“Go into the auto mechanic, you’ve got to know computers to be able to work on the cars.“

Ann McLane Kuster, Politician

Pros and Cons of Working as an Auto Mechanic

You think about becoming a car technician?

Make sure to wait with making your final decision in this regard until you have checked out the pros and cons of being a mechanic in the following article so that you get a more profound picture of what a career as a car service technician really looks like.

Automotive Mechanic Job Profile

Advantages of Being an Auto Mechanic

1. Auto mechanics can work with many different people
2. You will fix a variety of different cars during your career
3. Good job prospects for auto mechanics right now
4. Good automotive mechanics will always be needed
5. You will not have to work long hours as an auto mechanic
6. Auto mechanics don’t have to work at nighttime
7. Decent work-life balance for auto service technicians in general
8. Automotive mechanics can work indoors
9. You don’t need a college degree for working as an auto mechanic
10. You can avoid student loan debt
11. Auto mechanics can start their own business
12. Working as a car mechanic is not that stressful
13. You can do hands-on work instead of working in an office job
14. Automotive mechanics are important to keep our system running
15. You can help out your family and friends
16. You can make lots of money on the side
17. You don’t need to go to the gym after work

Auto mechanics can work with many different people

One advantage of working as an automotive mechanic is that you can spend your time with many different people during your workday.

In fact, you will see many new faces every day and this can be quite interesting since you can talk to people from various different parts of society.

In turn, you can make many new connections and some of your clients may even become really good friends in the long run.

Moreover, you can also discuss topics that bother you right now and may get a different view on those things and on the world in general if you talk to many other people who may have different opinions about those things than you.

You will fix a variety of different cars during your career

Becoming an auto mechanic can also make quite a lot of sense for you in case you have a real passion for cars and fixing and improving the performance of cars is what you really want to do all day long.

In such a case, you can fix many different cars and your work will not actually feel like work to you since you will just enjoy what you are doing so much and even get paid at the same time.

In fact, this is probably the best type of work since you can combine making money with your hobby and this is a precondition to stay successful and motivated with what you are doing in the long run.

Good job prospects for auto mechanics right now

Another upside to being an auto mechanic is that there is a shortage of qualified people in this field right now.

Consequently, you will have an easy time finding a job in most regions and you will even almost have freedom of choice for whom you want to work for.

Hence, becoming an automotive service technician can also make quite a lot of sense for you in case you search for a secure job where your risk of becoming unemployed will be rather low.

Good automotive mechanics will always be needed

Not only will mechanics enjoy pretty decent job security right now, but the lack of good car mechanics will also be present in the future.

In fact, since not many people want to do this job anymore, future job prospects will be excellent and you will have a secure job for quite a long time if you acquire decent knowledge in this field.

If you expand your knowledge regarding electric cars, people like you will be in high demand in the future and chances are that you will not have to worry about unemployment in this industry for quite a long time.

You will not have to work long hours as an auto mechanic

Another advantage of being an auto mechanic is that you will also not have to work many extra hours.

In fact, most car mechanics only work 40 hours and some of them even work far less while people working in private equity and many other fields often work far more.

If you don’t need the money and rather want to have more leisure, you could also work as an automotive mechanic part-time.

As you can see, you will not have to spend all your life at work like in many other professions and this can be great if you really value your time and having enough leisure is just more important than making good money.

Auto mechanics don’t have to work at nighttime

You will also not have to work in the evening or at nighttime as a mechanic.

Quite often, you will be able to leave your workplace relatively early and will have enough time to spend it with your kids or to meet up with friends after work for a cool drink.

In fact, you will come home earlier than most other people from work and this can be really nice since you will still have enough time left to do what you love even more than working.

Decent work-life balance for auto service technicians in general

Most mechanics also report pretty decent work-life balance in general.

In fact, some of them would even be willing to work much more and only few of them complain that they don’t have enough leisure.

Hence, a career as a car mechanic can be great for you in case you want to enjoy lots of leisure while still making money to pay for your living expenses at the same time.

Automotive mechanics can work indoors

As a car mechanic, you will also enjoy the privilege of working indoors.

Even though you might consider it normal to work indoors, many people out there still have to work outdoors during extreme weather conditions and you should therefore not take it for granted to work in a rather comfortable protected space indoors.

Consequently, working indoors is another great advantage car mechanics have while many other people like construction workers or roofers will have to work outdoors on a regular basis.

You don’t need a college degree for working as an auto mechanic

Another upside to a career as a car mechanic is that you also don’t need a college degree for working in this field.

Consequently, you will also not have to spend lots of time and money on college education but can rather invest this money into other things you like.

