Installer Pay?

Well, I would like to introduce myself. MY names is Brian Vermillion and I recently graduated from Installer Institute. I scored 3rd highest in my class on MECP. All of the above doesn't mean jack =) I know in this field experience is kay. The education helped me get my foot in the door of course. I am recently been working at a shop for about a week or so. I can do amp installs, head-units, keyless, underglow by myself and fairly quick. I am getting remote starts/alarms down, give it another week and i will pretty much be good to go on those to an extent. I love where I work and my boss is awesome. Now to my question I get paid at commission here are some examples: Remote Start-20bux Set of speakers-5bux amp install-20bux headunit-10bux that's with taxes and all out. Now the thing is i don't bring home near as much money as i would like, and it just seems like im not making near as much as a lot of other trainees. Please let me know. Any suggestions? Hurley's Auto Audio

That's less than table scraps.  If your boss really is cool then he should understand if you bring up the subject.My ex once told me I have a perfect face for radio.

I want to bring up the subject but I don't want to piss him off. How much should I be asking? Like per job? This is my 2nd Installer job and I don't want to **** it up by saying the wrong thing.Hurley's Auto Audio

You are really being screwed on the speaker installs and the alarm aspect. Normal shops in my area pay 40-50 for the remote start/keyless entry, security raises the pay as do modules for locks or bypasses. Ask for double the rate on the speaker and alarm at bare minimum. Amp is around the norm for my area and the head unit is a couple bucks low for here as well.Certified Security Specialist

Always check info with a digital multimeter.

I promise to be good.

Tell Darwin I sent you.

I've been sick lately, sorry I won't be on much.

Now i know the cost of living is lower in NC, but how can you live off that? I pay my guys 45 for a remote start, 55 for RS and alarm and another 5 for a bypass, 80 for an overhead DVD, 35 for an alarm, plus a base pay of 40 a day, plus mileage, plus 401k, health, paid vacation, holiday and sick time. All that and i still can't find good installers. Heck, i hire trainees at 600 a week.....Mike M2

Tech Manager

CS Dealer Services

It sounds like you should move to where Mike M2 is. If you can't do that, then start installing on your own and your pay could dramatically increase.

Those where my thoughts exactly! I thank you all for your help and I will bring it up with my boss tomorrow. I will simply ask my rates to be lifted to the point where I can reach 500 a week. I believe that's fair. Correct?Hurley's Auto Audio

Oh and Mike, where exactly are you located?Hurley's Auto Audio

Here's my question about commision installing. I work for a big box store and i was wondering with that kind of pay. Is it also at like 6.50 an hour or no. Because if it's slow you don't get paid right.

It never hurts to ask, the worst that can happen is he will dick you around a bit. If that happens, you know it's time to look elsewhere. We are in Maryland, our guys work on the road for car dealers. My guys prefer it, all the cars are new(no beaters), you get a change of senery everyday, no bosses to breath down your back. Some of our stuff can get very high tech tho, things like interfacing a backup camera to a factory nav, or interfacing an aftermarket nav to a factory DVD, even interfacing steering wheel controls. Believe me, slow is a word we haven't heard in months. Today alone, i personally installed 3 keyless upgrades, a remote start, an alarm/remote start, an overhead DVD, and a double din nav unit- all on top of getting 50 phone calls and solving 10 problems. Believe it or not, some of my top guys make 35/40 an hour if you figure it out weekly. An average guy will do 2 or three cars a day and make 150 or so. If you aren't making money, my boss isn't either. We do have an ongoing joke tho, everytime we do hire someone it does get slow! Feast or famine it seems.... Mike M2

Tech Manager

CS Dealer Services