Why Technician Pay is Low 😬

This is why you're not getting paid what you're worth.

We sat down with Daniel Clodfelter of Legendary Automotive and Truck Repair Service in Fort Meyers, FL.

Before making the jump to an independent repair facility, Daniel spent time working at GM and Ford dealerships.

He also helps manage a FB group with over 5200 automotive professionals in it and has a pulse on the current mindset of professional automotive technicians everywhere.

[maxpower]

I call on that! Everyone wants to make the maximum pay I've never heard of not negotiating a decent salary. Employers just don't want to pay it and now they're suffering. The dealers deserve everything they get!

[coldfingersub]

Good topic and true.
But the reality in truth we all know why unfortunately the majority of technicians become technicians.
They definitely weren’t English majors or math majors and their conversational skills are less than that of a slick talking Willy salesman.

Many are young and naïve gullible and easily taken advantage of.
We know there’s even older ones that are set in their ways and going back to school or educating or bettering themselves other than being a good with the ranch under the hood but never excelled at conversation or figuring out their future financial situation that would be good for both the shop and themselves so with lack of communication things usually fall apart.

And we all know there are those employers who intentionally go out to look for the gullible lack of experience technician to take a vantage of the situation.

[notsure]

I think a lot of owners don't want to have that conversation out of fear that it's going to cost them more money.

Many moons, and several stupids ago when I was first starting out - I was having a talk with some other business owners about this dude that was absolutely KILLING it. My first thought was "I'd hate to have to pay THAT guy'. Their responses were more than enlightening. "Are you kidding me? I'd LOVE to be paying that guy - look at how fast he's making money!"

Happy techs are motivated techs. Having that conversation can be enlightening. Maybe you're missing something looking in from the outside. Maybe what that tech needs isn't more dollars per hour. Maybe what he really wants and needs is some paid vacation, or better health insurance for his family. Maybe something completely different - but it very well could be something you can provide at a much lower cost than its value to that employee. Take health insurance for an example. If you have 15 employees, you can negotiate a deal that ends up costing 500 / employee where the individual would have to pay 1000.

Whatever I can do to make my guys happy, I'm going to make every effort to make sure that happens.

[Kevin-qnjf]

I have worked all over the industry. I can tell you first hand some shops adhere to the labor guide like it's the holy grail, and their shop is setup to allow for such a thing, they also only work on a few makes. In those situations it's a bit easier to say I can reach a productivity level of x. But it is still dependent on some variables, does your front end know how to interview a customer properly and pass critical information on to the tech so they don't have to waist time interview the service advisor or the customer themselves.

I have worked in shops where nothing was layer out productively, the front end was in complete disarray, and special tools are strewn all throughout the shop, in technicians tool boxes, tools aren't maintained, unsafe lifts and working conditions.

Lack of service information, no access to paid training.

I have been thrown out of interviews when I asked about things like these, or where they get their labor times from, if they use menu pricing or go by book times.

All of these things play a factor.

Another issue I have ran into is when I have been considering an hourly position and I say I want x per year, and they make an offer but they are including overtime in the offer.

Imo overtime should never be included in the minimum salary expected or asked for.

I have been given offers where hourly positions the owner tried to pay overtime under the table. Or they didn't consider cleanup as part of the work day, and made me do that on my own time.

This industry is complete trash.

[duanenavarre]

one guy openly says he is not a technician, and the issue here is the paperwork ppl at the stealership getting paid more than the techs.
a series of price hikes have come thru over the years and the techs are seeing the smallest part of that increase.
a lot of the sr. techs with the most training are getting the harder work, and of its under warranty they make even less money.
instead of the dealership eating the warranty cost its being at least partially dumped on the techs.
some techs are deciding to leave this situation, and they are posting videos on multiple platforms saying what I did above
with much more detail.

[gtautomotive]

Ive always wondered if there was a formula or an X amount of dollars that need to be produced in order to earn X amount of dollars. Of course there are other factors like comebacks, breaking parts and such but ive always wondered how owners or managers come up with the amount. Is it just ignorance out of us techs in the field? Something i never factored was the amount of tooling needed to perform our job.

[DavidWilliams-nllw]

Find something else to do, the reality is, it is Unrewarding, they are not trying to pay you.

[mrolfe]

Knowing what you need, Knowing how to perform and Knowing what it takes to get there are basic functions. But a good portion of it is not having the right jobs given to the right people. Many foremans control work flow and claim it's the techs fault for not getting it done in a timely manner. But dispatching job to strengths can make everyone profit more.
I have said it forever that you can pay a tech $1m per flat rate hour. But if he never has the ability to turn it the potential is wasted.

[jamesthornton]

Mechanics need to be get money for what the know and Diagnosis time.

[peanutbutterisfu]

Put an ad out need tech good with diagnostic work, engine & trans work and European experience is a plus as we do a fair amount of it. Talk to people on the phone I’m looking to make $22hr and you can always tell they are low balling themselves I say look I was a tech working at shops for 17 years I’ll pay u what ur worth if ur worth 35hr im cool with that i want u to want to come to work i don’t care what u make now. So I ask about diagnostic work which to them is basic like anything past swapping a coil from one cylinder to another for a misfire is it they say how they aren’t good with electrical. Then comes engine repair and to them it’s swapping an engine. Do you have any European experience? I hate Euro I don’t work on them but I’m good with Chevy ford and dodge. Go back to engine repair so can you do timing chains and belts? I’m not comfortable doing them by myself.

[yehornaumov]

Yeah good luck with talking to owner

He'll say next guy