Moreover, you will be able to earn money right after finishing high school and can become independent of your parents rather soon while many of your friends who go to college will financially struggle to pay for their education and for their living expenses.

You can avoid student loan debt

It is also pretty common that college students take on student loans to finance their studies.

However, since those loans have to be paid back sooner or later, many people have a hard time after finishing college since they are just financially constrained and will not be able to afford any big expenses.

In contrast, you will not have to deal with those unpleasant things as a car mechanic since you don’t need to go to college but can rather make money at a really young age.

Auto mechanics can start their own business

Becoming an auto mechanic can also make sense for you in case you dream about having your own business one day.

In fact, you could just work as an employed mechanic for a few years, gather some knowledge, save some money and then quit your job and start your own business.

This is what many other people in this industry do and you will therefore most likely be able to fulfill your dream of having your own auto mechanic business one day if you are willing to work hard and also have the entrepreneurial DNA to really pull it off.

Working as a car mechanic is not that stressful

You will also have a rather relaxed workday as an auto mechanic most of the time.

Sure, there may be days where you will have many clients and where things just don’t go the right way.

However, most of the time, you will not be in time trouble but can rather do your work in a pretty relaxed and independent manner.

In turn, you will also not have a high risk of burning out and will often really enjoy what you are doing for a living.

You can do hands-on work instead of working in an office job

As an automotive service technician, you will also do lots of hands-on work instead of just sitting in front of a computer all day long as in many office jobs.

Consequently, not only will you get some exercise during work, but you will also be more balanced from a psychological perspective and will have a lower risk of suffering from mental issues.

Of course, there are also some people out there who love to work in classical office jobs.

However, if you rather want to work with your hands, becoming a car mechanic will be much more senseful for you compared to working in a classical office environment.

Automotive mechanics are important to keep our system running

You will also do a pretty important job for society. In fact, without car mechanics, we would be pretty lost in our daily lives since we would just have nobody who could fix issues around our cars.

In turn, when our cars break down, we would no longer be able to commute to work and we would also no longer be able to spend our time as efficiently as we do right now.

Hence, auto mechanics are pretty important to keep our system running and to ensure a high living standard in general.

You can help out your family and friends

As an automotive service technician, you will also be able to help out your family and friends when it comes to fixing things around their cars or also in case they need proper advice on what car they should buy.

Consequently, you will be able to help your loved ones on a regular basis and the people you help out will therefore really appreciate your work and will likely also help you once you need help in various other areas yourself.

You can make lots of money on the side

If you are willing to work hard and are also willing to spend some time after work or on weekends, you can also make really good money on the side as a car service technician.

Not only could you repair additional vehicles, but you could also start your own digital channels where you give advice on how to fix cars.

In turn, you will be able to build a huge audience in the long run and you could also monetize this audience through affiliate marketing or ads.

You don’t need to go to the gym after work

Since you will do hands-on work and will exercise in a natural manner, there will just be no need for you to go to the gym.

In fact, in contrast to many other people who work in classical office jobs, you will barely struggle with overweight since you will just burn many calories during your workday.

Consequently, you will be able to enjoy your time after work with more enjoyable things compared to going to the gym and working out.

As you can see, a career as an automotive mechanic can make quite a lot of sense for you for various reasons.

Yet, it is still not all upside and we should also talk about all the issues that come along with such a career so that you get a better impression of what working in this industry really looks like.

Disadvantages of Working as a Car Service Technician

1. Auto mechanics don’t make good money
2. You may even need to get a second job
3. Automotive mechanics will often not be able to save enough for retirement
4. You may not be able to afford reasonable health insurance plans
5. You may not be able to afford your own home
6. Working as an auto mechanic can be physically demanding
7. You may struggle with this job once you get older
8. You will often get dirty during work
9. You may be liable for mistakes
10. Rather low social status of automotive mechanics
11. You have to work in a noisy environment
12. Automotive mechanics are not able to work from home
13. You will not learn many skills apart from repairing vehicles
14. You may get stuck in this industry

Auto mechanics don’t make good money

One downside of working as an auto mechanic is that you will just not be able to make good money from what you are doing.

In fact, many mechanics are not happy with what they make and would have become a dentist or gone for a different career path from a purely financial perspective.

Hence, becoming a car mechanic doesn’t make sense for the money.

It rather makes sense if you are really passionate about cars and want to make a living in this industry.

You may even need to get a second job

If you live in really expensive regions, you may even need a second job to afford to pay for rent and other basic expenses.

Not only will working a second job be pretty annoying since you will barely have any leisure, but you will also be pretty stressed managing those two jobs and your private life at the same time.

