get more money supposedly if you go over 85% efficiency but the managers get their bonus .Im in the RV industry and ive never gotten over 85% efficiency 😢 but generally there is more subjective repairs with no real tech support. So many different floor plans and my particular shop doesnt get access to wiring diagrams. I have to google that shit on RV forums.
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.
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 🤯
These videos are really helpful man. I thought I was expected to know everything when I graduate trade school. Kind of glad that I'll start off at the bottom for a bit and slowly progress to a flat rate mechanic at some point. I switched my career path from film student to automotive technician with specialized training for Toyota so this gives me some insight on how it works.
Awesome man, yea dont worry you won't really know much just going to school in all honesty you learn majority on the job in real life situations. When I finished trade school I still don't think I would be ready to take on an heavy line engine job by myself or other big jobs.
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.
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
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
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.
@@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 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.
About to start flat rate next week. It's a guaranteed 30hrs and I'm getting paid 20. Was paid 17 Only doing it to mostly push myself and grow as a tech.
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" ?
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
Hourly all day Pay is consistent If you want more I’ve never seen a fleet shop that doesn’t allow over time I do 1/2 hour extra a day and get an easy 200$ extra if I want Don’t stress it Nick, stick with double clutch and no synchros is a whole new experience. My company sent me to a 7 day course on the 7th day I tested. I never had pulled a 40 foot trailer before that week let alone drive a 10 speed double clutch.
Yea, is nice knowing you are getting paid whether driving around, doing this or that same pay. I took a 5 day training course at work and will be testing next week! Fingers crossed.
@@LetsDriftMedia you’ll be fine my guy. Just be careful with parallel and offset. Take your two adjustments even if you think you can correct the trouble. It’s not worth failing over something easy. Also something they don’t teach at the school is reving up when you miss a gear instead of trying again for it. Kiss the missed gear and rev the engine up and you usually will float the missed gear. You can find tons of good vids on the topic. Good luck !!!!
Use to work in a shop in VA that was flat rate, but with bonuses. Basically we worked like 50 hours a week, and I was getting paid 20/hr (this was mid 2000's). The bonus kicked in when we closed out 50 hours, we got $1 more per hour, and every 10 hours it added another $1. My best week was roughly 115 hours (I worked 70 hours that week) and it was hectic. It was a nice paycheck but i'm never gonna do that again. But on the flip side, that same place, if we didn't close out 30 hours of work, we got paid 18/hr for the time we clocked.
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
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.
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 .
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.
Been a master tech for the past 23 years and work hourly now at 35 an hr but I still have the flat rate mentality due to working flat rate for 15+ years and always pushing more hours than I am clocked in for. New guys that come in and work hourly that never have worked flat rate are the reason why the flat rate pay scale is still around by how lazy they are on hourly and not being efficient at all, costing the shop time and money.
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
In CA it's double minimum wage at 160 hours for flagging techs. I'm a dispatcher at a dealer and the lazy younger techs make a little over $5400 a month doing f all while the older more hard working techs make well over 10k-12k.
The trouble with flat rate begins with the service advisor and he will sell you short for the job every time Flat rate is good if you know how to weaponize it for your benefit . The shop owner knows how to manipulate it , thats for sure
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.
Flat rate world is for people who hustle and aren't afraid to work hard. People who are chill and barely do the minimum tend to move on pretty quickly. We really should be paid a percentage of the labor rate, but that ended years ago. It amazes me that in CA they pay mechanics on flat rate $30 and hour for not accomplishing any work. I'd imagine that start ending people home if it's slow?
yea I agree, service drive rate continues to go up while tech pay is slightly increasing. Another thing to think about is not many people can continue hustling the way they did in their 20s once theyre in their 40s-50s. Thats why I left flatrate not because I was lazy but because I dont want to be busting my ass all day for my paycheck when I get older and my body starts to wear more.
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.
I just started working as a flat rate lube tech at a Nissan dealer. I like the idea of being a flat rate lube tech but in reality its pretty slow and id be lucky to break even this pay period.
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
At my shop we have a tech who makes 400+ hrs almost year round. In the summer, he made 600+. He makes at least 55 dollars an hour, meaning in the month where he made 600, the MINIMUM he made was $33k.
