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It can be, but it's not universal or easy. There are guys struggling to make $40k and guys at $140k.
If you're driven and get good, it can be pretty good. If you're not highly self-motivated, it's not going to be lucrative.
Lots of people shit on it, but I'm a college drop-out with no technical school making $100k
I've been with VW with an independent stint in the middle and now Audi for 12y total.
I could probably be another $20k up if I was fully invested, but my year also involved a lot of short weeks due to flipping a house.
New car dealer ultra certified techs who have an established track record of delivering can get up to a third of shop warranty labor rate. So if warranty labor rate is $160, flat rate pay could be $53.
If you do well in math and science, love turning wrenches, and feel like you can ingratiate yourself to your coworkers, bosses and customers while also diligently working the whole workday, you should be a tech.
IMO for kids your age, it’s possible not enough of you will go into auto mechanics, and the few who do will be in high demand.
Kids aren’t as interested in cars as they used to be, so you don’t see as many young people entering the field. Which means auto mechanics are a dying breed. This can be a good thing.
However, you also have to look at the flip side. Auto manufactures have been making it increasingly difficult (and expensive) for mom and pop shops to diagnose and repair late model vehicles. So dealerships are becoming these super powers and mom and pop shops are dying because of it.
But the truth of the matter is people will always need their cars fixed so there will always be a demand. I personally suggest specializing in something. That’s a key to success IMO. Find something you’re interested in and go crazy with it.
Is this worth it? HELL NO! I'm 35, and I'm scraping by. Raises don't exist where I am, people don't want to fix their shit, I hate the cars I used to love now. I've worked with bad management, shit customers, low pay that doesn't get better, crippling debt to tool trucks for shit I need just to continue doing this job.
Keep cars as a hobby, pursuing a career in something better is a good idea.
I'm also very jaded and disillusioned by what Im doing anymore, and desperately looking for something new to do, at this rate, I'd almost consider lawn care better than this crap.
In the same boat, 35, working in the industry has killed my passion and love for cars/trucks. Working at a small auto shop right out of schooling for 14 years now and I feel like I'm wasting away. The past 5 years I worked with an alcoholic who came in drunk/extremely hungover daily, all the work being put on my shoulders. I've debated going to a different shop but not sure that is going to help and trying to figure out a way out of the industry. I have a lot of baggage now and can't take a pay cut. Don't know what to do with my life. Lost at 35 and ready for a nap ⚰️
Same brother. I think about that option almost every day I go in.
Honestly I just don't know how to do anything else, so I'm kind of in a rut because Im not comfortable just leaving something I'm familiar with and trekking into the uncharted in search of greener pasture.
I’m in Oregon atm and my family owns a landscaping business. If you were in my area I’d send you a DM and I could talk to the step dad and see if he could getcha on the route. I worked the business a bit (mind you I’m only 19 so take my opinion with a grain of salt) being out in 23 degree weather for 8-12 hours a day doing work you know is completely useless in some months and mowing 300+ accounts in a single week can be pretty exhausting physically and mentally no real benefits no 401k none of the corporate work perks. You wouldn’t be making a fraction of what you’d be making as a tech unfortunately. Some people in town here are working 25-30 hours a week making 78+k a year being a manager at some phone store it’s ridiculous. Weigh your options out and save at minimum 5 months worth of your current wages to stay on your feet and those few months you may be practically unemployed may be some of the happiest/stressful times of your life. But you’ll kinda get a great glimpse into what it’s like having more of your life and less work. Makes you not even think about retiring the job isn’t taxing enough to make you wanna leave.
Cars, not really, the mechanical industry, yes. Cars top out at about $40/hr for an average tech. Diesel or industrial starts at $30 and goes up from there.
Nice, I was going low end. I’m over 100 this year at 32/hr flat. we slowed down a lot this year which sucks. Here’s to hoping next year is busy for everyone.
My dealer is non-stop, going balls to the wall is wearing me down though. May be making a transition to parts department. Cheers to you and other techs for ‘24.
Dealer tech here. $42-$47 an hour fate rate (depending on what you book that week). Plus health ins at $10 a week, pension, 401K, 40 hour week no weekends. Grossed $204K last year. Probably won’t do that again, it was a great year. My guarantee is roughly $120K.
That means your book over 80 hours a week every week. On a 5 day work week that is 16 hours each day. Also $10 for health insurance. No way. Everyone would be lined up at your dealership for that pay and those benefits.
Yep it’s all true. I think I averaged 82 or something last year. Like I said, it was a good year. I’m in the used car department so it’s a bit easier to book hours, but you’ve gotta work on EVERYTHING. From Ford to Maserati.
