# Can you earn a reasonable living working as a mechanic



## Henry_b (Jan 30, 2018)

Title says it all really.. 


Just looking for any words of wisdom regarding this career path.. 

Can you earn a reasonable living  


Weird question i know i'm just stumped at the moment, hope this section of the forum is ok to post this in :lol: 


H


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## Andyblue (Jun 20, 2017)

Yes you can do - but I suppose it depends what you call a reasonable living and are you going independently or for someone. 

My only advice I can offer from personal experience - well father in laws actually, if you’re priced right and do a good job, then you’ll get people returning to you year on year. Don’t over price / charge a job and if someone pops in for a 5 minute job, sometimes a good will gesture from you, can mean the world to the customer and have them return for paying jobs there after...

Customer satisfaction goes a hell of a long way


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## Henry_b (Jan 30, 2018)

Andyblue said:


> Yes you can do - but I suppose it depends what you call a reasonable living and are you going independently or for someone.
> 
> My only advice I can offer from personal experience - well father in laws actually, if you're priced right and do a good job, then you'll get people returning to you year on year. Don't over price / charge a job and if someone pops in for a 5 minute job, sometimes a good will gesture from you, can mean the world to the customer and have them return for paying jobs there after...
> 
> Customer satisfaction goes a hell of a long way


Thanks Andy, appreciated :thumb:


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## Darlofan (Nov 24, 2010)

Andyblue said:


> Yes you can do - but I suppose it depends what you call a reasonable living and are you going independently or for someone.
> 
> My only advice I can offer from personal experience - well father in laws actually, if you're priced right and do a good job, then you'll get people returning to you year on year. Don't over price / charge a job and if someone pops in for a 5 minute job, sometimes a good will gesture from you, can mean the world to the customer and have them return for paying jobs there after...
> 
> Customer satisfaction goes a hell of a long way


This advice is spot on. My dad was a mechanic all his life, if somebody came in for something that took a few minutes he would only charge for the part, wiper blade, bulb, fuse etc or they knew he'd be in the local pub so get him a pint! This got him their business when something bigger needed doing.
You also if working for somebody else get a lot of jobs on the side. I use a mate who takes my car to work and does it after hours or in his garage at home depending on what equipment he needs. He's busy as hell and needs a few weeks notice usually.


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## Henry_b (Jan 30, 2018)

Cheers for the replies chaps.. 

I'm planning to start off working for someone.


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## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

Depends what you want to do, HGV and coach mechanics are general very well paid.
Most HGV mechanics are on 40% more money here in the North West.
Also depends what part of the country you are.
Even when working in employment there is a very good living to get.
However there is a big investment in tools that really never ends, there is always something new.

If you really want to make big bucks, train as Auto electrician, that is where the future and the money is.
Try to get an apprenticeship, even if slightly older, there are still plenty of them about.
And by the way, don’t think when you walk in the industry that the big money is just waiting for you, like every job, training, experience and reputation are the thing that give you a good future.


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

I only know 2 mechanics.... 1 of them has a £20k motorbike, Ford Mustang 5.0, and a large boat for the weekends...

the other one, has 2 bikes and takes a week off every month to golf in Spain... where he has a house...

so yeah... I think they are doing OK... :lol:


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

I was a mechanic for about ten years.
Got to a point where a got fed up of working most saturdays, staying late, having to do extra hours to get a not so decent wage.
Over ten years i was on a yearly wage of 18k

Im now in aerosoace with an average working week of 39 hrs, including my overtime with much better wages and perks (working abroad)
I always here the old saying, dont need money to be happier but weve never been happier tbh.

I worked as an AA tech for about a year, whilst it was good money it was 60-70 hour weeks, i stopped when the kids said they never saw me, that broke me.

Someone has mentioned auto electrician, that is the way to go, im be tempted to go somewhere like nissan, lexus toyota for the hybrid system training youd get and do as much as possible 

I still love working on csrs and getting my hands dirty but as its a hobby i get to do it at my leisure!


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## possul (Nov 14, 2008)

The Cueball said:


> I only know 2 mechanics.... 1 of them has a £20k motorbike, Ford Mustang 5.0, and a large boat for the weekends...
> 
> the other one, has 2 bikes and takes a week off every month to golf in Spain... where he has a house...
> 
> so yeah... I think they are doing OK... :lol:


Mechanics, for who? Themselves or a company?


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## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

possul said:


> Mechanics, for who? Themselves or a company?


they both have their own garages... :thumb:


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## Tyrefitter (Feb 13, 2010)

Ive got a mot station that also does tyres,servicing & general repairs for sale if your interested.The building belongs to me which is not for sale just the business & everything in the building is paid for & nothing is over 5 years old,snap-on atl mot bay,2x 2posts lifts,corgi tyre machine & balancer,plus loads more stuff,all you need is yourown tools unless you want to buy my snap-on box.

Andy


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## camerashy (Feb 9, 2014)

My Dad use to tell me that “its easy putting a pair of overall on but it’s a hell of a job taking them off again” so make sure you are doing the right move.


