I decided that it’s time me to think about the future and getting a higher education since right now I’m a college dropout. My passion is with cars and the performace aspect of them, though the audio and appearance stuff is cool too. Only thing is I don’t feel like there are many high paying automotive jobs in Western Pa. I cant relocate due to childcare issues and family issues.
So, what do you think I can go to school for around here in the pittsburgh area for automotive that will make good money? How much do performance shops usually pay their techs and what do employers prefer they are educated in? I have 8 months to figure out what I’m gonna go to school for so I’m starting my research now. Thanks.
its hard to get into a reputable performance shop unless you have a good reputation for knowing your shit or you know someone already working there willing to vouch for you. Its to high of a risk to hire someone fresh out of Wyotech,UTI, Rosedale etc cuz they are usually smart asses that think they know everything but dont know shit.
Your best bet is to work at a dealer or independent shop just to get the wrench time experience and do some performance work on the side till you get your rep up then maybe try and get into a shop or start your own.
Alot of times Performance shops dont pay all to well unless your worth it but even then you will make more elsewhere. Im making alot more money working at a dealer than I was working at ASAP.
around how much was ASAP paying if you dont mind me asking?
Also, how much schooling or what kind of schooling would I need to get into a dealer to be a service tech?
Wyotech and UTI are too far for me to go to school. I need something closer to monroeville since I still need to be with my Wife and 4 year old daughter. Would CCAC be something I could realistically pursue? I know they are probably not top notch but I have to play with the cards I’m dealt.
Rosedale looks like it might be a good location, about 21 minutes from my house.
ASAP was only paying me $10/hr. Im starting at $15/hr at Chevy.
You dont need much schooling at all to get into a dealer. The more formal training you have the higher pay you will start out at. You can come in wth no formal training and they will start you out as an apprentice tech working with a Master Tech for usually a 90 day probation period so you can get your feet wet. During your that time you will paid hourly. Once they think your ready the will offer you flat rate which is usually 2-3 dollars over your hourly rate.
I think CCAC offers 3 programs. Ford, GM, and Chrysler. If you take a manufactures specific course you will come in with a pretty decent starting pay. From what I heard CCAC was a very well rounded course.
The biggest thing is tools. You will always be buying them and usually their not cheap. Another reason why its a good idea to get into a dealer. They will already have most of the special tools you will need.
Best thing is to get your State Inspection and Emissions License. That will get you in just about anywhere to start. Next step will be getting your ASE Certifications.
Remember that the vast majority of automotive work people pay for is routine maintenance, and Pittsburgh is not exactly the mecca of performance vehicles. If you’re serious about it in the long term I’d say listen to the posts above. Even if the only performance work you do is just your own car and all you do is run it at local events, if you do quality work then people will start noticing.
i am a dealer tech and ase master, i dont do bad pay wise. but to start you wont get paid much untill you get some experience. prolly around $10 hour with your state and IM liscenses, then to start you own tool collection aint cheap either. I went to wyotech. and came out starting as a lot attendent and aprentice at the dealer i still work at now. My advise to you if you want to get into being a tech. go to CCAC program were you can co-op with a dealer ship to sponser you. so you can work, get paid while still getting credits for school. you will learn so much more hands on working with a good tech then sitting in the classroom all the time. if i could do it again thats what i would have done. the only thing with turning wrenches is that its hard for me to get motivated to work on my own crap.
yeah, the thought of making my hobby my career and then getting sick of it crossed my mind. I was also, looking into doing something medical like x ray tech or nursing since those are high demand and high pay and 2 year schooling. since i work in the pharmacy field now it wouldnt be hard to cross over into a higher paying medical field. I love cars but I’m thinking its not a big enough thing in PA for it to make me alot of money for my family. if i lived down south it might be more of an option i guess.
Working on cars for a living is highly unrecomended.
I started out ASE master certified, with insp/emis licence. Worked as a dealer apprentice, but shop politics got the better of me. I made my master soo much money, that the second tech in the shop was going to quit if I didn’t rotated to him. Then I had to be his bitch. It was altimatum time for the boss, and he called my bluff. See ya later Chrysler. Then came flat rate at firestone. The one thing I can say is if I was going to work on general repair agian I’d go back to dealerships. Don’t work for a place that open seven days a week. People always wait until the weekend to get their cars worked on, and you have to rely on bringing 20+ hours on a saturday just to hit 40.
Working on automotive performance is a little bit different. I have people busting my balls over the price of a roll cage that is going to be a permanant safety feature. Then you have people that need a wheel bearing and pay just as much. The internet has killed customers. People walk in and give a hard time cause they can get something $10 cheaper on line.
Its all pretty mentaly and phyisacaly demanding. You can make it if you use your head, and hussle.
I had though of going to Wyotech or somewhere similar, but in the end I thought about. If I go into my garage to relax and wrench on my car because i’m burnt out from my job. How would I relax if that WAS my job. I enjoy playing with cars to much to let a job ruin it.
:stupid: I know about this first hand, since we have both 2 collision shops and a mechanical shop. Wyotech is a good school… HOWEVER… in my opinion its way too short of a program. If their collision program was 4 years it would be a great thing for the industry. We have hired I would say 5 people fresh out of Wyotech and its funny to see how they think they know everything, especially when they bitch because all they are doing for the 1st few months is washing cars and prepping parts. We did get 2 solid guys out of there that are really great, however it took them 4 years of being here to get that good.
If it were me doing what you want to do, I would go work somewhere for 3-4 years doing bitch work in the field that you want to get into… then work your way up, getting certified, etc… that way, in 4 years, you will have experience, respect at your job, at that point be making more than you would out of wyotech, and not have any DEBT from that money hole.
Its something like 40k and then send you out of there knowing how to cut a 1/4 panel off of a car, but not how to weld one back on :rant:
Edit - I forgot to add… one of the guys we got out of Wyotech said he learned more in one year working here under one of my best employees than he did the whole Wyotech program. He said if he could do it over again, he would work here for min. wage, get the experience and not have the debt from Wyotech.
I used to love working on computers, then I got a job in computers. I now hate computers.
I would hate to hate working on cars. Working on cars is a hobby for me, not a job. Once it’s a job, it becomes work and I do not like work. :D:D:D
But my uncle works for a Dodge dealer and makes a good living. Just look at it from every angle before making a decision. I spend 2 years and 15K on schooling for a career I did not go into. Looking back, it was a huge waste of time and money. good luck
It’d be the same train of though for me. I love wrenching because I have the option to walk away, which is a virtue that a paycheck-bearing job would not offer.
I’m a patient care technician (basically a glorified nursing assistant :kekegay: ) for UPMC. I’m also working toward a degree in nursing. You can always find a job in healthcare, but it’s hard work. Mentally and physically. I think people don’t realize this. Pharm and nursing; though both are health care, are much different.
The money is decent and there is always opportunity for advancement but it’s not quite the pretty picture people like to paint. I’m getting off the soapbox now. If you have questions about nursing, feel free to pm me.
pharmacist seems to be where it is at. I wonder though there has to be a catch. It SEEMS like an easy job…fill bottles with pills…and read bad handwriting. I wonder what else there is to it that yields such high salaries.