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
I completely left flat rate. I wont work flat rate anymore, Im currently making $20/H with overtime. Its a local shop and the owner is my manager. We still have some issues, but pay isnt one of them. Everyone gets paid the same day and we all work with each other sometimes with no sense of stealing each others money. I feel way more comfortable working on cars knowing ill be paid no matter what.
Also I dont want to grind, I genuinely want to learn how to fix cars and understand them 100%. I like to take my time on cars and do quality work, Flat rate doesnt have any of that.
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
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.
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 🚗
@@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.
@@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
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
Is this why when I look at job listings for auto mechanics, they offered pay rates are like $15-$45? I didn't understand how the range could be so wide, but now that I learned about flat rate it makes more sense.
Yea. Probably showing the range from being a hourly lube tech at the bottom to all the way up to being the shop foreman. Your rate is going to change as you move through the ranks
Making $25 hourly as a tech at an independent shop, 4 years in with 3 tech school certs and ASE master/L1, 609 etc etc. If I work overtime 6 days a week I can barely hit $5k a month. Thinking about flat rate... thanks for video
Here in the province of Québec, Canada, I get the feeling there's not a lot of flat rate. I've been on hourly my whole career as a tech, and honestly, even though I've never tried it, I wouldn't want to work flat rate. Part of the reason is I specialize in complex work, either electronic diagnostics, or deep engine work (timing jobs, cylinder heads, piston rings, etc.) I don't think that type of work is profitable on a flat rate system. I've been thinking of moving to North Carolina and get a job there as a tech, but I'll certainly keep in mind the flat rate aspect, which seems to be much more popular in the States...
I live in nc. Most dealerships here do flat rate. I might try diesel tech soon cause foat rate sucks. Also they pay less hours for warranty jobs. Also, even though nc quality of life is good, things are cheap, most employers are scamming techs
I work at a Toyota in SFV been a Lube Tech for 6 months making $25 and hour because they put us on a new pay plan if you flag over 65 hour in a two week pay period ! Start in the main shop next week !!!
I've been on an off with aamco transmission's for about 27 years I make great money I can't really complain some time shit gets crazy but welcome to getting up an go too work
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.
Hourly = consistent money (unless you get sent home or laid off during slow times). Flat Rate = Inconsistent but overall dramatically more pay if you’re in an efficient shop and you hustle.
Depends where you work. I’m hourly now at a rate of 55$ an hour which is the equivalent of flagging 148hours every 2 weeks at my previous rate of 31$ at the dealer. Except I get paid that whether I spend all day or week on 1 car or work on 10 cars my pay doesn't change.
We get shafted in England your base is $2400 every 2 weeks before tax in the uk mine is £2800 for 4 weeks then tax and national insurance is taken off that
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
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.
I'm a 3rd year a apprentice making 40 hour weeks every week working for GM Chevy currently geting payed 30.50$/h gonna get my class 3 card and I'm gonna be up to 40$/h I live my job and the place I work at 👍
In Florida you're only guaranteed minimum wage for hours clocked in. They will try to not even pay that. I made killer money flat rate for Ford, but all the other BS involved with this industry made me leave.
Flat rate works for the guys that get feed gravy work. When you get to be really good you get all the problem cars and flat rate is based on piece work.The work is changing, all electrical diag ,computer networks and so forth, The days of making money because you changed 500 spark plugs in a week or brake pads is over.
Truth right there. I noticed the less certs/experience you have. The better off you are since the gravy jobs go to those guys. As you as you hit top step in any brand you start getting less and less gravy and more problem cars that don’t pay out
Yea my brother told me some corrupt shizz in dealership. He work at a dealership where the service manager and mechanic were in it together. he gave gave him all the gravy jobs and the mechanic would give him kick back money. 😂 And he was that guy
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.
just got into the industry about 2 months ago. work at a shop that does truck and car, im paid $18/hr, it can get slow sometimes and i hate picking up a broom. but sometimes i get a job thats supposed to be simple and ends up taking me forever. I want to work flat rate cause i hate down time but im scared about jobs going sideways or getting shitty work.
Flat rate either swim or sink. I was 19 when I went full flat rate @$14hr. I currently make $24 and hour and currently 22 years old. Flat rate can be rewarding or the worst you have seen.
Grab the low hanging fruit first. Remember no one person in the dealership cares about your check more than you! Watch out for the free handouts and do your part in searching for correct warranty opcodes!
