Michigan Technician Pay Help

[mutiny]

Hello Everyone. I've currently been having some issues with the marina that I am working for, and was looking towards other Iboat Technicians to try and give me a hand. To make a long story short, I am a 5 year technician with all of my current hand tools (Matco and Snapon), and more diagnostic equipment than the marina which I currently work for. I have been offered a pay of $15 an hour, no health benefits, a 401K with employer contribution of 4% if I deposit 5% of my weekly pay, no vacation or sick days, and no holiday pay. This particular shop has a shop rate of $80 an hour. We have minor opportunities to work overtime, just because the owner does not want to pay for the overtime. We are near a couple small inland lakes which has high volume, and we are the only marina anywhere in the area. Needless to say, we are extremely busy all season with a full work rack until winter. This particular place has a new boat showroom which sells pontoons, and is a Mercury dealership. I have all of my schooling to become a certified Mercury outboard technician, however I am waiting on one more class to seal the deal. The 10 year technician who has his certificate is getting an extra dollar, bringing him to a whopping $16 an hour. We feel that the pay is extremely under the average. I have done a ton of research and know that State, location, size of marina, and what the marina offers holds a huge role but still feel that we are taking a huge sacrifice with what we are offered. So now I look to my new Iboat brothers and sisters for help. Please do not give your marina name, your name, or any hints to give away your particular location. Staying anonymous, can I get some real life examples of what others are getting paid? I need to know what pay to expect with the criteria which I have described above so we can AGAIN go to the owner who claims that the industry just doesn't support any higher pay. Thanks for any help in advance.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

Why don't you just go work for someone else?

 

[mutiny]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

airdvr1227, I ask myself that more often than not. I would like to get my Mercury certification before I venture out looking for another marina. My home location is also a factor. Being very close to work is helpful. I hate job hunting unless you are local and offering a position hehe..

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

Get your certificate and then talk turkey to the boss, if that doesn't work look for something else.

What's your work load like in the winter? Do you still get to make your 40 hrs. even if you aren't busy, if so that means a lot too.

You will make more money if you move further south where there is a year 'round boating season and you stay busy all year.

 

[boaterinsd]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

I used to be a auto mechanic and got to work 6 days a week and made about that same amount as you. Then i started at the place I work for now, and my shift is 3 12's on the weekend and make 19.06 an hour with benefits. and can work overtime as i chose and get my 12 hours in a week and am off at noon both days. Have the lake to myself for the days off. And love it. Pm me .
PS there is a few places in town here that were looking for part time marine techs a while back.

 

[mutiny]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

Get your certificate and then talk turkey to the boss, if that doesn't work look for something else.

What's your work load like in the winter? Do you still get to make your 40 hrs. even if you aren't busy, if so that means a lot too.

You will make more money if you move further south where there is a year 'round boating season and you stay busy all year.

I currently get laid off in the winter. He brings the lead tech in for random jobs during the winter, and pays him 1/3 his hourly wage and allows him to collect unemployment. Farther south sounds great to me but it is hard to get the wife on board with that with all the family she has. My certificate is the next playing card I will have to aim for.

Thanks for the advice. I'm not trying to make this sound like a pity party, and I don't need a place to complain about my situation. I have no problem looking for another job, and the side work I do keeps me more than busy. I just felt that if I had some real life scenarios then it would help my situation when I go to the boss and ask for a little more.

 

[mutiny]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

I used to be a auto mechanic and got to work 6 days a week and made about that same amount as you. Then i started at the place I work for now, and my shift is 3 12's on the weekend and make 19.06 an hour with benefits. and can work overtime as i chose and get my 12 hours in a week and am off at noon both days. Have the lake to myself for the days off. And love it. Pm me .
PS there is a few places in town here that were looking for part time marine techs a while back.

I would love to get the information on the marinas looking for part time help. I appreciate your reply and helps me put everything into perspective. I will PM you tonight or tomorrow as I am getting ready to head out the door. Thanks again!!

 

[H20Rat]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

I have been offered a pay of $15 an hour, no health benefits, a 401K with employer contribution of 4% if I deposit 5% of my weekly pay, no vacation or sick days, and no holiday pay.

Ever consider moving? Right now our McDonalds in the Bakken are paying that much WITH benefits! Most of your skills would transfer over to a general mechanic position, and you would probably be starting somewhere in the $30/range + all the overtime you could handle.

 

[spdracr39]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

For 15.00 an hour and only partial year work I would switch to an auto mechanic shop and do the boat stuff part time on the weekends during the season. You should make more than that easily.

 

[shrew]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

If your employer is the only game in town, then why not start a competing business. Mobil Mechanic's do very well. They work out a step van in my area, come right to the boat and charge the average rate in my area $125/hr.

You could undercut your employer at $70 and take a large chunk of his business.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

Im not sure if I have any business posting on this thread but I could not help myself. I am supprised that someone who gets billed out at $80/hour only gets a fraction of that. I would be really mad if I was getting paid 15/hour and my company was pocketing 65/hour off of my back. Sure they have to pay for the shop and what not but that seams really scewed to me. In the consulting world someone who bills for $360/hour works about on average 20 hours a week billable is collecting abour 360K a year for the company and is getting paid at least half of that in salary and bennifits.

