I have always worked hourly as a body tech. Now im checking out a few options and it seems that everyone has gone to a flat rate or comission system. You get X amount for every hour on the estimate that you complete. It seems like if your good and quick you could rake it in.But it also seems if you have something go wrong on a job you could get really hurt $$ wise. How does it compare salary VS. Hrly VS flat rate? Also whats the going rate in your shops for Flat rate HR?Not asking you to tell me what you make but whats the going rate? Shops i have talked to ranged from $13-$16 per flat rate hr? does that sound in line?

Sounds about right, I'm at 45% of shop rate which works out to between 15 to 16.20 depending on insurance company.I've never worked hourly and always made good money if the work was there,otherwise I moved on.Need the skills first and then you work on your speed,otherwise comebacks WILL kill ya.I just paint now but have done both. I know guys who can't make 500 a week to guys who seem to breeze through the jobs and make 2000 a week. My .02 Mike

Boomhauer right now shop is on a HR rate was working commission til work got slow. That was over a year ago, now we are busy and still at HR :mad:

My bad experience with commision was I got cheated on my times, and my guess was for a few years before I finally caught it.

When a car came in I got a copy of estimate, told me what to do. Well what the owner was doing was rewriting it for lower times then what he was getting paid for. I caught him one day doing core supports on Ford Explorers, did several in a 2 month time frame and each one had a different time.

The book time is like 11.2, one I got paid around 9hr then the next one was lower yet.

I started keeping records and noticed the changing times. I finally showed him what I had and he said "computer error" :rolleyes: But the last laugh will soon be on HIM :D

But anyway that 12-18 range is what my area is at...Eric

Thanks guys, the shop i think im going to go with is $16.Just wanted to make sure they are in the ballpark. I have been doing paint and body for 15 years so i know what im doing,just have to start really paying attention to times. I wish i could find a painters position,i know i could do well because i have always been able to kick butt in the paint dept. This shop has a dedicated painter, so i wont be getting my hands on any paint any time soon.Thanks.

Definately work commission, stay away from flat rate in my opinion---the rate doesn't always increase with the hourly rate increases (just another way for the shop to hold money) when working commission you will go up with the hourly rates-usually once a year. A good technician can usually make a 70hr paycheck within a 40hr workweek if the manager has good estimating skills (complete estimates). My best paycheck was a 98hr week without doing any paintwork back when I worked in a split shop working on the body side.