Mechanic on $34/hr—should I switch to earthworks for better pay & future?

M

MossDrogon7

New Member
Hi everyone, I’d really value your honest input.

I’m a newly qualified mechanic from VIC, currently earning $34 an hour for a 38-hour week. The pay is okay for now because I don’t have a lot of expenses, and I’m not interested in fifo work. But when I look ahead, I don’t see much room to grow in the light vehicle trade. From what I understand, the top take-home pay is around $1,500 a week, and I honestly can’t imagine feeling financially secure in my 40s or 50s on that.

I’ve also worked in earthmoving before, and I’ve been seriously thinking about going back. Eventually, I’d love to run my own business. I truly enjoy that kind of work and, from what I’ve observed, there’s a lot more opportunity to earn compared with the auto industry.

I’d really like to know what you think, especially if you’ve been in this kind of situation or if you’re a mechanic who’s already made the switch.

Thanks so much!
 
I've been looking into buying and flipping cars. I've watched my mechanic do it and earn about three times his usual salary. Seriously, over the last three years, I've seen him save close to $200,000.

How do I know? I've been helping him learn how to get into the property market, secure a mortgage, and other similar steps.
 
Hey mate.
I'm 37.
Been an LV tech for 15 20 years.
On about $48 an hour right now.
No overtime.
Take home around $1450 after tax..
Still can't get ahead with the bills.
It's like running on a treadmill that never stops.
So I'm going mobile in a couple weeks.
More earning potential.
Figured I've gotta start working for myself.
Otherwise, yea there’s a ceiling.

Still enjoy working on cars.
That might change though.
If you've still got a fire for automotive?
Go out and do it on your own.

But earthworks?
That’s where the real money is, I reckon.
A whole different league.
 
Hey there! So, I’ve been a forklift mechanic for about four years now before that, I was working as an LV mechanic for years.

I get to drive around in a really nice company van fuel and maintenance are all covered, and I take it home, so all my tools are always right there in the back, ready fro any side jobs.

Honestly, they're pretty straightforward to work on none of that complicated adblue, DPF, or ADAS stuff. It’s basically just a four cylinder motor with a pump and some hoses.

Oh, and the pay's solid $53 an hour here in Perth.
 
You really hit the ceiling super quick in LV when it comes to wages. The only way to get ahead if you even want to call it that is to get really good, or get super knowledgeable about a specific brand.

I’m coming up on 10 years in the trade, specializing in 3 specific brands and I’m also dual trade in auto electrical. Right now I’m on about $95k a year, plus a company car, fuel card, a phone and a pretty flexible work life. I could probably bump that up to 100k pretty easily, but let’s be honest, it’s still not that amazing for all the knowledge we carry and the nonsense we deal with.

But hoonestly, if I'd actually used my head and gone into HD or even aviation, I'd be way ahead of where I am now. That’s why I’m gently nudging toward greener pastures I’d definitely suggest looking into that too.

But hey, everyone’s got their own path
 
Invest in yourself by completing the extra two years to secure your heavy vehicle qualification, then choose the location that best fits your goals. You don’t need to pursue fly in fly out work for this larger earning potential still exists, but it's really about where you want to be. Do you want or need to remain in Victoria, for example?
 
If you're thinking about a career move, I'd suggest checking out AG Heavy Diesel. It's a solid option, especially while you're young and have the flexibility to build new skills. Just a heads up the LV industry isn't keeping pace with the heavy diesel side of things.
 
I was in the same boat as you I was making $31 an hour and just thought, fk this Tried out an HD upgrade but had zero interest tbh. My passion has always been performance cars Went back to the trade like 6 months later and told my boss I wanted 85k to start. They said yes right away, and I started straight up. My performance was solid, so it went up to 90k in 6 months. Not crazy money, but it lets me live a good life ‍♂️ Truth is, there's money in light vehicle work bosses just act like it's still the 90s and think they can pay peanuts and not get monkeys It doesn't work like that though. As more people leave the trade, the need for good techs goes up I'd stick with it and mayybe specialize a bit like 4x4, performance vehicles, auto electrician, etc. In like 5 6 years, the trade shortage will be so big we'll basically be setting our own salary
 
Think about specializing in a skill or starting your own business it's tough to get ahead on just an LV mech paycheck. If those options don’t fit, find a solid side hustle that works for you.
 
Do a trade upgrade.
Do more units at TAFE to become a heavier mechanic.
Lots of places will do that for you.
Many don’t like FIFO, but it’s the best thing you can do to set yourself up for life, so you don’t have to do fifty years.
 
From your position, I see a few paths.

Consider moving into another trade area.
Examples include HV, Forklift, mobile, or specialized performance work.

Or start side hustles.
Weekend jobs or flipping cars, for instance.

Our old local mechanic does this.
He buys small, first car buyer vehicles.
Think Camrys or Corollas.
He fixes them up and gets a roadworthy certificate.

The benefit is loyalty.
If someone buys their first car from him and it’s reliable, they often come back for servicing and repairs.

Recent posts here mention earthworks.
Many say the small business sdie is saturated.

I’m not in that industry, so I can’t confirm.
But it may be worth searching the group for more insight.
 
Pool your cash and launch that dream business go all in! Whether it's a mobile mechanic gig or your own workshop, once you’re flying solo, you’ll be high fiving your past self.
 
I used to be a light vehicle mechanic, but then.I moved over to diesel, and eventually, I started driving trucks myself. The hours are long, but the pay matches the effort. These days, I’ve found a pretty sweet gig that offers more flexibility I can skip a northern run if the finances are alright, which lets me spend time with my family, but I can also make up for it by staying on the road for two weeks or longer. It’s interesting I was starting to feel like the older guy back in the workshop, but out here in the trucks, I’m the young one again. It really feels like you’re your own boss out here.
 
Even with a light vehicle, I was bringing home $1,500 on a 9 day fortnight, with my fuel and tolls fully covered. I honestly out earned my regular wage by dedicating my 3 day weekends to work buying and selling maybe four or five cars, plus a few other small ventures. Last financial year, my heart is full to say I cleared over $250,000. It truly can be done.
 
So you're just starting out in your trade? There's completing an apprenticeship, and then there's truly learning the craft. It seems like you can't really ask for good money until you've gathered some life experience in the trade. If you want to earn well right from the beginning, maybe you’d need to go into fifo work it feels like you won’t find those earnings locally.
 
I think about these two mobile mechanics I know who bring in around $200k in revenue each year. After all the expenses and taxes, maybe they’re actually keeping about half of that.

They work hard, yes, but honestly, I’m just struck by the fact that they choose their own hours. Life with family is demanding, so they only work four days a week it makes me wonder what that balance feels like.
 
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