Is it WORTH Becoming a Mechanic

I get asked all the time if it's smart to become an auto mechanic. Should I go to tech school? Can I make money? Is being an auto mechanic a good job. Do mechanic's get screwed? All the questions lead back to "Should I become a mechanic in 2018?

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[HumbleMechanic]

Now you may watch this and think "Charles that is a LOT of negatives to being a mechanic". You are right. I have to point out the down side. Your upsides are individually yours. The negatives are pretty universal.

[TrailRatSC]

My favorite thing about working in the automotive industry is seeing how happy people are when their car works properly again. When I started I didn't even have enough money for my own car. I walked to work six days a week. When I feel that gratitude from the customer I can look back and know it's all worth it.

[habatroll]

I completely agree. I am an independent shop owner/tech and it is challenging. I would say if anyone wants to get into the business they need to become a good diagnostics tech. Learn the systems and get to the root cause of the failure by sound diagnostic strategies. Learn to analyze scan tool data and become a proficient scope user. Don't be intimidated by electrical and electronic technology. Most guys are more comfortable with mechanical repairs and shy away from electrical concerns. Strive to be a well rounded tech, tackle electrical concerns and you will be fine.

[HomebrewSubaru]

Bringing my tool boxes home was the best thing I ever did for myself. I make almost as much as a parts manager, less hours and half the stress.

[adam-xlft]

I wanted to be a mechanic in high school. Had a job at a small shop in my town. Did tire changes, brakes, oil, motor swaps, parts changes. Then I realized I was only making $7 an hour, going home greasy as shit everyday and tired. I changed my mind and became a machinist. I couldn’t be happier. I make great money. And I love what I do

[jamrt]

After 11 years with Mercedes Benz, I grew tired of the flat-rate dealership life. Where I had to rely on working weekends as a roadside tech for the dealer just to have a semi-decent life in Los Angeles. The politics were annoying, the changes in management every two years. Fighting for decent work and so on.

Tthe best thing I did was leaving and working for the City. Instead of $120k G-wagons, I work on $500k trash trucks 😆. 90% of the fleet are Peterbilt, same trucks, same problems day in and day out. Sure it's heavy and dirty but are you racking your brain for a buck? Not really.

Get paid $40+/hr, 40hr workweeks, paid holidays, double OT if we work on a holiday, $600 a year in tool allowances, we even get a workboot allowance! Pension plan, Option of free health care and on and on and

I've told some of the younger guys at MB... Get a couple years of experience working on cars. Get a good grasp of the basics, but keep an eye out for government job openings. And as soon as one pops up, jump on it because it will take 1-2 years from your application submission.

Don't be afraid if you don't have heavy duty, CNG/LNG, hydraulics, or air brake experience. Learn as much as you can from the internet, YouTube, etc... If in the interview they see that you know the basics and are willing to learn, they will train you.

It is sooo worth it

[wcjcnc]

The best way to make money in this field is to own your own shop and work alone. Have a smart wife to handle the books. Living the good life and enjoy wrenching.

[NewLevelAuto]

Question is do you want to be a mechanic or a diagnostician? 🤔

[MrErikw]

The benefits of a chain shop: it's a good place to cut your teeth, and make mistakes, it's pretty hard to get axed, as long as you don't have a wheel off, or talk trash to a customer.

The downsides: WAY lower pay, they never pay book time either, but will blame you for not making hours, they'll also take someone with a great work ethic, and drive their nose into the ground, they WILL run you ragged, that's not to say a dealer or Indy won't do the same, but you'll be way better compensated for your efforts (at a good dealer) and it shouldn't be constantly either.

Dealer benefits: you get to master a brand, working on the same stuff day in and day out means you'll get REALLY fast very quickly, you get to see the evolution of the different models, and there's that dealer training that comes with the job, some dealers will send you very quickly to school, others want you to earn it 1st.

For the rookies, or soon to be rookies:

STAY OFF THE GOD DAMN TOOL TRUCK!!!

You don't need a $500 set if wrenches to change oil, the $700 1/2" impact isn't a bad investment, but for your first year, Craftsman, Cornwell, SK all that stuff will serve you fine, I still have my craftsman tools that I bought in 2003 when I started in this business.

You'll be paired up with a (possibly very grumpy) senior technician, his job is to teach and temper you, expect to have your buttons pressed a bit, it's part of the job, we say terrible things to each other at work, just for fun lol.

Show them what you know, but don't get cocky, nothing pisses off someone that does know everything, more than someone that THINKS they know everything.

Try to relax and enjoy your day at work, the more relaxed you are, the more you'll be able to focus, I know how it is with the new guy jitters, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy if you let it, I know how it feels to wear those new boots for the 1st time, have hardly any tools, and be eager to learn.

I know how it feels to be so scared of screwing up, that you go full potato....And screw up LOL. I never forgot my humble beginnings.

Ask lots of good questions, as a senior technician, I'd rather you ask me a million questions, and not break something, than assume, and I have to stop what I'm doing, and fix what you broke.

This is a brief summary of w hat I can think of this early in the am, before I've had a coffee and my first lip of Copenhagen.

I wish all you greenhorns the best of luck.

[Ratkill]

I went back to being a lube tech, this time at a dealership. Pay is decent and hours are consistent, which is the key.

