How much money does an automotive technician make a year?

Answer 1

Automotive technicians can make approximately $20,000 to about $200,000 a year and are paid by one of the following pay plans;

• Flat Rate - the more you produce the more you make
  
• Hourly with overtime pay - offers little incentive for producing more
  
• Hourly with overtime pay plus commission or spiffs

Flat rate provides the best opportunity for making the most money if the technician does good work, is fast and is in a busy shop. Flat rate pays the technician for completing a certain job by book time. If the technician has a comeback (a repair that did not fix the car) he is required to repair it at no charge if it was a result of his mistake. Hourly pay is best for technicians that do not want to repair their comebacks for free or do not want to be pressured to produce high numbers. Hourly pay plus commission is best for technicians that want a set minimum amount for their paycheck with an incentive to produce more as an added bonus. Tools are required to be supplied by the technician in most shops with the exception of shop equipment. Technicians can purchase many of the same namebrand tools that tool trucks offer at a huge discount on-line, due to the low overhead cost that most tool websites (like DenLorsTools.com) pass on to their customers. Auto technicians have a large amount of money invested in their tools and tool storage boxes. The amount they spend on tools greatly affects their net yearly income.