At this point in time, I started at my Chevrolet/Cadillac dealership as a lube tech. Right now I’m what you would call "split-pay", I get a]$11/hr on hourly, and then I get $7/hr actual work time. So I’m averaging about 35 hours worked (flagged, if you would say that) but I don’t flag work. Since I’m a lube tech, because this is my first "tech" job on the books so I have to work my way up and go through the online training and such before they move me up to B Tech. I’ve been at the dealership since august. I do love it, the place I’m at I have overwhelming support from my coworkers. ANY question I have I can go to anyone and they will take the time to explain it or most of the time they will actually come to my bay and look at whatever I’m asking a question on. If I could I would do brake jobs and differential flushes, coolant, brake flushes, etc. but my current job doesn’t have any of that in description. As a lube tech it’s oil changes and tire rotations, mounting and balancing tires, air filters (engine and cabin), wiper blades, Batteries, key fob batteries, INSIDE tire patches, SOME recalls like the super simple recalls like the 3rd row seat seatbelt retentions. I’m averaging about 13 cars a day. We can get overtime every single week if we want, like after 3 weeks of starting at my job, I asked for every Saturday to work and so Saturday is only from 8am-1pm, so that’s just straight overtime. My actual hourly is about 40-47 hours every week, my actual work flag time is about 35 hours. And that’s 95% of oil changes and tire rotations, trying to up sell stuff but not much sells. This job I have is the MOST I’ve ever gotten paid at any job, Work time for jobs, LOFRT: 0.7, LOF: 0.5, mount and balance 1 tire: 0.4, Mount and balance 4 tires: 1.6, Corvette/Aftermarket Big Wheels: 0.8 per wheel, Engine and cabin air filters: 0.3 each (depending on the car, may be longer or shorter), tire patches: 0.5. There’s more I can think of off the top of my head. But having the support I have it’s awesome. I’m gonna be finishing up my on,one classes for work and then after that I’m gonna be going to the B Tech position. And I believe the B Tech starting flat-rate tech is I THINK $23 starting.
Ur comment kinda of door opening & giving me some ideas…I’m 31 & new to car mechanics….I’m starting soon for Toyota as lube Tech & little bit confused, scared too …currently don’t care about the cash but, also, I’m thinking about it if I making the right choice or anything..i took screenshot of ur comment…very interesting
I'm just getting started too. Are you guys still around? How's it carrying on? I have basically 0 experience and starting from the ground up. (I can handle oil change and tire rotation but am 99% learning on the job)
I been working at a bodyshop on commission/flat rate for 4.5 years. Recently I took the role as the shop mechanic and saw my production drop. For the reason, I have no idea, honestly I think its because my boss wants me to be ready for an impromptu alignment or suspension replacement. I see all my other techs get work, before I do. I have been conditioned to hate flat rate because of it. I tell my boss to put me on hourly because I'm always going broke, every payroll I'm anxious because I do so much for the shop and I don't feel rewarded for it. I feel like.. blindsided by my own boss sometimes because he's always telling people what they want to hear, meanwhile he's doing something unbeneficial to you behind the scenes. To me, flat rate sucks
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.
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.
you became lead tech in 6-7 months from no experience ??
@@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
Wtf that shit is crazy
@@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 ?
@@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
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 🙏
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.
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
@SCMongooseT4R what other opportunities would you recommend?
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.
Can be very rewarding when it’s a good pay period fersure
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.
I’m a Nissan lube tech working to start flagging
Crazy cant even get a job at a dealer about to be 22 years old and cant even get hired
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
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.
LMAO 😅 yes bro doctor up the story.
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 🍺🍺
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.
Are you working at Penske ?
@@justus9332 yes
I’m going to start either the 5th or 12th how is at Penske my job title is diesel mechanic 3
@@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
Would've they have to pay you at least $30? In cali?
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
Wow didn’t even think of Pepsi when it came to fleet. That’s really good pay for hourly too good stuff
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.
@@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.
I'm definitely going back to fleet service
After 12+ years repairing forklifts I interview tomorrow for frito lay fleet tech. Fingers crossed
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.
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
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.
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.
Cali payd "well" but its because renting somewhere to live out there cause 10000 for one bedroom bathroom
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.
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
@SCMongooseT4R Really comes down to one thing, and that's job security. You won't get that working flat rate
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.