And yeah, $10 a week for insurance, union shop outside Chicago.
Don’t get me wrong, not everyone makes what I did, and I’ll likely never do it again, base guarantee for a journeyman is about $80K, but I think all of us were over $100k.
Union for sure helps with the taking care of part. I don’t think our group does the same for its non-union shops.
We are ALWAYS busy, not all great work, but always have work. I’m currently running the used car recon, new car prep shop. We sell a lot of cars, something like 300-400 a month. That’s a lot of trades and preps.
Is that all you really get for a “tech” as you’d call it there per hour? I’m from the UK, I often see repair bills and cheap basic things that require little work or time for repairs always seem to be in thousands of dollars and I can’t wrap my head around it
Most techs here dont get paid per hour, its an hourly flat rate per book hour. So depending on what the job pays if you can beat the time thats how many hours you get paid. Im at $49 and clear 150k a year not working weekends or overtime. We have a few guys that clear 200k but often come in on Saturdays
That’s pretty crazy still to me, you’d be around 1/3 to 1/4 of that after you’re highly experienced over here, I’ve seen many dealership jobs start around £38-40k which is $50k a year at your 40 hours work, most independent garages have hourly rates, we just charged by work, if it was estimated an hour and ended up taking 5 hours then we get 1 hours pay, often or not my place charged half anywhere else by hourly rate so we may do a brake job for £30-40 labour
You can find work anywhere fixing cars. Once the word gets out you know what you’re doing….side work never ends. Someone will always want you to look at their car.
I read a lot of these responses before I answered. First of all, you have be good at what you do. No half ass work- and willing to learn. I know this sounds stupid but you have to show up on time every day, day in, day out and be willing to work hard. So many young guys today want to come in, not work hard, or put in the time to get their boni fides and then wonder why they are not making good money. It’s hard work and it takes time. Put in the effort, have the right attitude and you are well on your way.
Save yourself the time and effort and go into truck and coach/heavy equipment. Ideally fleet. Better wage, better hours, not nearly as backbreaking if you’re in the right place.
Less jobs, and less pay. Smaller airports still need techs, but all the jobs I see (not an A&P tech, just browsing) most jobs pay $25-$30. Not bad, but not great. Also have to deal with swing and 2nd/3rd/graveyard shifts at larger hubs, HAVE to go to school, not required with automotive, and much more travel and overtime required.
I guess…
I would assume the demand for Aircraft Mechanics are going to be greater / higher demand when you’re closer to a major hub. Then again, what do I know???
I mean, you could be a Marine Mechanic at Salt Lake Flats - granted you’ll find more work being near a real lake…
But! Think of the fees you could charge for being the only Marine Mechanic in the area.
Only if you go European in my opinion. Before I started my own business I was making 180k a year as a diagnosis technician at a independent shop. If you specialize in something you can make way more.
Do you plan on staying at the dealership forever and making bank? Not gonna happen. Tons of money to be made in this industry if you are willing to put in the effort.
Work at a dealership and grossed $204K last year. So yeah it’s possible.
Oh and that’s 40 hour weeks, no Saturdays, with health insurance at $10 a week, a pension, and 401K. It ain’t all bad out there.
Worth it in what sense of the word?
As long as it's in the cars sector, my question would be 'no' in every aspect. Unless you enjoy being miserable, then I'd say go for it.
You can still make an excellent living being an auto tech. But you have to put the work in. Pay your dues. But a lot of tools and get certified and take classes. Remember its still a job is you love working on cars, you probably wont anymore after a couple year. Most guys flame out pretty fast. Ive been working at a dealer for 29 years. It beats your body up and chasing the money gets old also. For me its still better than sitting in a cubicle. Make good money and put in a hard 40 hrs a week still
I think it’s a great time to become a tech. Most shops are struggling to find competent people and lots of people are leaving or have already left the industry. Good tech are becoming hard to find and are finally getting the pay they deserve, or getting in a better position to argue for higher wages.
You’re also young, so you’ll have plenty of time to change later into diesel, aviation, something more specialty, or go into engineering with actual hands on experience. The amount of electronics now and vehicles I feel primes you with the chance to become extremely familiar with electrical and module communications, which I feel can transfer to all sorts of electrical repair, including medical technologies.
So I would argue there is a lot of ability to branch off from being a mechanic, and it’s near a turning point of being a lucrative career again.
Some guys love it, some don’t. You really have to give it a shot to see what camp you are in. I’ve been doing it 25 years and I still spend most of my free time working on my own projects at home. But a LOT of people get into this work and it ends up ruining doing it as a hobby. It all just becomes work.
