Mechanic salery in Ireland?

Plug · 28-09-2007 7:24pm #1

well lads.
Any mechanics around? I just started an apprentiship the other day and was wondering what a fully qualified mechanic will net per week? On an average basis?
Cheers;)

crosstownk · 28-09-2007 7:45pm

It depends on who you work for. Some dealers are notoriously scabby and others are quite generous. There is also the bonus system (in some garages) whereby you get a 'bonus' for finishing a job ahead of time - if a job is allocated 2 hours and you manage it in 1.5, then you still get paid for 2 hours work. It can work in reverse in some places.

I've no idea what a mechanic earns in today's world, but 7/8 years ago, a qualified mechanic, in the dealer I worked for, was getting in excess of IR£22k, plus bonus and OT - not to mention the nixers

I won't hazard a guess as to what mechanics are on today - hopefully there's a mechanic or two on Boards that can provide an accurate figure.

Captain Slow IRL · 28-09-2007 8:08pm

I'm a 4th year apprentice (qualified November!!!!) so can't comment yet on what you will be earning. I'm taking home between 4&500 a week (can't divulge too much;) ) but I'm pretty sure some of the older, more experienced are taking home nearly twice what I'm getting. I am with a decent-paying employer currently, who is a main dealer but is only a small operation (8 employees in total) I was with a very big main dealer and they were the most tight-fisted shower of c**ts I ever met!

When I started off all I got was the basic 150 a week, minus a tenner for the tool-box I was supplied with. Pretty crappy wage when you have to hand 90 of it over in rent:mad:

EDIT: Oh, and congrats on your new career choice - let the receding hair-line commence!

Plug · 28-09-2007 8:13pm

Well im only getting €180 so i supose really €140 because of father bills:rolleyes:. Im working with dealer so at least its not some awl lad down a dirty lane way with a few slege hammers and vice grips.

One of the polish lads im with is only getting €235 a week, felt sorry on the poor chap:(

Volvoboy · 28-09-2007 10:07pm

Ah the big bucks! i was getting €161 1st year panel beater.

-VB-

crosstownk · 28-09-2007 10:15pm

Interesting, because when I was taking on 1st years in the mid to late 1990s, they were getting IR£70 per week.

junkyard · 28-09-2007 10:38pm

If I was you I'd concentrate on auto electrics, that's where the real money is to be made and not as hard, physically anyway.

dingding · 28-09-2007 10:57pm

Was making £24 as a first year electrician in the early eighties.

Plug · 29-09-2007 10:11am

dingding wrote:

Was making £24 as a first year electrician in the early eighties.

You made me feel a whole lot better! lol

ta2kev · 29-09-2007 11:24am

I started a Panel Beating apprenticeship in 1999 and my starting wage was £79.20 p/w.

Plug · 29-09-2007 11:36am

So out of all this, qualified your talking €600-800 net a week?

Captain Slow IRL · 29-09-2007 1:30pm

Around that - the previous garage I worked for (BIG main dealer) was only giving out about 500 a week to the qualified lads, as I said - I got lucky with my current employer.
I'm from a small town, if you get work in the cities or bigger towns, you would be able to earn more.

If you want to branch off into auto electric, get 1 or 2 of Tom Denton's books - "Automobile electrical and electronic systems" is a good place to start.

Plug · 29-09-2007 3:50pm

land9 wrote:

If you want to branch off into auto electric, get 1 or 2 of Tom Denton's books - "Automobile electrical and electronic systems" is a good place to start.

Whats auto electric stuff about?

Captain Slow IRL · 29-09-2007 8:11pm

Modern mechanics is divided into 2 groups - mechanical and electrical. The mechanical aspect is the most obvious and you can "get by" by being good at this. If you wanna advance in your career, you'll need to get good with the electrics. It covers all the electrical components and their operation and also goes into diagnostics, which is where the smart mechanics try to move.

You'll probably hear this from your instructors when you go off on block release anyway!

Try and get your hands on at least 1 of denton's books, some of it won't make sense til you put it to practice it but it's never too early to start learning!

Plug · 29-09-2007 8:47pm

land9 wrote:

Modern mechanics is divided into 2 groups - mechanical and electrical. The mechanical aspect is the most obvious and you can "get by" by being good at this. If you wanna advance in your career, you'll need to get good with the electrics. It covers all the electrical components and their operation and also goes into diagnostics, which is where the smart mechanics try to move.

You'll probably hear this from your instructors when you go off on block release anyway!

Try and get your hands on at least 1 of denton's books, some of it won't make sense til you put it to practice it but it's never too early to start learning!

One of the mechanics was showing me a few things about diagnostics the other day.
So when i become qualified i can then advance onto electrical end of things?

Two Stripes · 29-09-2007 11:15pm

I presume you are doing your apprentice ship in Kilkenny? I'm originally from there what garage are you doing it with? I'm currently in my second year of HVM with the army.

Plug · 30-09-2007 12:06am

Two Stripes wrote:

I presume you are doing your apprentice ship in Kilkenny? I'm originally from there what garage are you doing it with? I'm currently in my second year of HVM with the army.

Barry Pender, he does Ford, on the Dublin/Carlow road.
Its a grand spot.
BTW are you David O Connor?
If Im right, i used to go to the same school as you and you I live down the street from you.

Mechanic salery in Ireland?

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