typical installer salary
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Forum Name: General Discussion
Forum Discription: General Mobile Electronics Questions and Answers
URL: https://www.the12volt.com/installbay/forum_posts.asp?tid=49530
Printed Date: April 30, 2024 at 12:27 AM
Topic: typical installer salary
Posted By: benjammin74
Subject: typical installer salary
Date Posted: February 07, 2005 at 12:58 AM
what should an installer typically earn just starting, or after a few years experience? how much could an installer potentially earn? ------------- car audio pays my bills...
Replies:
Posted By: auex
Date Posted: February 07, 2005 at 8:53 AM
I know people that pull in over $60,000 doing strictly alarms for dealerships. I made $35,000 last year, I hate salary.
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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.
Posted By: mxxmikexx
Date Posted: February 12, 2005 at 3:25 PM
60K = alot of alarms/remote starts....and alot of wire stripping..... and alot of tagging wires  ------------- Mike Battaglia
Specialized Car Audio
Bensenville IL 60106
Posted By: mkaudio17
Date Posted: February 16, 2005 at 3:53 PM
How would one go about working for a dealership? Just walking in with a resume??
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Professionalism.
Posted By: extreme1
Date Posted: February 16, 2005 at 3:59 PM
I made 68,000 last year, 1/2 the year at straight 50% commision and the first have at salary +10%
One of my colleagues made over 100,000 last year.
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Shaughn Murley
Install Manager, Dealer Services
Visions Electronics
Red Deer, Alberta
Posted By: forbidden
Date Posted: February 17, 2005 at 7:49 PM
Sounds like I need to be working with you Shaughn...... but sadly my move is going to take me back home to look after my father. When his time comes, maybe then I'll be available for a change. ------------- Top Secret, I can tell you but then my wife will kill me.
Posted By: fbird08
Date Posted: February 17, 2005 at 9:43 PM
I made 36,000 last year, boooooooooo hourly, I need a new job, anyone hiring???
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Money is just paper
Power is fleeting
But your word is everything,
If your word means nothing,
You are nothing...think about it
Posted By: 10nesne1
Date Posted: February 18, 2005 at 6:57 AM
It all depends on where you live. Most shops in Vancouver, BC Canada, pays around $12 to $15 per hour. I don't work for an hourly employer. Only work for a commission employer. I made over $55,000 last year and most of friends only made around $28,000 to $36,000.
Who do you work for an hourly employer or commission emplyer?
Posted By: soundmasta
Date Posted: February 18, 2005 at 7:56 AM
i have 4 years experience, install remote starts and alarms expertly, build custom speaker boxes, and can fiber glass. im a pretty good installer, but i only get paid $8.50 and hour. tell me that thats fair. -------------
Posted By: mxxmikexx
Date Posted: February 18, 2005 at 10:53 AM
8.50/HR WITH 4 YRS EXP. IS PRETTY LOW.....
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Mike Battaglia
Specialized Car Audio
Bensenville IL 60106
Posted By: ilvwhtgrls
Date Posted: February 20, 2005 at 7:12 PM
soundmasta, your pay is not fair but it usually your own fault for getting paid so little... you need to market yourself to your bosses on your own individual value. do you offer your company anything besides just install skills? ------------- Eye am so re todd did.
Posted By: NowYaKnow
Date Posted: February 20, 2005 at 9:42 PM
Installers typically make enough to get by, but not enough to be happy.
Mike
Posted By: johnnyb1231
Date Posted: February 20, 2005 at 10:05 PM
i make less than 10 bucks an hour... with solid installing skills and EXCELLENT sales skills
Posted By: soundmasta
Date Posted: February 21, 2005 at 7:22 AM
i am more than just a basic installer. i have very extensive knowlage of product, not just ours, but competitors too, good troubleshooting skills, i can fiberglass, ect. example- another shop in town had two or three guys working on a car for two hours, trying to get a radio in the dash, and they couldn't do it. time it took me when they finally gave up and sent it over- 15 minutes. im valuable on the sales floor too. i have also took personal time to orginize a car audio competition league for customers that can't afford or don't want to do iasca or dbdrag that includes 4 other area stores, almost all of northren michigan! it will peak intrest in car audio in the area and boost sales. you're right i don't get paid enough, i've even had job offers form other shops, that haven't even actually seen my work, to start at 12-15 an hour. the reason i don't get paid that much is that we're a newer shop, (just under a year) and, although we do good, i know that i couldn't get much more that i do just yet. the boss know's he's gettin a deal, but i work a a nice shop. i'll eventually get a raise. -------------
Posted By: jbarb
Date Posted: March 01, 2005 at 1:24 AM
68000 Holy crap on a cracker!! Is that Canadian?
Posted By: gyuszy119
Date Posted: March 05, 2005 at 6:27 AM
ok i have 5 years experience and i get paid 1.70$/hour is that fair? (romania)
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gyuszy
Posted By: kgerry
Date Posted: March 05, 2005 at 1:04 PM
that would depend on the average wage in Romania... here ( Canada) you would be making about $10-15 pr/ hour....
