Western-Star

Wheels: An e-mail from Bob of Springfield asks, "What can my son expect career-wise if he takes courses to become an automotive service technician? What is the typical pay? I have seen labor rates of $80 per hour and higher. I didn't think a technician made this much."

Halderman: First of all, being an automotive service technician is an excellent career and good technicians are needed everywhere in the country. No, I am sorry to say, the technician pay and the labor rate are totally different. A shop or dealer service department has to charge a much higher rate than is paid to the technician due to cost of the building (heat, light, insurance) and equipment, such as air compressors, lifts, scan tools and other pricey capital expenses.

Wheels: OK, but how much does a technician earn?

Halderman: A beginning service technician is often paid at the minimum hourly wage rate or slightly above. As the technician gains in experience and knowledge, he/she becomes more efficient and is able to complete tasks faster and without making mistakes. Therefore, when the technician gains experience, the shop owner or service manager will often change the pay method to a flat rate, rather than an hourly rate.

Wheels: Can you explain what is meant by a flat rate?

Halderman: A flat-rate pay method means that each service procedure is assigned a certain amount of time to complete and it is this time, not the actual clock time, that the technician is paid. The flat-rate time is determined by using experienced technicians who perform the operation several times. The average of all the technicians is then assigned as the flat-rate time for the procedure. For example, replacing an intake manifold gasket may require a technician eight hours to replace, but the flat-rate time may be six hours. In this case, the technician is paid six hours. With additional experience, a good technician is usually able to best the flat-rate time. The technician is responsible in that the repairs are done correctly and must redo the repair, if needed, without any additional pay. The flat-rate pay method is good for the customer because the amount of time is predetermined and can be accurately estimated unless it involves diagnostic work.