I been working flat rate at dealerships for 30 years.. I take 3 different medications for my blood pressure.... Need I say more?
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.
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.
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.
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.
What job is it?
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
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 💪🏼
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.
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.
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!
Agreed man, nothing like flagging double your clock in hours. Def an awesome feeling that I miss about flat rate.
i feel like a guarantee is the best way to go
I'll take the guarantee if you don't want it lol
Yeah already retired so getting into this to learn something new and have fun, guaranteed sounds stress free to me
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
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
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.
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
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.
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!!!!
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.
Isn’t it the law? I don’t think they have any choice.
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 ❗️
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.
Some very good mechanics don't do well in a dealership. You may be better off having your own small shop.
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
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
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.
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
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.
California, its nick named the tool wage. If you are required to supply your own tools, you are given double minimum wage. But during the initial training period, you get a few more dollars per hour than minimum wage. You get more money supposedly if you go over 85% efficiency but the managers get their bonus .Im in the RV industry and ive never gotten over 85% efficiency 😢 but generally there is more subjective repairs with no real tech support. So many different floor plans and my particular shop doesnt get access to wiring diagrams. I have to google that shit on RV forums.
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.
So proud to hear you getting that class A bro. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
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 🤯
Salary or hourly is the move
These videos are really helpful man. I thought I was expected to know everything when I graduate trade school. Kind of glad that I'll start off at the bottom for a bit and slowly progress to a flat rate mechanic at some point. I switched my career path from film student to automotive technician with specialized training for Toyota so this gives me some insight on how it works.
Awesome man, yea dont worry you won't really know much just going to school in all honesty you learn majority on the job in real life situations. When I finished trade school I still don't think I would be ready to take on an heavy line engine job by myself or other big jobs.
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.
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
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
Lol yea I didn’t know either till a few years ago
What’s safe pay ??
@@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
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
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.
💯 Percentage true.
I’m hourly @$25.50 rn as an apprentice in a union Toyota shop. Also our warranty is times 1.5. Some law that just passed.
Damn do u diagnose yet or not much? Suspension work brakes tune ups ect?
@@gsmiklo8555 yes, I do, I have a general idea of mostly everything, but I wanna do more electrical. My shop focus more on getting oil changes done, because of the owner being an old timer.
@@TheBravo13x nice same i need more pay haha changing parts not. Problem but rust here in the salt belt is im convinced its time to move around
@@gsmiklo8555 rust you can get around. Heat and rust penetrate are your friends. Trust me, here in the Midwest unions, there’s a lot more money to be made compared to other states with no unions. Also think about your health benefits and 401K.
About to start flat rate next week. It's a guaranteed 30hrs and I'm getting paid 20. Was paid 17 Only doing it to mostly push myself and grow as a tech.
Awesome man
Thanks for this video. I'm getting back into the automotive field due to teaching in Chicago public schools being very unreliable and seasonal. 😊🎉
It's amazing that everyone is being transparent with their income. It's a shady practice to not be transparent with things . Like "what are you hiding" ?
I’ve always been open to talk about it. When I was at the dealer hardly anyone would say how much they made. Now working fleet people will flat out show you there paycheck cause there’s nothing to hide lol
Hourly all day
Pay is consistent
If you want more I’ve never seen a fleet shop that doesn’t allow over time
I do 1/2 hour extra a day and get an easy 200$ extra if I want
Don’t stress it Nick, stick with double clutch and no synchros is a whole new experience. My company sent me to a 7 day course on the 7th day I tested. I never had pulled a 40 foot trailer before that week let alone drive a 10 speed double clutch.
Yea, is nice knowing you are getting paid whether driving around, doing this or that same pay. I took a 5 day training course at work and will be testing next week! Fingers crossed.
@@LetsDriftMedia you’ll be fine my guy. Just be careful with parallel and offset. Take your two adjustments even if you think you can correct the trouble. It’s not worth failing over something easy. Also something they don’t teach at the school is reving up when you miss a gear instead of trying again for it. Kiss the missed gear and rev the engine up and you usually will float the missed gear. You can find tons of good vids on the topic. Good luck !!!!
