You might be thinking: “It seems good to be a mechanic, but does it pay off?” The short answer to that question is yes, it does, and you can make money as a mechanic.
Mechanics are vital to the livelihoods of automobile owners across the country. But often, starting a business can be difficult and costly. You have to buy and learn how to use different repair tools, find space, and advertise your business.
And if you’re just starting, building a customer base can be a challenge. Mechanics are tasked with such an enormous role when servicing clients, yet they often don’t take advantage of the easy opportunities to make more money. Follow these helpful tips for making more money as a mechanic.
1. Consider Offering An Inspection Service
In the course of their work, mechanics come across many different car owners who are trying to decide whether they should repair or replace a part of their vehicle. If you want to make more money as a mechanic, consider offering an inspection service.
Many people know that having their car inspected is a good idea. In some cases, you could offer to inspect a potential customer’s car before they take it to a mechanic for repair. Make extra money by offering an inspection service. An inspection is just a way to evaluate the health and safety of a vehicle, the more detailed and specific it is the higher the price you can charge.
To keep customers coming back, offer a maintenance schedule and be sure to mention problems before they become more expensive to fix. Get them in the door and make them comfortable with your services. It could even save them money if you point out problems they can fix themselves after they have saved up a few dollars.
2. Offer to Repair Customer Vehicles
You’re a knowledgeable mechanic or someone who has experience working on cars. You also have the vehicles that you keep in running condition. When you do that, why not offer to fix other people’s vehicles for a fee? It makes sense for most people.
Better yet, offer to repair customers’ vehicles as well as your own. While you will still have many of the same expenses, such as insurance and operating costs, you’ll also be boosting your profits. Increase your income by offering to repair customer vehicles in your shop or at their homes and businesses.
From leaking oil to not starting at the first turn of the key, there are lots of reasons why your customers or members may need their vehicle looked at. As a bonus, your customer may refer you to other people who will also pay you for your services. Mechanics who are willing to travel can sell their services to anyone who owns a vehicle, such as car dealerships and self-service repair shops.
3. Pick Up Some Jobs on The Side
If you want to make money as a mechanic, you can pick up some jobs on the side to supplement the income you’re getting from your job. Maybe you’re just looking to make a little extra cash on the side, or maybe you’re looking to eventually launch your shop. Either way, picking up some work on the side is a great way to get things going.
Pick up a few odd jobs here and there, from oil changes to simple repairs. If you have extra time outside of your normal workday, you can go out of your way to make some money on the side. You don’t want to be picking up full-time jobs, just small jobs when you can fit them in.
I wouldn’t advise starting your own shop because that’s a lot of extra money and work. Just stick with nights, weekends, and holidays and see what kind of money you can make this way. With so much variety out there, you’ll be able to build your empire-I mean, side-business-with ease.
SEE: Explore the best passive income ideas
4. Get In Touch With Local Automobile Dealerships In Your Area
If you want to make money as a mechanic, try to get in touch with local auto dealerships. Dealerships are always in need of mechanics. Plus, they usually pay well. By working with a local car dealership, you can gain a lot of valuable experience you can use later on when you start your own business.
Let’s face it, you work on cars. Your business is centered around the automobile industry. While some repair shops are owner-operated, a huge percentage of them are owned by franchise stores. Even if you’re in a corporate store, getting in contact with local dealerships can help you develop more traffic to your place of business and establish a solid relationship with them.
This can eventually lead to more jobs and even more money. If you’re a car enthusiast and a mechanic, why not make money off of your passion? Reach out to local dealerships and let them know about the services you can provide. Soon enough, they’ll be knocking on your door and asking you to get their cars ready for showings.
5. Sell Car Parts Online
One of the easiest ways that you can make money as a mechanic is to sell car parts online. You likely keep leftover parts from the vehicles you work on. Now, they’re just taking up space in your shop. Selling these extra parts can earn you some part-time income. Head back to your store and inventory everything that could be sold to other mechanics and auto shops.
As a mechanic, you will have a lot of contact with different auto parts. Even if you’re not working on the large components of a vehicle, you will still see small components as well as fluids often when working on oil changes or flushes. If you collect these small parts and fluids in bulk, you can sell them to people who need them for much less than what it would have cost them to buy the same product at a store.
Selling car parts online may seem like a bold move for a mechanic, but there are plenty of ways to get it done without cutting into your profit margin. One way is by buying bulk parts from manufacturers and reselling them individually on eBay.
Another involves purchasing the rights to distribute a single brand’s products. Still another option is to become an affiliate, which allows you to sell other people’s products and receive a percentage of every sale you send their way.