[dustinbarc]

No freakin' way...

I'm 10 years into my career and am an ASE master tech at a local New England chain store. I get paid an ok living, but it's still not commensurate with the skill, and tooling, and education needed and expected to service vehicles. I think you're understating the amount of wear and tear on your body, and the stress, and the amount of raw brain power it actually does take to do a proper repair day in and day out.

[Xopher]

I am 20 years old and I have been in the trade for just under 2 years working at an independent, about to move up to a dealership. The thing that really gives me satisfaction is that I am able to fix real people's cars which help them live THEIR lives. I also don't have to fully face customers like working in a retail job. Being a technician may not be great pay starting out, but the knowledge and connections you can make from working in this field can benefit greatly, ranging from bodywork repairs, valeting etc. Learning all different aspects of the trade, not just mechanically fixing them.


My Dad is a forklift engineer, and he has been showing me the software and information they have at their disposal to diagnose faults. This is a fundamental problem in the motor trade, as in the lack of information to diagnose faults.

[joentg]

Great video. I am dropping out as a technician. I am retraining into Household HVAC. After working at Volkswagen and Audi from Maryland, to Hawaii to Georgia for 11 years.The reasons.

1. The manufacturer doesn’t give you enough to diagnose the vehicles
2. The dealership doesn’t care when they have a crooked technician.
3. The training takes forever to get. One class a year is not enough.
4. Hiding information to diagnose the car.
5. Working on a 10 year old car and having to pay for all the plastic that breaks out of my own pocket.
6. Not being paid enough hours to diagnose
7. Cutting hours paid to fix cars.
8. Getting short end of favoritism with tickets to work on.
9. Having to work in 4 bays on 5 different cars and all needing to be done right away.
10. Having to train someone to be a technician after their last job was at the checkout at the gas station and still have to do my work holding their hand all day.
11. Try and diagnose unusual issues and have customers lie about the vehicle history(ie body shot repair or flood damage).
Over all there needs to be a major change in the industry or they will have even higher turn over.

[windycityben]

Great video man! I definitely agree with what your saying! I was a Mercedes-Benz technician for 14 years. Definitely made a good living. A lot of the times I was the first one in the shop and the last to leave as well. Towards the end though the stress, cutting of times, managers playing favoritism, etc... got to me. I left Benz in 2014 and for the last 4 years have been employed by a major city police department working on the police fleet. I absolutely love it. I have a great hourly wage, no more flat rate, government insurance that is amazing, ridiculous amount of vacation time, etc... Feels like I’ve added 10 years to my life. Anyway good video and I look forward to the next ones.

[Dsdcain]

I would say it's never really a bad time to become a technician because as long as people have cars someone will need to be there to fix it when it breaks. I will say that it helps to be someone that is naturally mechanically inclined. If you're the type of person who wants to know how *everything* works or why it doesn't, then you will be happier and more successful as a technician. Great video as always. Glad I found your channel again. :)

[backwoods]

Personally im 22 years old my love for cars is why i am a mechanic i did not go to school for it and pay all those high bills instead i learned from older and wiser mehcanics that were working on cars longer than prob i was alive learned alot vrey blessed to have the teachers that i had now i work in a shop and save money on my own vehicles by spending wrench time on my own truck awsome video

[DEBOSSGARAGE]

Every Co-op student and apprentice that I have ever taught has seen me look them straight in the eye and ask "Are you sure you want to do this for a living?"

[cebuanoguy]

Reefer Mechanics has great potential also. I know 2 brothers down in South Carolina, they’re in their late 20’s. They have their own road service business. One does road call for reefers, and one does road call for semi truck/trailer lights and tires.

I’ve used their service 3 times and they always get the job done and right. I can’t remember what I paid for fixing my Reefer, it needed a new belt and a new hose for the coolant.

But the lights and tires brother makes a profit of at least
$1000 a day. He buys brand new tires, and sells it for $50 more. I think his hourly rate is $100/hr. He installed a new drive tire for my semi in less than 25min and I still have that tire today. It’s a bit expensive but when I’m broken down in the shoulder of i95, I really don’t have any position to negotiate for better prices.

How many trucks blow their tires everyday? A lot in the summer. In the winter, it’s the lights. Imagine if you can do road call service 10 times a day. How much profit will you make per week? The sky is the limit.

I’m a truck driver not a mechanic, this is just my 2 cents. I have a lot of respect for Mechanics.

[stephenfairbanks]

Like my dad said.
When your a mechanic you will never have time to fix your own car.

[ThatguyfromCO]

1. You HAVE to have a passion for the industry/work2. Become a member to IATN, become proficient with All data/Mitchell/Identifix. There's countless resources available now that were never available before. Even YouTube is great because of Charles and numerous others.3. Always get training, whenever and wherever available.4. Act with integrity and be a professional. If you do those things, the money will come.5. Learn how to utilize things like an oscilloscope, bi-directional controls from scan tools and thermal imaging. The technology is out there to make our jobs easier. It's on you.
I feel bad for people who sit behind a desk all day and don't know anything about the way our world works. As a mechanic; cars, heavy haulers and heavy equipment are so complicated nowadays, that once you understand the manipulation of basic physics that's taking place, you can fix damn near anything. Thanks again, Charles for what you and many others do for this industry, by sharing your experience and knowledge.