Great vid…Stress level is a major factor since I turned 45
Use to work in a shop in VA that was flat rate, but with bonuses. Basically we worked like 50 hours a week, and I was getting paid 20/hr (this was mid 2000's). The bonus kicked in when we closed out 50 hours, we got $1 more per hour, and every 10 hours it added another $1. My best week was roughly 115 hours (I worked 70 hours that week) and it was hectic. It was a nice paycheck but i'm never gonna do that again. But on the flip side, that same place, if we didn't close out 30 hours of work, we got paid 18/hr for the time we clocked.
30 + years at dealerships. Take the good with the bad. It all works out. Pencil whipping is a art.
I’m looking to get into the auto mechanic industry and your Chanel has been really helpful and informative
Glad I can help.
Go Aviation.
@@henrysmith8012why?
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.
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
Wow, this is all news to me.
A few years ago, I worked on Long Island as an apprentice tech and was making $14 an hour.
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.
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 .
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.
Been a master tech for the past 23 years and work hourly now at 35 an hr but I still have the flat rate mentality due to working flat rate for 15+ years and always pushing more hours than I am clocked in for. New guys that come in and work hourly that never have worked flat rate are the reason why the flat rate pay scale is still around by how lazy they are on hourly and not being efficient at all, costing the shop time and money.
Might as well be flag if you always put out more hours then you are there you are being taken advantage of
@@Jacobmettler88 what is top pay?
@@michaelsieber6601 For real lol this old man thinks being taken advantage of is something to be proud about.
You work hard to be where you at Nikki. You deserve it
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
As much as I liked flat rate I’m so glad I’m hourly now.
In CA it's double minimum wage at 160 hours for flagging techs. I'm a dispatcher at a dealer and the lazy younger techs make a little over $5400 a month doing f all while the older more hard working techs make well over 10k-12k.
The trouble with flat rate begins with the service advisor and he will sell you short for the job every time
Flat rate is good if you know how to weaponize it for your benefit . The shop owner knows how to manipulate it , thats for sure
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.
Flat rate world is for people who hustle and aren't afraid to work hard. People who are chill and barely do the minimum tend to move on pretty quickly. We really should be paid a percentage of the labor rate, but that ended years ago.
It amazes me that in CA they pay mechanics on flat rate $30 and hour for not accomplishing any work. I'd imagine that start ending people home if it's slow?
yea I agree, service drive rate continues to go up while tech pay is slightly increasing. Another thing to think about is not many people can continue hustling the way they did in their 20s once theyre in their 40s-50s. Thats why I left flatrate not because I was lazy but because I dont want to be busting my ass all day for my paycheck when I get older and my body starts to wear more.
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.
Flat rate first get that experience! Then switch to hourly fleet.
I just started working as a flat rate lube tech at a Nissan dealer. I like the idea of being a flat rate lube tech but in reality its pretty slow and id be lucky to break even this pay period.
Heavy duty mechanic or diesel mechanic is where it’s at
All my coworkers left the dealership to work for the county.. I guess hourly is better.
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
Good stuff man keep it up.
At my shop we have a tech who makes 400+ hrs almost year round. In the summer, he made 600+. He makes at least 55 dollars an hour, meaning in the month where he made 600, the MINIMUM he made was $33k.
That man is an ANIMAL !
Left after twenty years. Now a railroader was the best thing that ever happened.
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
Exactly dont think flatrate dealership is the end of the line.
I completely left flat rate. I wont work flat rate anymore, Im currently making $20/H with overtime. Its a local shop and the owner is my manager. We still have some issues, but pay isnt one of them. Everyone gets paid the same day and we all work with each other sometimes with no sense of stealing each others money. I feel way more comfortable working on cars knowing ill be paid no matter what.
Also I dont want to grind, I genuinely want to learn how to fix cars and understand them 100%. I like to take my time on cars and do quality work, Flat rate doesnt have any of that.
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
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.
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 🚗
@@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.
@@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
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
Is this why when I look at job listings for auto mechanics, they offered pay rates are like $15-$45? I didn't understand how the range could be so wide, but now that I learned about flat rate it makes more sense.
Yea. Probably showing the range from being a hourly lube tech at the bottom to all the way up to being the shop foreman. Your rate is going to change as you move through the ranks
Making $25 hourly as a tech at an independent shop, 4 years in with 3 tech school certs and ASE master/L1, 609 etc etc. If I work overtime 6 days a week I can barely hit $5k a month. Thinking about flat rate... thanks for video
working $40 flat rate now.
