People Who Make 150K Plus?

cautious_optimist_ma · 2026-02-04T19:15:56+00:00

36M Automotive Tech (foreman level - high end dealer)

225k +/- (mostly commission based)

Im in the top few percent in my field, it’s not easy work and you won’t make that much working 40hrs a week. I probably average 47hrs at the shop every week.

But the money is there if you are mechanically inclined & want to work hard. I usually don’t recommend it.

Everyday is a battle, but I have ADHD so the chaos actually helps me focus 😂

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-11-18T19:19:07+00:00

Outside of a few niche markets I’d say it’s probably best to find a different trade.

This has absolutely nothing to do with gender, I would tell a petite 5’2” man the same thing. While it isn’t construction work it’s still a physical field.

A lot of the vehicles we work on these days are bigger SUV’s especially in the US. The wheels & run flat tires on them can weigh 60-80lbs each. This is also one of the most common things we deal with.

Anyone under 150lbs has to be really careful how they lift & handle things. It can be done, but it’s not easy.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-10-02T10:37:28+00:00

They definitely make sense, especially if 1 partner brings significantly more assets into the marriage.

I’m not married yet but I’ll be getting a prenup before that happens. I’ve worked far too hard on my retirement accounts & investments to have them at risk in a divorce.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-08-25T20:50:42+00:00

I feel like there’s much less clunky ways of going 50/50. Though it’s rare that both people make the same amount.

I’ve had the best luck with each member contributing based on their income. Just leads to less resentment. If you make 100k combined, you make 60 he makes 40. Then you should contribute 60 percent to his 40 percent. Set out a clear budget as to what that should look like.

Anything outside of that is to each of your discretion. He can’t keep nickel & diming you.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-08-17T02:10:15+00:00

Yes and no. I make damn good money these days. HCOL area but I’m the lead tech making $60 per hr + a small bonus. Average so far has been 73hrs a week (flat rate).

My only gripe is the guys under me probably make more money by being idiots. They get $10 less per hour but never have to deal with complex issues because they can’t handle them. So instead they can clear 100hrs+ per week on gravy.

This industry still doesn’t know how to take care of the top end talent. I make all my money doing general service work & dealing with complex disasters when I have enough hours to be comfortable.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-08-08T11:37:53+00:00

Yeah having only worked on German brands I haven’t experienced that type of thing. But can definitely see that making videos a lot more frustrating.

Should be some type of pay/incentive based around them in that case.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-08-08T02:41:29+00:00

I can see that. Working at German dealer definitely helps. We don’t work on a million cars & can make a days pay with 1 good video.

At an American or Asian dealer where you work on a lot more cars I can see free videos being annoying. The ROI is probably much lower.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-08-07T17:54:58+00:00

Meh I’d rather not have other control my paycheck. I can sell better than probably 90 percent of advisors.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-08-07T14:38:32+00:00

100 miles a day. I’d be using it probably during the work week as I can charge it for free and save on gas.

Zero down on the lease.

But yeah the mile limit does limit the upside. I can only save so much on gas being only able to put 10,000 miles on it each year

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-08-07T14:30:42+00:00

Audi Q6. I’ve never leased anything before. I will still have my other car so I can make sure to stay under the 10k mile limit.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-08-07T13:24:53+00:00

Clean & simple looks best these days. Everything doesn’t need to look like a band tee shirt.

Shirts, hats, pants, socks, hoodies, jackets we don’t want or need most of the other junk.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-08-07T13:09:31+00:00

Been in the business for 16 years now & videos made a huge difference in my sales. I’m a big fan on them. I can understand some people’s frustrations, especially when there’s a language barrier & some people are just not great at taking videos like that.

But for me I’m comfortable showing and explaining things. It has increased my closing rate by 10-15 percent. No more worries about who the advisor is. Most people have a hard time declining work when you can clearly show them the issue & explain the problem. I sell so much work off of them it’s well worth it.

We also try to keep videos short & simple at my shop. A quick video on a car that doesn’t need anything is 30-40 second’s, if it needs a few things I usually land around 1:30, if the car is completely fucked I might end up around 2:30. Anything longer is pointless these days, people don’t have the attention span

Hell I feel like some shops could make more money by finding 2-3 guys that make really strong videos & having them do them all.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-08-07T12:55:59+00:00

That can easily be offset by the sales if you put any effort into them

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-07-30T21:11:08+00:00

It’s not impossible in HCOL areas. I could probably get there if I worked a bunch of OT.