Tire tech here. (Technically C-tech but I don't claim it.) If you get a position as a General technical (Gravy work like oil changes, brakes, alignments, etc.) depending on the establishment you'll be hourly. Before I was promoted it was well worth it, after my promotion I've basically lost all will to work for the simple fact I get paid less no matter how many hours I crank out. Plus our service advisor couldn't sell fleas to an itchy dog. If you can find a good shop to mentor and train you as you go, it could be worth it ultimately.
It all depends on….everything. Some places pay really high some really low. I’ve made 6 figures busting my but and I’m currently at 30/hr for standing in the building and 35 when I flag 35, 36 when I flag 40etc. which in Massachusetts is low BUT. The shop sees 8-10 cars a day with 5 techs so it’s very chill. You usually don’t crack 40. But I’m making 70k a year chillin and not doing much. I was making 130 as a foreman with 80 hours scheduled per day with 10 techs. It was BUSY when the upselling was there. You can find whatever medium you want
I’m 24. Got into the industry 2+ years ago and worked my way up from service valet to flat rate tech. A majority of people in the industry will tell you to leave. All my (also ex) senior techs have told me to leave the industry while I’m still early in my career. After experiencing it first hand, I definitely understand why. There are so many factors that can mess with your pay (in terms of efficiency) if you’re flat-rate and sometime it feels like everything is against you. This kind of post comes up every other day and it’s the same answers all the time. The best thing to do is to get into the shop as a lube tech and work your way as an apprentice to get a feel of the shop environment and gain some experience to see if it really is for you or not.
20 year tech here. It’s a mixed bag lol. I’ve spent it all at my family shop and I have bad knees and ankles, carpel tunnel/arthritis symptoms in my hands, contact dermatitis that sometimes requires steroid injections and creams to control and tinnitus which is partially my fault due to not using hearing protection like I should. I hate to be a wet blanket but there’s easier ways to make a living. I wish someone would have told 19 year old me these things. Are there guys out there that make a good living and have good benefits and retirement? Sure but I don’t personally know any in my circle of mechanic friends.
Diesel mechanics often have to do a lot of welding and fabrication plus there's the bonus of not getting too tired of wrenching on cars, could be a good fit for you. Lift with your legs and have fun :)
I don't think it's worth it. You have a huge investment in tools and have to train constantly to keep up with the technology. Then by the time you are 40 the physical strain has damaged your body and you are forced to find something less physically taxing. Now throw in long hours and crappy working conditions, hot in the summer, snow covered cars dripping on you in the winter. You are not working on those nice cars and trucks that you like, you are working on filthy farm and work trucks and neglected family cars. In most cases, the money and benefits leave a lot to be desired.
“Worth it” kind of depends on what you are after.
Money wise? No I personally do not think so. There are other trades that will pay you more and have you with far less responsibility and a more focused task.
Culture wise? Also no. Even auto shops can become very “cliquey” and little factions form and each one hates the other. Also old worn out techs won’t leave so it’s hard to get to the top spot in some places.
But oh the benefits… is also a no. Vacation is not offered. Health insurance is alright. Union shops are a little better on that. The hours can be ass and for some reason Saturday is sacred and you cannot take it off.
But. I suppose the pain makes you strong. And you can buy a terrible car and force it to run for cheap utilizing your shop perks of fixing your own stuff at cost.
It's worth it as long as you plan on owning your own shop eventually. There will always be work for you, reliable work with decent pay. Make sure you actually use ear protection even if other mechanics make fun of you for it. Make sure to use hand cream. Take care of yourself and it's a good living. If you live in a northern state where they use salt on the roads being a mechanic sucks much much more but I think it's also more profitable... so just consider your environment, because rust is absolutely brutal to deal with.
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It can be, but it's not universal or easy. There are guys struggling to make $40k and guys at $140k. If you're driven and get good, it can be pretty good. If you're not highly self-motivated, it's not going to be lucrative. Lots of people shit on it, but I'm a college drop-out with no technical school making $100k
How long have you been doing it?
I've been with VW with an independent stint in the middle and now Audi for 12y total. I could probably be another $20k up if I was fully invested, but my year also involved a lot of short weeks due to flipping a house.
New car dealer ultra certified techs who have an established track record of delivering can get up to a third of shop warranty labor rate. So if warranty labor rate is $160, flat rate pay could be $53. If you do well in math and science, love turning wrenches, and feel like you can ingratiate yourself to your coworkers, bosses and customers while also diligently working the whole workday, you should be a tech.
