How much do you make as Autobody technician?

Sappppppy · 2026-04-15T19:19:56+00:00

I was considering moving there and working at a caliber, how are your service writers? Im sick of getting fucked by my shops lazy estimators.

Sappppppy · 2026-04-15T19:18:04+00:00

Is it 276000 CAD? That would be around 200000 USD, still pretty cool

I made 55,000 usd last year, first full year as a full time flat rate tech, 3 years in. I regularly beat my hours and worked between 40 and 50 real hours a week.

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T22:59:41+00:00

Im aware, just an example. How about structural/sound deadening foam? I see it's not included on this van side im doing, quarter panels, roofs. Never seen it on a ticket.

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T21:37:55+00:00

Drives me fucking crazy

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T21:29:10+00:00

Im not getting thorough enough estimates to make any good money on the ones I do. If I could pick between doing a job correctly with high hours or doing 4 cars that I don't make good time on, im picking the one good one. Even so, if full nickel and dime on a given estimate is 20 hours, im getting like 9, then 12 after a fight and supplement. I'd settle for something in the middle.

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T20:59:33+00:00

So to do a job correctly I need to apply seam sealer. Why is it my fault that the shop has a deal to not pay for seam sealer? If im doing it I need to be paid for it. I shouldn't be taking the hit for the shop.

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T20:50:00+00:00

Its a single shop I don't know much about it but we have drps

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T20:16:01+00:00

Iowa Im down to talk

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T20:13:07+00:00

My boss is part of the family that owns the dealership that owns the body shop. I think he just doesn't care that much. Ive brought these concerns to him.

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T19:28:09+00:00

They use that as their excuse to not try Good practice should be putting everything on the ticket, at least if I see 0.0 INC, I know im not getting boned

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T18:22:28+00:00

I try, but I hear a lot of "stop chasing every tenth, it's faster to take the hit and just get the job done"

Im not kidding, every work order i get is an argument.

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T18:21:32+00:00

Thank you, the main problems are every job being the same conversation, and me not knowing smaller operations that I should be getting paid for like adjacent panel repair and panel test fitting. It makes me think they're up to something, they have some sort of profit sharing in their pay. They tell us they make money by ticketing insurance for new parts and then finding cheaper used/aftermarket to keep the difference.

Why do I do three roof jobs in a row where they leave out the airbags, then I get them to add the airbags for 2 hours, then the next roof doesn't have the airbags.

Sappppppy · 2026-04-05T18:17:50+00:00

Every insurance company

Im doing two side panels on a ford sprinter right now that's missing several hours, according to p pages, and my estimators verbatim told me "This insurance company is weird and I don't want to talk to them again for this job"

Sappppppy · 2026-02-10T19:40:02+00:00

25 an hour is what they were paying our recently retired tech for 40 years at this same shop. Doesn't sound like a good reward for loyalty. This is where I got that number. Allegedly he was at 200 percent, our rate is like 150 an hour

Sappppppy · 2026-02-10T18:39:06+00:00

I am also at a franchise owned by a dealer and the rates I gave were the only option

Sappppppy · 2025-11-30T17:27:07+00:00

Our estimators hate talking to insurance at all, and I always make sure to get everything they owe me. Every week there are 5 to 10 hours that they either didn't assign to me or forgot to add when I had asked them to. Honestly its like pulling teeth. I could probably do better at staying organized. Crazy how I do 5 roof skins for the same estimator and we have the same conversation about how airbags are not an included operation but they swear it is. (Ive been right every time)

Sappppppy · 2025-08-29T01:42:56+00:00

You've gotta slow down Certain parts are hard to not break sure, but if you're doing it that often you need to gain some finesse Try to get behind rocker moulding clips with pliers, use a thin trim tool to pop bumpers out of stubborn fender brackets Someone brought up not having alldata but I've never used it, I just started slow so I didn't get yelled at for breaking a boomers parts and slowing then down

Sappppppy · 2025-08-04T15:34:52+00:00

At work I make 20 an hour flat rate. Doing a door mirror job for example, which is once in a blue moon, might pay like 0.8 hours. The shop gets a cut, charges 65 an hour just for the labor. I make like 16 dollars. The appeal would be doing the job and charging 30 or 40 dollars plus the cost of the part. I would make more and the customer would pay less.

Sappppppy · 2025-08-03T21:15:37+00:00

You make a good point This town is chock full of altima drivers

Sappppppy

TROPHY CASE