installer rate

Just wondering,what does an installer average per hour? and is it a good career choice.Is it a  trade that you go to school for?

It all depends on what you do and where you do it at. I would say that where I have been (Iowa) it would range from 30-50k a year. I have only worked in a bay that was full commission, so you were able to write your own check. This was fine for myself, however it was tough on a newbie. My word of advise is to learn the electrical part of it. Cars are only becoming more difficult to work on. Fiberglass boxes and kick panels only get better with time, but auto's change every model and every year. Chris

Save your money..... you will learn more if you apprentice in a shop. Go be a hoodpin/tach kid for a while, learn how to take things apart properly. Buy your own tools (trust me on this..... most installers would rather someone not using their tools. I personally can't stand other people using/losing my stuff) After a couple years, yeah, maybe give the folks at Mobile Dynamics some of your hard earned money if you feel you need to. A zero experienced installer can expect to make a whopping slightly more than minimum wage for a year or so. You may even make more at Tim Hortons. However, if you are patient, willing to learn, and don't mind getting yelled at once in a while, then after 5 or so years, you can expect to be taking home 40ish if you bust your ass. Gus PS: I'm one of those angry old guys that manage a shop.... after 10+ years under dashes, and a few noobs, that's just the way it is.Wherever I go, that is where I end up......

never thought an installer could make that kinda cash... i guess you gotta be where the demand meats the supply huh...  when i was doing it on a profesinal level (part time) was making 10bux an hour plus 25% of the what the shop charged for the install price for that item.. say a deck install would cost the customer 20-30 bux.. id get 25% of that fee..  but then the store went belly up b/c the owner/manager had to go to iraq with me

I live in Canada. Always, work in a busy shop. Train salesman and inexperience installer or newbie just finished Mobile Dynamics. Most newbie in my shop makes anywhere from $10 to 12 an hour based on their willingness to work and learn. The shop is 100% commission. It's pretty good for a newbie but you do required your own tools.

ohiomike,it sounds like you got yourself a little nike sweatshop there lol.

shawzie wrote: ohiomike,it sounds like you got yourself a little nike sweatshop there lol.

AN avarage installer can make 25-35K/year easy at those rates.  Better installers can make 40-60k.

South Side Audio

2501 S. High St

Columbus, OH 43207