Here in the province of Québec, Canada, I get the feeling there's not a lot of flat rate. I've been on hourly my whole career as a tech, and honestly, even though I've never tried it, I wouldn't want to work flat rate. Part of the reason is I specialize in complex work, either electronic diagnostics, or deep engine work (timing jobs, cylinder heads, piston rings, etc.) I don't think that type of work is profitable on a flat rate system. I've been thinking of moving to North Carolina and get a job there as a tech, but I'll certainly keep in mind the flat rate aspect, which seems to be much more popular in the States...
I live in nc. Most dealerships here do flat rate. I might try diesel tech soon cause foat rate sucks. Also they pay less hours for warranty jobs. Also, even though nc quality of life is good, things are cheap, most employers are scamming techs
I work at a Toyota in SFV been a Lube Tech for 6 months making $25 and hour because they put us on a new pay plan if you flag over 65 hour in a two week pay period ! Start in the main shop next week !!!
That is a great hourly rate for a lube tech. Good luck
You explNed best from the 2 videos I just seen ....gracias👍
I've been on an off with aamco transmission's for about 27 years I make great money I can't really complain some time shit gets crazy but welcome to getting up an go too work
I was flat rate for 27 yrs of my career. Chasing that carrot on flat rate took its toll on my body and health. I am now working for myself and making great money. In my opinion the flat rate system is a scam. It causes good mechanics to short cut to try to make money and it breeds dishonest mechanics to sell stuff customers do not need. The scam is the person that employs you does not have to pay you if things are slow, but they require you to be there 8hrs a day. Second if you get more than 80 flagged hrs a period. You pay a lot more in taxes(scam) but do not get a higher pay rate if over 80hrs. Like one person said 65-75hrs is the sweet spot so the tax man does not get it. Our tax system is set up to tax people working by the hour. They get time and a 1/2 if over 80 which is a higher tax. Lots less stress if you are paid by the hour. You can set up to pay your bills on time and set a budget with no stress on yourself.
Nice man and I agree with all that.
Hourly = consistent money (unless you get sent home or laid off during slow times).
Flat Rate = Inconsistent but overall dramatically more pay if you’re in an efficient shop and you hustle.
Depends where you work. I’m hourly now at a rate of 55$ an hour which is the equivalent of flagging 148hours every 2 weeks at my previous rate of 31$ at the dealer. Except I get paid that whether I spend all day or week on 1 car or work on 10 cars my pay doesn't change.
We get shafted in England your base is $2400 every 2 weeks before tax in the uk mine is £2800 for 4 weeks then tax and national insurance is taken off that
Crazy how low you are paid! I always heard japanese dealers pay crap
Ford gm crysler always seem to pay 40-70 here in some areas in socal
But its also more difficult to become master or world class and u have to rebuild units not replace all the time
Flat rate is just too unpredictable, I’ve worked at one dealership out of the 5 total I’ve worked at where flat rate was steady and you could always hit 140+ hours in a pay period. The rest were always 80-100 hours on a good pay period. I’ll never go back now that I’m hourly, I’m making over 40$ 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.
Yup! Glad I left. I would never go back to flatrate.
Good For You Bro!! I Totally get it... Stick to Hourly ...
I'm a 3rd year a apprentice making 40 hour weeks every week working for GM Chevy currently geting payed 30.50$/h gonna get my class 3 card and I'm gonna be up to 40$/h I live my job and the place I work at 👍
Many truck companies now have gone to automatic transmission trucks.
In Florida you're only guaranteed minimum wage for hours clocked in. They will try to not even pay that. I made killer money flat rate for Ford, but all the other BS involved with this industry made me leave.
Flat rate works for the guys that get feed gravy work. When you get to be really good you get all the problem cars and flat rate is based on piece work.The work is changing, all electrical diag ,computer networks and so forth, The days of making money because you changed 500 spark plugs in a week or brake pads is over.
Truth right there. I noticed the less certs/experience you have. The better off you are since the gravy jobs go to those guys. As you as you hit top step in any brand you start getting less and less gravy and more problem cars that don’t pay out
I worked for a good year shop in the 90s we got 40% of all labor Sometimes i booked 3000.00 labor a day if you hustle..
I live in NC making 65$ flat rate at a small shop with an average of 40 hours a week.