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Kevin Gerry
Certified Electronics Technician
MECP First Class Installer
Owner/Installer
Classic Car Audio
since 1979
Posted By: extreme1
Date Posted: March 08, 2005 at 1:46 AM
jbarb] wrote:
68000 Holy crap on a cracker!! Is that Canadian?
yes that's canadian, I've already made 23k this year, I'll never go back to salary again. ------------- Shaughn Murley
Install Manager, Dealer Services
Visions Electronics
Red Deer, Alberta
Posted By: ph4lc0n
Date Posted: March 16, 2005 at 1:25 AM
Shaughn:
Hey, I think I've also seen you post on direchtechs I think!
Anyways, I was just wondering how you have your commision set up. I work for a smaller shop in a smaller city where during some times of the year, a commision wouldn't be the greatest thing, but I was still curious as to how (number wise) it is set up, and how you first got it set up that way.
Thx in advance.
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***********************
Adam Marsh
Installer Since Oct /04
Northern BC, Canada
***********************
Posted By: cayuga420
Date Posted: March 18, 2005 at 9:28 PM
when you first star out hourly or salary is better until you get your spped down. once you get to where you can work on just about any kind of car and be relatively fast then find somewhere that pays commision. then you get paid on what you actually do. usually in a hourly type shop the guy who has been there the longest makes the most and does the least. i get 55% on the labor and made a little over 67,000 last year. mostly on dealership work.
Posted By: whiteblazer01
Date Posted: March 29, 2005 at 7:51 AM
Okay, here are some questions everyone should be asking... What is your MECP level? What should it be? What is your specialty as far as installation? What is your specialty as far as vehicles? I believe all those play a very important factor. When I worked for a large retail company, I would do overheads in 2.5hrs start to finish by myself (im sure I could peak at 2 hours flat), and standard deck installs in 10-15 min. Of course, these are easy vehicles to work on after doing 10 million of them (tahoe no sunroof - directed 10" monitor w/extermal dvd & fm modulator, and a new corolla deck install). But anyways, I am tired of "fast food" installs. I am now going to commissioned installs.
Posted By: whiteblazer01
Date Posted: March 29, 2005 at 7:53 AM
I forgot to mention, $12-15/hr is very typical for an installer (MECP or not). I would say $15 - 20+ for MECP (depending on level), and after that is commissioned <---- best option.
Posted By: whiteblazer01
Date Posted: March 29, 2005 at 10:46 PM
1 more thing.. What is the typical base pay for a commissioned installer? $10? $12? $15? I wouldn't think anything more.
Posted By: deviousjoker
Date Posted: March 31, 2005 at 4:42 PM
I'm Mecp FirstClass and been installing for about 9 years I work in a comission only store and average about $60,000 ------------- First Class MECP Installer
Posted By: Ravendarat
Date Posted: March 31, 2005 at 10:03 PM
I think 15-20 dollars an hour for a MECP certified installer is on the high side unless you have a great deal of experience. Also most of the guys around here who are on a commision system have NO BASE pay, and no gaurentee, but they make around 50% of their labour so it is very rarely an issue.
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double-secret reverse-osmosis speaker-cone-induced high-level interference distortion, Its a killer
Posted By: Asmodeus
Date Posted: March 31, 2005 at 10:13 PM
I have about 5 yrs Experiance...I have no MECP Certifications dont see the point in them (No Offense to anyone who is MECP Certified) But anyone can read a book and memorize enough to get MECP Certified...Experiance is what counts when its time to work... I am very skilled in wiring, design, implementation (making it work)...I am also very good with foreign cars (BMW Mercedes, etc) All domestics....I am an average Glasser working on my skills...Good knowledge of the products on the market (learning more everyday) Exelent people skills to work the sales floor, Pretty good at alarms Remote starts ETC (My shop doesnt do many of them) My only weakness Is I am no good with building boxes...I can design them but When it comes to puttin it into wood I suck...Dont know why... I make 80% Commision on Labor and 20% on sales... I also have good Computer skills and keep the network at the shop maintained....I am also good with graphics progs that helps with advertising and with customers when they want to know what their car will look like modified... I dont make a killing but I survive...I am also a full time College student...I just like making cars go boom! -------------  Making the World A Louder Place
Posted By: extreme1
Date Posted: April 01, 2005 at 12:04 AM
whiteblazer01 wrote:
Okay, here are some questions everyone should be asking...
What is your MECP level?
What should it be?
What is your specialty as far as installation?
What is your specialty as far as vehicles?
I believe all those play a very important factor. When I worked for a large retail company, I would do overheads in 2.5hrs start to finish by myself (im sure I could peak at 2 hours flat), and standard deck installs in 10-15 min. Of course, these are easy vehicles to work on after doing 10 million of them (tahoe no sunroof - directed 10" monitor w/extermal dvd & fm modulator, and a new corolla deck install). But anyways, I am tired of "fast food" installs. I am now going to commissioned installs.
MECP is an industry joke IMO, it's used by big box retail to validate all too often poor installers.
ASE should be involved in training and certifying installers, why do you think auto shops get away with 75-90$/hr shop rates.
I am all around, I am good at security/starters, audio, fabrication, box building and design, acoustics, managment, etc.
Vehicles aren't an issue for me unless they're German (german cars are my achilles heel, I love them but hate to work on them). Overhead video shouldn't take me longer than an hour or so, same with starters etc. ------------- Shaughn Murley
Install Manager, Dealer Services
Visions Electronics
Red Deer, Alberta
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