Careers in the automotive industry are constantly evolving due to technological advancements that are placed into the design and structure of the engine. With these advancements, new protocols and preventive maintenance lists become longer and more intense. Although keeping up with new technology is a daunting task, working in the automotive industry gives you a stable income, provides job security, and the best part about working in the industry is that you can get a job anywhere!
Making Money
The average automotive mechanic makes anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 per year with the potential to make more money taking on side jobs. You can also buy fixer-uppers and flip them for cash. There are a lot of shows out there on television about buying houses, fixing them up, and then selling them but you don’t see very many shows about fixing cars and selling them. This could be because those people who are selling these cars are busy mechanics working hard during the day, and fixing cars to re-sell at their leisure.
There are a lot of cars out there on the market that people simply don’t want to deal with when it comes to repairs. More often than not the parts necessary to fix the car may not be as costly as it would be to repair at a mechanic shop. This is mostly due to the fact that you’re not paying the labor costs. The labor fees can range anywhere from $36 – $72 an hour depending on the job. Once the repairs are complete you can then sell the vehicle for the Blue Book value. Or you can just run it through a US car auction to save you the hassle of selling the vehicle yourself.
Job Security
In this day and age, job security is important to everyone. When you’ve established yourself as an auto mechanic you can find a job pretty much anywhere. If you’re Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certified you can make a lot more money than you can as a mechanic’s helper or an experienced mechanic that is not certified. ASE certified mechanics make anywhere from $35,000 to $80,000 annually depending on experience and the number of certifications they have. Attending automotive and diesel repair programs aids in the certification process and will pay off in the end. It is proven that those mechanics who attend these programs have an easier time passing the certification tests.
Get a Job Anywhere
The good thing about being a mechanic is that there are cars all over the world in every major city. If your spouse is constantly moving around for work, or you’re thinking about moving to various cities to test the waters you should consider a career in the automotive industry. Even if you’re considering becoming a car detailer or performing body-work you will be open to endless opportunities wherever you decide to live.
The automotive industry is a great place to start a career if you’re good with your hands. Although the era of self-driving cars is bringing about new technologies and computer-related parts, the engine still remains the same. Don’t be intimidated to learn how to fix cars of the future. Cars of the past still remain, and even though it looks like everyone will be driving updated cars, there are people that still enjoy basic vehicles that don’t have all the bells and whistles. There are auto mechanics that only fix certain vehicles and even ones that only fix classic cars. The opportunities in this industry are endless, do your research and start your automotive career today!