Yea my brother told me some corrupt shizz in dealership. He work at a dealership where the service manager and mechanic were in it together. he gave gave him all the gravy jobs and the mechanic would give him kick back money. 😂 And he was that guy
🤣🤣
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.
Thanks, Currently hold an unrestricted CDL w/ hazmat at the moment. Feels good.
just got into the industry about 2 months ago. work at a shop that does truck and car, im paid $18/hr, it can get slow sometimes and i hate picking up a broom. but sometimes i get a job thats supposed to be simple and ends up taking me forever. I want to work flat rate cause i hate down time but im scared about jobs going sideways or getting shitty work.
Flat rate either swim or sink. I was 19 when I went full flat rate @$14hr. I currently make $24 and hour and currently 22 years old. Flat rate can be rewarding or the worst you have seen.
Grab the low hanging fruit first. Remember no one person in the dealership cares about your check more than you! Watch out for the free handouts and do your part in searching for correct warranty opcodes!
At this point in time, I started at my Chevrolet/Cadillac dealership as a lube tech. Right now I’m what you would call "split-pay", I get a]$11/hr on hourly, and then I get $7/hr actual work time. So I’m averaging about 35 hours worked (flagged, if you would say that) but I don’t flag work. Since I’m a lube tech, because this is my first "tech" job on the books so I have to work my way up and go through the online training and such before they move me up to B Tech. I’ve been at the dealership since august. I do love it, the place I’m at I have overwhelming support from my coworkers. ANY question I have I can go to anyone and they will take the time to explain it or most of the time they will actually come to my bay and look at whatever I’m asking a question on. If I could I would do brake jobs and differential flushes, coolant, brake flushes, etc. but my current job doesn’t have any of that in description. As a lube tech it’s oil changes and tire rotations, mounting and balancing tires, air filters (engine and cabin), wiper blades, Batteries, key fob batteries, INSIDE tire patches, SOME recalls like the super simple recalls like the 3rd row seat seatbelt retentions. I’m averaging about 13 cars a day. We can get overtime every single week if we want, like after 3 weeks of starting at my job, I asked for every Saturday to work and so Saturday is only from 8am-1pm, so that’s just straight overtime. My actual hourly is about 40-47 hours every week, my actual work flag time is about 35 hours. And that’s 95% of oil changes and tire rotations, trying to up sell stuff but not much sells. This job I have is the MOST I’ve ever gotten paid at any job,
Work time for jobs, LOFRT: 0.7, LOF: 0.5, mount and balance 1 tire: 0.4, Mount and balance 4 tires: 1.6, Corvette/Aftermarket Big Wheels: 0.8 per wheel, Engine and cabin air filters: 0.3 each (depending on the car, may be longer or shorter), tire patches: 0.5. There’s more I can think of off the top of my head. But having the support I have it’s awesome. I’m gonna be finishing up my on,one classes for work and then after that I’m gonna be going to the B Tech position. And I believe the B Tech starting flat-rate tech is I THINK $23 starting.
Ur comment kinda of door opening & giving me some ideas…I’m 31 & new to car mechanics….I’m starting soon for Toyota as lube Tech & little bit confused, scared too …currently don’t care about the cash but, also, I’m thinking about it if I making the right choice or anything..i took screenshot of ur comment…very interesting
I'm just getting started too. Are you guys still around? How's it carrying on?
I have basically 0 experience and starting from the ground up. (I can handle oil change and tire rotation but am 99% learning on the job)
I been working at a bodyshop on commission/flat rate for 4.5 years. Recently I took the role as the shop mechanic and saw my production drop. For the reason, I have no idea, honestly I think its because my boss wants me to be ready for an impromptu alignment or suspension replacement. I see all my other techs get work, before I do. I have been conditioned to hate flat rate because of it. I tell my boss to put me on hourly because I'm always going broke, every payroll I'm anxious because I do so much for the shop and I don't feel rewarded for it. I feel like.. blindsided by my own boss sometimes because he's always telling people what they want to hear, meanwhile he's doing something unbeneficial to you behind the scenes. To me, flat rate sucks
I'd leave man. Sounds like boss man isn't treating you the way you deserve. Go somewhere where you're appreciated man!
Yeah id leave in a heartbeat. Mechanics are needed everywhere, shop around
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.
Good I'm from Algeria Mechanik 20years experience possible partner with work contract
Work for Volvo flagging 200 every pay period 🎂