I would really look at branching out on your own. Figure out what work you can perform without a huge capital investment. For example if you can do impellers, manifolds and risers, ignition, fuel delivery, scheduled maintance on your own but rebuilding morots and pulling them from boats would require a large capital investment in larger work area and equipment then I would pass on that business for now and stick with the things you can do without the additional overhead. Also when you own a business allot of things in your personal life becomes a business expence. Fill up the truck, you are visiting clients, take the wife out to dinner, you are taking a client out, take the boat out for the day and have to fill it up, you are spending money on fuel to repair boats.

Like stated above if your employer is the only game in town then you are in a great position. Start forming relationships with your existing clients. When they come in make sure you get face time with them, let them know that you are honest, take the time to make sure they understand what the issues are any why the price/parts needed are required. Once you have a repor with them when you go out on your own they will go with you. My neighbor is an auto mechanic and he does the same thing. He has been working on the same peoples cars for years, what ever shop he works at his customers follow him.

As for the moble mechanic I see more and more of them around here. There are several storage areas. I notced about a month ago the place that I keep my boat started renting sign space to local businesses. There were a sign for a canvas guy, a RV guy and a moble marine mechanic. Well about a month later I notice that several boats have new covers, and almost every time I go to my boat which can be up to a few times a week there is a mechanic working on a RV or a boat.

What ever you decide to do I with you the best of luck.

 

[metriccrescentwrench]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

Fill up the truck, you are visiting clients, take the wife out to dinner, you are taking a client out, take the boat out for the day and have to fill it up, you are spending money on fuel to repair boats.

I'm all for paying the least amount of taxes that one legally can, but these suggestions are unethical and potentially could land someone in hot water. I know these types of things are done by a lot of people, but I find that I sleep a lot better at night not worrying about whether or not a lie will be found out.

As far as the suggestions to go out on your own as a mobile marine service tech, that sounds like an excellent idea. It's a sad fact that many employers will pay the bare minimum it takes to hold on to employees, while at the same time charging the most that customers will pay.

 

[agallant80]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

I once kney a guy who bought a 55 inch flat screen as a "monitor" for his business computer. Apparently he has to look at spreasheets all day. Just remember this when you own a bisiness, "you can always argue deductions you can never argue income"

 

[Slip Away]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

$15 per hour for a tech is normal here in Michigan . But, pay increases with experience and certification. It will never be a "great" source of income in a seasonal boating state.

Get your certificate, pack up the wife and move to Hawaii for this job. double the pay, and year round work.....

Lead Marine Tech

Lead Marine Tech wanted for Hawaii's #1 Boat Dealership. Factory 4stroke, O/B, I/O certified strongly preferred. Come join our winning team. Compensation $30.00 per hour plus semi monthly incentives.
Email resume to (EDIT Removed email address and phone number)

 

[greenbush future]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

In SE Michigan there are tons of Merc dealers to consider for employment, and because I'm also a head hunter, I would suggest there should be many shops that could use your skills. Unless you test the market you wont know what to expect. An offer from another shop may be the only way to fix your situation, but if senior techs are only getting $1.00 more, I think you have your answer about what you can expect there. Maybe $15.00 per hour is the going rate for your skill level, maybe that cert is what you need too. The market will drive what someone is willing to pay you. SE Michigan is loaded with lake's and marina's, have fun testing the market.

 

[Handyman663]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

I'll chime in from Colorado. I pay my mobile tech $75/hr and think he is worth it. He does have a home shop where he can pull engines, etc. There is little competition in Boulder, since no marine dealer has ever succeeded here. I am grateful to have someone competent to service my Merc.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

My kid gets $15.00 an hour making pizza's and burgers at the restaurant across from our house.
I can't believe you get paid so little. I'm a former GM mechanic and I'm very aware on how this works. But I started at over $20 an hour decades ago.

 

[oldjeep]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

$15 per hour for a tech is normal here in Michigan . But, pay increases with experience and certification. It will never be a "great" source of income in a seasonal boating state.

Get your certificate, pack up the wife and move to Hawaii for this job. double the pay, and year round work.....

Lead Marine Tech

Lead Marine Tech wanted for Hawaii's #1 Boat Dealership. Factory 4stroke, O/B, I/O certified strongly preferred. Come join our winning team. Compensation $30.00 per hour plus semi monthly incentives.
Email resume to (EDIT Removed email address and phone number)

You'll need to make $30 an hour to live in Hawaii at the equivalent of $15 an hour in Michigan.

 

[crabby captain john]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

Move is the best thing you can do. Why would anyone want to live where it is cold and snows where boats are not used year round? Mobile mechanics around here bill $65 - $75 per hour. They 'eat' some time chasing parts expected to be available. There is a merc certified mechanic at my marina. He works all year but does a not of the grunt work as others are Yamaha certified and there are more Yamahas than Merc Suzies, and all others combined. Mobil mechs offer winterization and summarizing specials to keep busy in the off fishing season. Many marinas have mechanics on staff and the mobile guys are only welcome for certain tasks if at all... there is still a lot of work at storage facilities and homes. Slow start but build a rep and you will be fine in the low cost of living south!

 

[Slip Away]

Re: Michigan Technician Pay Help

Why would anyone want to live where it is cold and snows where boats are not used year round?

Because we don't get Hurricanes, Toranado's, and the 6+month season up here is as good of a boating area as you will find anywhere. Obviously you
have never spent a summer in Michigan. Our beaches on the west coast are in the top 10 in the world.