Automotive mechanics will often not be able to save enough for retirement

Due to your relatively low salary, you will also not be able to save enough money for retirement.

In fact, many auto mechanics suffer from old-age poverty and barely have any money to live once they get older and are no longer able to work.

In the worst case, you may even get evicted and may end up homeless with no perspective to get out of your misery at all.

You may not be able to afford reasonable health insurance plans

Many car technicians are also not able to afford proper health insurance.

While some of them will have rather basic plans that exclude important things, others will have no health insurance at all and this can become a real problem in case you need treatment for medical emergency but are not able to financially afford it.

You may not be able to afford your own home

Since your salary will be rather low, you will often also not be able to afford to buy your own home as an auto service technician.

This means that you will have to rent and will never really be able to live the American dream.

This can also become a problem once you get older since instead of owning a home once you retire, you will still have to pay lots of money for rent.

Working as an auto mechanic can be physically demanding

You should also not underestimate the physical component of working as an auto technician.

In fact, it can be quite demanding and stressful for your body to work with your hands all day long.

Also your spine will be burdened quite often and you may therefore come home tired from work pretty often.

You may struggle with this job once you get older

Due to the physical nature of your work, you may also not be able to work as an auto mechanic forever.

Instead, many mechanics have to quit their jobs once they get older since their bodies will simply no longer be suitable for this kind of work.

In turn, if you are one of those people, you may no longer be able to pay your bills and may really struggle with poverty.

You will often get dirty during work

Another problem with being an auto mechanic is that you will also often get dirty at work.

Quite often, clients will bring cars that are not clean at all and fixing those cars also implies a mess.

Hence, don’t decide for a career in this field unless you don’t care how you look at work and also when you come home to your family.

You may be liable for mistakes

If you have your own car repair shop and make mistakes, you may also be liable for those mistakes and may have to pay your clients large amounts of money.

Thus, in such a case, make sure to get proper insurance to avoid any unpleasant surprises in this regard.

Rather low social status of automotive mechanics

While you will do an important job for society as a car technician, you will still not enjoy the same reputation as doctors or other people who can save lives or really push humanity to the next level.

Consequently, while many other people will get a certain level of admiration, you will often not be appreciated as much.

You have to work in a noisy environment

Since car engines can be quite loud, you will also have to work in a rather noisy environment.

Not only can this be really annoying, but it can also lead to serious health issues and hearing problems in the long run.

Automotive mechanics are not able to work from home

Another disadvantage of becoming a car mechanic is that you will also not be able to work remotely from home.

Instead, you will have to be present at work in person and you will therefore not be able to enjoy the same level of flexibility as people who work in office jobs and will work from home on a regular basis.

Moreover, you will also have to spend much more time and money commuting.

You will not learn many skills apart from repairing vehicles

While you will become a real expert when it comes to fixing cars or other vehicles, you will still not learn many important hard skills that are needed in nowadays job market right now.

You may get stuck in this industry

Due to your lack of hard skills, you will also have a hard time getting out of the mechanic industry.

Instead, you will often have to work in this field for many years, decades or even for a lifetime since companies in different fields will often be reluctant to employ you.

Top 10 Being an Auto Mechanic Pros & Cons – Summary List

Should You Become A Car Mechanic?

Now that you know all the advantages and disadvantages of being an auto mechanic, you should take your time and evaluate all the pros and cons of a mechanic career yourself to make a profound career choice that can greatly help you live a good life in the future.

If you want to learn even more about an auto mechanic career, also make sure to have a look at the salary, job prospects, educational requirements, working hours and job satisfaction of auto mechanics.

Also make sure to check out the following articles to get more information on different job options:

Advantages and disadvantages of being a roofer

Advantages and disadvantages of being a nail technician

Advantages and disadvantages of being a plumber

Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mechanic

https://www.statista.com/statistics/639142/number-of-auto-technicians-mechanics-by-establishment-type/

Own research and interviews.

About the author

My name is Andreas and my mission is to educate people about the different career paths that are possible in our current state of the world. In my opinion, people often make the mistake to choose their profession solely based on how much money they can earn from it instead of doing what makes them really happy.

This is quite sad and I just want to give people a more objective picture of how a fulfilling career could look like. I did the same when I started working in consulting after finishing my Master’s degree in Economics. However, I’ve quit pretty soon after that since I haven’t found true meaning in my job.

Now I can do what I really love to do and I want to enable as many other people as well to go this exciting path towards happiness instead of money.

I conducted various interviews with employees to give you a good impression of what working in different fields will look like and that you can make the best possible decision regarding your future career choice.

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