Thinking about becoming a BMW mechanic...

[Vladimir L]

One mercedes tech here makes 170k a year he does no warranty work and works at night alot since the benz dealer here the mechanic shop works on cars at night to please its prissy owners...

[djstattic]

BMW mechanics don't work for a sallary. BMW itself decides how long it's supposed to take a certified tech to do a certain repair. For example, on the new 5's with active steering it's supposed to take 5 hrs to do the alignment, if it takes a tech 10 hrs, he will still only get paid for 5. You also practically don't get paid for doing warranty work.

[Mark_In_PA]

5 hours for an alignment?!

[slapshock]

Originally Posted by djstattic

BMW mechanics don't work for a sallary. BMW itself decides how long it's supposed to take a certified tech to do a certain repair. For example, on the new 5's with active steering it's supposed to take 5 hrs to do the alignment, if it takes a tech 10 hrs, he will still only get paid for 5. You also practically don't get paid for doing warranty work.

It's called flat rate, new technicians usually gets paid an hourly wage after a few months, the dealership decides if the technician can start working at a flat rate. Some dealerships will start you up on a flat rate which sucks if you're a new technician.

[djstattic]

Originally Posted by Mark_In_PA

5 hours for an alignment?!

on the new 5 series - yes! only those with active steering though...

slapshock - yeah, they make it seem like you are making alot of money atfirst; however, they put you on the hour pay after a few months. At our dealership techs get paid from like 18 to 30 bucks/hr

[Impulsed7]

I'm doing the CAP program, Dodge. I did not specifically pick dodge, but it was all i could get into. I plan on graduating and going back to other schools (BMW, Bikes, Porsche) and then working at big name dealers. Starting out in these programs sucks, but when you get into it about a year it gets much better. The drop out rate in these programs is a little over 50% so stick with it! Dodge master techs make about $70-100K a year, about middle of the pack. Chevys are in the lower end with many of the Jap techs. The Ford guys are up with the BMW, Porsche and Merc Mechanics.

[CtrlAltDel]

are you guys crazy
you'd start out as a tech in the 30's tops...and have to work years and get certified to make any real money

if you could start at 70k we'd all be tech's

[mazenz]

i wish i could afford to go to uti its been a dream of mine for a long time.

[Mark_In_PA]

ill have pics when i start, of the UTI Exton, PA campus that is...

[325ISE30]

Mark_In_PA, ATC is in Exton as well and they have an awesome program, unless you are already committed to UTI

[djstattic]

Originally Posted by CtrlAltDel

are you guys crazy
you'd start out as a tech in the 30's tops...and have to work years and get certified to make any real money

if you could start at 70k we'd all be tech's

EXACTLY!

[Mark_In_PA]

Yea, im already accepted to UTI. Besides for all you guys worrying about money, you dont become a mechanic to become the next bill gates you do it because you want to do it. Any tech a dealership makes a good buck, figure you start off at $35k your first year and work your way up. If you are 19-20 making $35k a year thats a pretty damn good start if you ask me. I dont know where the hell you people live, but $35k starting isnt bad at all.

[Uber3]

First off... the pay is different depending on the state. texas workforce commision tells you 25k to 50k a year starting techs. yes to make lots and lots of money you will need to be ASE certified. i start UTI Houston TX, August 4th. the bmw step program is 6months long, if your stupid and do the fast track system which take 12 weeks, you just fucked yourself out of a good job.( fast track techs dont get dealership jobs easily.) if you complete the step program, with 4.0 and perfect attendance rate, your most likely to be taken into a good bmw dealership... in texas its Mortiz BMW, or autobahn of Dallas, Houston, Austin, San Antonio... the 27 week step program you learn bumper to bumper the 7 series, the m5, x-5, 6-series, z4, pretty much the whole lot. i have spoken with many of the couselers at UTI Houston, and a lot of there entry lvl bmw techs start out at 50k a year. sorry to hear about the roughness with 17 an hour in some other states...

[RacerJames666]

Raising the dead!(thread)

I was on my way to that very thing...wanted to be a BMW mechanic in the worst way, but huge amounts of medical bills and other general calamities prevented me from doing so. Ended up working at various dead end jobs, till one of my compadres whom had moved away to california told me that he needed someone under him to become a fulltime nissan skyline/silvia tuner. So ill start at 1600 a month clean(taking a huge pay cut ) and be refinishing wheels/mount balance.....but I am told this is only starting wages & homie has been talikng me up like no tomorrow so I figure the owner wants to see what im made of(18 years of wrenchin just about everything). I think the whole thing was an answer to my prayers in a way. I caoudnt afford to be a BMW tech, BUT am being thrust forward into an even more specalized feild, and if anything else, I may even get to rip a GT-R(2008) once or twice....

[itsabimmerthing]

I am currently enrolled to attend UNOH, and plan on taking the BMW step program, as well as high performance automotive. I want to be a BMW tech, as well as mod them.