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## Henry_b (Jan 30, 2018)

thanks all.


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

Being a mechanic is literally a license to print money. A LOT of it is cash as well. Work hard and you can live and work anywhere. Once you have the basics, all cars become humdrum and differ not a lot. Get good and you can stand doing stuff merely by intellectual analysis.


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## James_R (Jun 28, 2007)

Land Rover technicians can earn up to £50k OTE

If you're interested in earning big, go for the big boys.

Volume/mainstream Franchise dealerships once you've qualified you'll be looking at £25-30k pa


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## spyk3d (Nov 25, 2007)

I know a couple of Mechanics and they all seem to be on a good wage although a lot of that is dependant on experience etc. One of them works for Nissan and gets paid a lot more as he is a qualified GTR technician, so is one of only two at the dealer ship who gets to work on the beasts when they come in.

Another of mine took his skills and emigrated to New Zealand where they have a shortage of mechanics. 3 years on and he has no plans to come back, he's now married with a kid and loving life.

All seems very doable but its a case of making sure you know what you are on about and being honest. No one likes a mechanic that lies to them.


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## wish wash (Aug 25, 2011)

How long do you plan on doing it as a career. Times are certainly going to change in the future with all these electric cars.


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## Caledoniandream (Oct 9, 2009)

wish wash said:


> How long do you plan on doing it as a career. Times are certainly going to change in the future with all these electric cars.


But they still have brakes, wheel bearings , heating systems, ECU,s, etc,still need to be repaired, gearboxes, drives, you name it regardless of the whatever drives it, it will still have maintenance.

There will be always a living for mechanics, the more you are a specialist, the more value you will have.


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## DimitriUK (Jan 18, 2017)

Henry_b said:


> Title says it all really..
> 
> Just looking for any words of wisdom regarding this career path..
> 
> ...


Well lets put things in perspective yesterday I had dinner with a multimillionaire. His job is ice cream seller, you know the type that has a van and runs around making the funny sounds. He ended supplying the palace and has the ice cream franchise in all the royal places.

A relative of mine sells in high street gadgets, balloons etc he is also a millionaire.

Hence with the right business mentality and right approach to life only a person in a vegetative state and with his only skill being able to convert oxygen to carbon dioxide will not be able to earn a reasonable living.


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## ollienoclue (Jan 30, 2017)

I agree, it is surprising how people can become wealthy through very imaginative means and the ability to get out of bed early and graft.

If anything with the way the economy is running at the moment I believe the opportunities for this are probably widening.

If there are any forumites who are in their early 20s, without any ties but with a trade or skill, I cannot urge you enough to at least try a spell in Canada, Australia or New Zealand. They will welcome you with open arms and your money will go a lot further there. My cousin emigrated to NZ having married a Kiwi who was working and living in the UK. With the sale of their relatively conventional semi-detached house in the UK they could afford a 5 acre ranch and lovely house with cash to spare. I feel like our youth are being kicked in the teeth too much in the UK and conned into the university route with comes with a 30K guaranteed debt rather than a job attached. The country needs a radical overhaul and has lost it's Britishness in my view, the kind of can do attitude it had back in the 50s when the place was skint.


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## JB052 (Mar 22, 2008)

Guy Martin used to.


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## Henry_b (Jan 30, 2018)

Thanks Chaps. 

Some great advice! 

Appreciated.


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## Estoril-5 (Mar 8, 2007)

Whoever said auto electrician, buy that man a pint.

With electronic/electric becoming more mainstream and with the emergence of connected and autonomous vehicles, there is some big money to be made if you know what you're doing.

If that doesn't float your boat, try automotive cyber security, you my friend will be rolling in money (as a professional or criminal  )

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## techtim (Apr 2, 2010)

I've been a mechanic my entire working life, I'm not rich, but I have a comfortable life. 

As pointed out earlier, choose your path wisely. Being a mechanic is all about hard graft, but if you are willing to put the effort in, it is very rewarding.

You don't have to be a "grease monkey" doing the day to day stuff. After my 3rd year, I specialised in Auto Electronics, dealing with anything from wiring issues to rebuilding ECU's, but the technology changes so fast, it can be hard to keep up with it, so you have to put the hours in to get the rewards.

There are other area's to go into. Most garage's, including main dealers, still use specialist's for engine or gearbox (Esp Auto Boxes) rebuilds for example.

Different classes of vehicle will pay different money. Commercial & Plant vehicles will always pay higher than a general car mechanic, as well as geographical area's.

Like iI said, I can be a very rewarding job to do, but once your in, you'll never escape, Once a mechanic, Always a mechanic


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## davies20 (Feb 22, 2009)

I'm in the Quarrying sector. I know the guys who work on Heavy plant, Dumpers, Loading shovels etc can earn good money, with OT too.


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## 11alan111 (Dec 29, 2011)

i was in hgvs and psvs,i worked nights for the birmingham coach,a daf agent (greenhouse) and a scania agent(keltruck) take my word for it theres no money in that side of things.


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