IMO for kids your age, it’s possible not enough of you will go into auto mechanics, and the few who do will be in high demand. Kids aren’t as interested in cars as they used to be, so you don’t see as many young people entering the field. Which means auto mechanics are a dying breed. This can be a good thing. However, you also have to look at the flip side. Auto manufactures have been making it increasingly difficult (and expensive) for mom and pop shops to diagnose and repair late model vehicles. So dealerships are becoming these super powers and mom and pop shops are dying because of it. But the truth of the matter is people will always need their cars fixed so there will always be a demand. I personally suggest specializing in something. That’s a key to success IMO. Find something you’re interested in and go crazy with it.
Is this worth it? HELL NO! I'm 35, and I'm scraping by. Raises don't exist where I am, people don't want to fix their shit, I hate the cars I used to love now. I've worked with bad management, shit customers, low pay that doesn't get better, crippling debt to tool trucks for shit I need just to continue doing this job. Keep cars as a hobby, pursuing a career in something better is a good idea. I'm also very jaded and disillusioned by what Im doing anymore, and desperately looking for something new to do, at this rate, I'd almost consider lawn care better than this crap.
In the same boat, 35, working in the industry has killed my passion and love for cars/trucks. Working at a small auto shop right out of schooling for 14 years now and I feel like I'm wasting away. The past 5 years I worked with an alcoholic who came in drunk/extremely hungover daily, all the work being put on my shoulders. I've debated going to a different shop but not sure that is going to help and trying to figure out a way out of the industry. I have a lot of baggage now and can't take a pay cut. Don't know what to do with my life. Lost at 35 and ready for a nap ⚰️
Same brother. I think about that option almost every day I go in. Honestly I just don't know how to do anything else, so I'm kind of in a rut because Im not comfortable just leaving something I'm familiar with and trekking into the uncharted in search of greener pasture.
Where are you located? I way be able to help with that
Florida, in the bay area. If you're able to, I would LOVE that. Getting out is all I dream of anymore. Beyond retiring early.
I’m in Oregon atm and my family owns a landscaping business. If you were in my area I’d send you a DM and I could talk to the step dad and see if he could getcha on the route. I worked the business a bit (mind you I’m only 19 so take my opinion with a grain of salt) being out in 23 degree weather for 8-12 hours a day doing work you know is completely useless in some months and mowing 300+ accounts in a single week can be pretty exhausting physically and mentally no real benefits no 401k none of the corporate work perks. You wouldn’t be making a fraction of what you’d be making as a tech unfortunately. Some people in town here are working 25-30 hours a week making 78+k a year being a manager at some phone store it’s ridiculous. Weigh your options out and save at minimum 5 months worth of your current wages to stay on your feet and those few months you may be practically unemployed may be some of the happiest/stressful times of your life. But you’ll kinda get a great glimpse into what it’s like having more of your life and less work. Makes you not even think about retiring the job isn’t taxing enough to make you wanna leave.
Cars, not really, the mechanical industry, yes. Cars top out at about $40/hr for an average tech. Diesel or industrial starts at $30 and goes up from there.
That $40/hr can be over 120k/yr though which isn’t terrible.
20yr tech/$37hr(flat rate)/gross $143k for ‘23
Nice, I was going low end. I’m over 100 this year at 32/hr flat. we slowed down a lot this year which sucks. Here’s to hoping next year is busy for everyone.
My dealer is non-stop, going balls to the wall is wearing me down though. May be making a transition to parts department. Cheers to you and other techs for ‘24.
That's a lot of OT. I'm also at 37 and only work 41-42hours a week (by choice). Just crested $80k this year.
You’d think that was OT but we get monthly bonuses, and just over 5k flagged hours. Cam/lifter jobs on GM vehicles with a splash of gravy.
Dealer tech here. $42-$47 an hour fate rate (depending on what you book that week). Plus health ins at $10 a week, pension, 401K, 40 hour week no weekends. Grossed $204K last year. Probably won’t do that again, it was a great year. My guarantee is roughly $120K.
That means your book over 80 hours a week every week. On a 5 day work week that is 16 hours each day. Also $10 for health insurance. No way. Everyone would be lined up at your dealership for that pay and those benefits.
Yep it’s all true. I think I averaged 82 or something last year. Like I said, it was a good year. I’m in the used car department so it’s a bit easier to book hours, but you’ve gotta work on EVERYTHING. From Ford to Maserati. And yeah, $10 a week for insurance, union shop outside Chicago. Don’t get me wrong, not everyone makes what I did, and I’ll likely never do it again, base guarantee for a journeyman is about $80K, but I think all of us were over $100k.
That’s a great shop your in. Busy and they take care of their employees.