6. Remove And Repair Radiators
You can make a lot of money as a mechanic by knowing how to fix radiators. Radiators tend to break down early in a car’s life, and the job is fairly easy to do. Essentially, you have to remove the broken radiator, get it fixed or replaced, and then install it again.
Just because you don’t see a lot of damaged radiators doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of people out there who need their radiators repaired. There’s just not as much demand for it as you might think, especially when there are so many radiator shops. You can, however, find a nearly endless market for your radiator repair services if you live in a place that experiences cold winters.
You can repair and remove radiators. Remove any dirt, grease, insect nests, or other materials from the outside of the radiator before you start working on it. You should then replace the radiator hose or rubber seal if needed. Do not remove the fins from a radiator unless this is recommended by the manufacturer.
7. Market Yourself to Small Businesses In Your Area With No Auto Repair Shop
You might be surprised to know that you can sell auto repair services to small businesses and individuals in your area. Think about this question: who owns the majority of cars? small businesses and individuals. And they don’t have a place to get their cars serviced. They could use the services you offer.
You could offer on-call car repair so that when they need you, they don’t have to go out and try to find a place to fix the problem with their car – they already have you available at home. When you stay on top of your skills and experience, you’ll be ready to handle the next opportunity in your career as a mechanic.
Maybe it’s a small mom-and-pop shop in need of big-business services; or, maybe it’s an aftermarket company offering its line of specialty products that complement several car makes. It might be another auto dealer. These little opportunities are the ones to watch for because they will let you shine extra brightly—and get paid handsomely while you’re at it.
8. Offer Car Rental Services If You Can
Are you a mechanic or a car enthusiast? If so, there are many different opportunities to make some extra profit by offering car rental services. The best way to do it is to find out what your customers need in advance.
Furthermore, as a mechanic, it’s not always feasible to deal with someone else’s car issues, especially if you’re working on several cars. You can make money by offering a service where you will drive the customers’ cars and take them wherever they want to go while their cars are being worked on.
This saves you time and the trouble of having to pick up your customer and drop them off again after the workday is done.
SEE: Discover tips to make money with car rentals
9. Test Drive Cars for Dealerships
If you’re interested in how to make money as a mechanic, you’d better like cars. When you work as a test driver, your job is to drive the car, evaluate its features and performance, and document the experience. You might take it out on an unlit highway or mountain road at night. You might also put it through its paces during a cold winter day while it’s not lit.
Linking up with a dealership is one way to become a mechanic. The first step is to contact dealerships offering test drives of cars for sale on their lot. They will be very interested in your abilities and knowledge, so you should be able to convince them to make you an offer.
Mechanics must regularly inspect, repair, and replace the parts of vehicles. As a part-time mechanic, you should look for jobs that do not require onsite visits from customers.
SEE: Here’s how to make money driving
10. Start Offering Car Detailing And Polishes
Although this isn’t technically a fix-it-yourself or repair job, it is a way to make money. It’s usually quite easy to get your hands on a side business like detailing and polishing other people’s cars. All you need are some basic car wash supplies, and you’re on your way.
This can be especially profitable if you live near a college campus. Starting a detailing and car polishing business can be done from home. A starter kit for car detailing costs around $100, and everything you need is available at your local hardware store.
When starting, you can also offer basic services such as car washes and vacuuming seats. A few years down the line, when your business is established, you can invest in more advanced equipment such as clay bars, metal balls, and polishing agents to step up your game.
How Much Money Can You Make As a Mechanic?
A mechanic in the top 25 percent makes $58,000 per year, while a mechanic in the bottom 25 percent makes $32,000. The amount of money you can make depends on several factors.
FAQs
How can you avoid failure as a mechanic?
Being a mechanic is not an easy job. There’s no doubt about it. That said, it’s one of the more lucrative jobs available. To avoid failure as a mechanic, you need to plan and hone your skills.
Do you need to have any special skills to become a mechanic?
It requires physical strength, the ability to read and follow instructions, some math skills, and common sense. In addition, the ability to follow details and instructions is more important than any specific skill.
Final Thoughts
Being a mechanic is not only a legitimate way to make a living, but it can also be highly profitable. A mechanic can be trained in many situations, from using basic tools to specific techniques on a particular make of car. Always make sure that the services you are providing are within your scope of expertise and practical for the customer.
If you don’t feel comfortable with a repair, tell the customer and recommend that he take his vehicle to another car shop for service. This doesn’t make you look like a novice but rather establishes your credibility. Customers will appreciate this and trust you.
You can follow up with phone calls after jobs are completed to see how the repairs are working or if anything else needs attention.
One sure way to make money as a mechanic is to flip cars. There’s a lot of money to be made if you understand how this gig works. There’s an article on a personal experience on how to make money flipping cars on the website. Check it out. I’m sure you will find it helpful.
Thanks for reading.