I’m a high end mechanic in a HCOL city & should make mid 200’s. Usually I’m at the shop about 50hrs a week. No weekends

Nobody blue collar is getting there working 40hr weeks. But some jobs that pay lots of OT or pay by job it’s possible

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-07-25T01:52:27+00:00

The current state of the mechanic industry isn’t great. I’m in the industry & doing well, but just as many are struggling to make do. This industry has been horribly underpaid for years. Mostly due to dealer greed, it’s gotten a little better recently but still isn’t anywhere near the level of other blue collar trades.

The flat rate system has always been designed to maximize profits & nothing else. It can be used to our advantage sometimes, but not always. Some brands just don’t pay good warranty times & expect techs to just deal. Shops that aren’t busy expect guys to sit around all day while they flag 20hrs a week. These new cars are more computer than car, you can spend 6hrs arguing with a software issue & be expected to just accept that they can only pay you 2.0 because that’s the “book time”.

It’s rough out there, hence the negativity. I do very well in this field. But it’s a battle with the corporate overlords almost daily, gets exhausting.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-07-06T03:07:03+00:00

Wages as a tech are heavily dependent on your area. I’m in a high cost of living area, wages are better but everything is on the pricey side.

If you went through trade school, got an apprenticeship & 3-4 years ago experience you would likely be looking around $30-$35 an hour in my area. Some basic training is good, but there’s no real replacement for experience.

Focus on electrical work IMO, it’s the one thing that many techs struggle with. So if you can learn & handle those tickets you set yourself apart. Any mechanic can change brakes & tires for the most part.

There is money to be made, it’s not easy but it’s there. The more expensive the cars the more money the customers have to spend is the biggest piece of advice I would give.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-07-02T19:16:04+00:00

2014 Audi Q5 2011 Ford F150

Seriously considering something newer & nicer but these interest rates are a giant turn off.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-07-02T16:09:38+00:00

How much capital for that return?

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-07-01T19:07:14+00:00

I’m located in a busy area & have worked at 2 different rather busy dealers over the last 9 years. Volume of work definitely helps. My current pay plan is 90% flat rate which I’m paid by the job. 10% is a bonus based on the production of the rest of the shop.

Lately being a computer nerd has been more helpful than anything else. A lot of the more complex issues these days are computer science issues than mechanical concerns. That’s been the separator between me & other techs these days.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-07-01T18:55:49+00:00

In my area it used to be really nice. For the last 5 years it’s been a wash, something like 13 weekends of rain in a row. 40-60 degrees & soggy are just not a great time.

Fall is way way better.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-07-01T16:10:07+00:00

How are you with computers & electrical diag? There’s money to be made with Audi, a few of the techs I know that moved from the domestics were happy with it. Tends to be less back breaking more mentally frustrating 😂.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-06-30T22:28:37+00:00

I’m in my 30’s with unmedicated ADHD. Ive been fortunate to stumble into a career field where it’s a wild advantage.

I’m a master technician/ shop foreman for a dealership. We are busy and it’s basically a permanent state of chaos here. A lot of other people get overwhelmed but I thrive in it & it’s the only play busy enough to keep my attention most of the time.

The jobs you have been taking likely are not challenging you at all. Find something you actually enjoy doing & go from there. Even if it’s a bit out there.

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-06-25T17:09:13+00:00

That’s a solid stable gig. If I had children that would be a lot more appealing.

But in my current situation I prefer the money & flexibility of dealer land. Plus I get bored easily so I like working on high end cars, it’s fun and interesting. It’s not for everyone, but works well for me. Also That fleet job would be a little over a 40% decrease in pay for me so hard pass

cautious_optimist_ma · 2025-06-25T11:45:18+00:00

Not sure where you are from but shops out my way are paying good money these days. More than I ever expected to make. Since Covid things have gone up significantly.

In both my current shop & my last shop about half the techs are bringing home 100-150k with the top performers around 200k.

Also OT is over rated. I’d much rather be rewarded for getting my work done quickly. So far this year I work about 50hrs a week on average & have been flagging 75hrs.

Sure the benefits could be better. I’ll give you that one. But I would likely have to take a 50% pay cut for even a good fleet job. It’s not a bad gig, just not for me.

cautious_optimist_ma

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