“Being a mechanic has got to be one of the worst trades.”
Plenty of jobs require employees to bring a few things on Day 1. Chefs often have their own set of knives, a writer may provide their own laptop, a cleaner brings cleaning supplies, or a repair person carries the tools they’ll need.
But this mechanic is saying that the cost of entry for his chosen career path is more than the average person can afford, and it may be part of the reason some people are turned off from the profession.
Turns out, he’s not entirely right. But there are other parts of his lived experience as a mechanic that can’t be argued with.
In a trending video with more than 283,000 views, car mechanic Nash Alber (@nash.alber) says he put in his two weeks’ notice and plans to attend college instead.
“Let me tell you why this industry is just—it’s done,” Alber says.
Alber claims that in a survey of 2,000 technicians, only 7% said they’d recommend the profession to someone else. Take that with a grain of salt, given Motor1 could not independently verify this claim or find similar stats. A survey by CareerExplorer put their job satisfaction at a 3 out of 5 stars.
“You make next to nothing,” he says. “You’re promised almost no hours because nobody wants to bring their cars in anymore.”
Alber argues that mechanics are getting squeezed from every direction. Customers pay more for labor, he says, but technicians aren’t seeing a corresponding raise. Meanwhile, both trade school and the tools required to do the job have become more expensive.
“Now, just to own a good set of tools, it’s about 40 grand, which you’re expected to provide on your first day,” he says. (More on this in a bit, but we’re not sure where he got that number. Experts suggest a kit is far less.)
Then there is the way some mechanics get paid. Alber calls the flat-rate system “completely broken” and says he would have left the field years ago if he had spent his days completing dealership warranty work.
“I am yet to meet a person in my industry who likes their job. Matter of fact, I’m yet to meet a person in my industry who doesn’t have a bill on a tool truck,” he says.
Alber also says newer vehicles are “built to break” and are difficult to diagnose and repair.
His advice is for drivers to own a scan tool, learn enough to handle some work themselves, and avoid buying a new car. He says he wouldn’t recommend anything newer than a 2015 model.
But money isn’t his only reason for leaving. Alber adds that his few years in the industry have already taken a physical toll on him at 20 years old. He claims he has arthritis throughout his body and sometimes loses feeling in his arm below the elbow while working.
“My body can’t take it anymore, honestly,” he says.
“Learn how to fix a car, but do it on your own car,” Alber says. “Don’t try to get paid to do this.”
“Listen before you try to work as a mechanic,” he added in the caption.
In an email to Motor1, he further shared, “I did exclusively work at independent shops and the shop I worked at treated me well. I have no hard feelings about my coworkers or my boss.”
Mechanics do have their own tools, just not necessarily $40,000 worth on Day 1.
Employers generally own the computerized diagnostic equipment and larger power tools. Think welding torches, jacks, and hoists. Technicians typically bring the hand tools: sockets, ratchets, wrenches, and pliers.
Chron found that community-college and trade-school requirements vary widely. It put tools for an entire program at roughly $2,250 to $3,500. One diesel-mechanic program estimated $3,000 to $8,000, depending on the brands and suppliers a student chose.
Even then, Chron describes the collection as something mechanics build over a career, not something they buy during orientation. It estimates that a typical technician may keep about $7,500 to $11,000 in tools. A specialist’s inventory may be worth closer to $27,000.
Automotive technicians earned a median annual wage of $49,670 in May 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But that one number hides a pretty wide spread. The lowest-paid 10% of technicians made less than $33,660, while the highest-paid 10% cleared $80,850.
Where they worked mattered, too. Automobile dealerships paid a median of $58,580. Businesses categorized as other automotive repair and maintenance came in at $35,310.
Job opportunities for this career are expected to grow 4% between 2024 and 2034, adding about 33,600 jobs and projecting roughly 70,000 openings each year, though many will exist because someone else changed careers, retired, or otherwise left the workforce.
More cars on the road, people keeping them longer, and advanced safety systems that need calibration and repair should all keep technicians busy. But electric vehicles need less maintenance, which could limit demand.
CareerExplorer gives the career a C employability rating. U.S. News & World Report ranks auto mechanic fifth among maintenance and repair jobs with an overall score of 4.6 out of 10.
U.S. News also rates the stress as above average, the flexibility as low, and opportunities for advancement and higher pay as below average.
People in the comments section seemed to try to steer the disillusioned mechanic to other careers.
“I believe going to college is another mistake,” a top comment read.
“Work as a private mechanic that goes to peoples houses and fix their cars. Take out the middle man,” a person suggested.
“Get into electrical , plumbing , elevator mechanic , HVAC or mill rite, especially if mechanically inclined. You will not be sorry,” another added.
“I love my job. 30 plus years and I’m making $150000 plus. Yup my body hurts but it’s worth it. I own the tool trucks nothing,” a commenter wrote.
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– The Motor1.com Team