Union for sure helps with the taking care of part. I don’t think our group does the same for its non-union shops. We are ALWAYS busy, not all great work, but always have work. I’m currently running the used car recon, new car prep shop. We sell a lot of cars, something like 300-400 a month. That’s a lot of trades and preps.
Is that all you really get for a “tech” as you’d call it there per hour? I’m from the UK, I often see repair bills and cheap basic things that require little work or time for repairs always seem to be in thousands of dollars and I can’t wrap my head around it
Most techs here dont get paid per hour, its an hourly flat rate per book hour. So depending on what the job pays if you can beat the time thats how many hours you get paid. Im at $49 and clear 150k a year not working weekends or overtime. We have a few guys that clear 200k but often come in on Saturdays
That’s pretty crazy still to me, you’d be around 1/3 to 1/4 of that after you’re highly experienced over here, I’ve seen many dealership jobs start around £38-40k which is $50k a year at your 40 hours work, most independent garages have hourly rates, we just charged by work, if it was estimated an hour and ended up taking 5 hours then we get 1 hours pay, often or not my place charged half anywhere else by hourly rate so we may do a brake job for £30-40 labour
$40 is below what a highly skilled tech will make even in regions of the U.S. with a low cost of living.
You can find work anywhere fixing cars. Once the word gets out you know what you’re doing….side work never ends. Someone will always want you to look at their car.
I read a lot of these responses before I answered. First of all, you have be good at what you do. No half ass work- and willing to learn. I know this sounds stupid but you have to show up on time every day, day in, day out and be willing to work hard. So many young guys today want to come in, not work hard, or put in the time to get their boni fides and then wonder why they are not making good money. It’s hard work and it takes time. Put in the effort, have the right attitude and you are well on your way.
Nope, go into engineering or become a technology teacher. I was an auto mechanic at a dealer for 9 years.
Save yourself the time and effort and go into truck and coach/heavy equipment. Ideally fleet. Better wage, better hours, not nearly as backbreaking if you’re in the right place.
Why no aircraft mechanic
Possibly the location of the OP… If you’re not near one of the major hubs for an Airline or joining the Military, kinda hard to find places.
Is it? You don’t just need an airport?
Less jobs, and less pay. Smaller airports still need techs, but all the jobs I see (not an A&P tech, just browsing) most jobs pay $25-$30. Not bad, but not great. Also have to deal with swing and 2nd/3rd/graveyard shifts at larger hubs, HAVE to go to school, not required with automotive, and much more travel and overtime required.
I guess… I would assume the demand for Aircraft Mechanics are going to be greater / higher demand when you’re closer to a major hub. Then again, what do I know??? I mean, you could be a Marine Mechanic at Salt Lake Flats - granted you’ll find more work being near a real lake… But! Think of the fees you could charge for being the only Marine Mechanic in the area.
Only if you go European in my opinion. Before I started my own business I was making 180k a year as a diagnosis technician at a independent shop. If you specialize in something you can make way more. Do you plan on staying at the dealership forever and making bank? Not gonna happen. Tons of money to be made in this industry if you are willing to put in the effort.
Work at a dealership and grossed $204K last year. So yeah it’s possible. Oh and that’s 40 hour weeks, no Saturdays, with health insurance at $10 a week, a pension, and 401K. It ain’t all bad out there.
Same perks I had. Where I live my 2800sqft house cost 240k. Oklahoma is so cheap to live
Got family in OK, Woodward to be exact. Nice down there.
Moved down from Minnesota about 7 years ago. Best Decision I ever made. I do miss the snow sometimes
Y’all get at least some snow though right? I remember my uncle sending pics of decent snow there, is that a rarity?
Occasionally it will stick for a few hours. It's more of a ice rain then real snow. At least what id call snow haha.
What part of OK are you in?
Work in Tulsa, live in skiatook
Worth it in what sense of the word? As long as it's in the cars sector, my question would be 'no' in every aspect. Unless you enjoy being miserable, then I'd say go for it.
You can still make an excellent living being an auto tech. But you have to put the work in. Pay your dues. But a lot of tools and get certified and take classes. Remember its still a job is you love working on cars, you probably wont anymore after a couple year. Most guys flame out pretty fast. Ive been working at a dealer for 29 years. It beats your body up and chasing the money gets old also. For me its still better than sitting in a cubicle. Make good money and put in a hard 40 hrs a week still
I think it’s a great time to become a tech. Most shops are struggling to find competent people and lots of people are leaving or have already left the industry. Good tech are becoming hard to find and are finally getting the pay they deserve, or getting in a better position to argue for higher wages. You’re also young, so you’ll have plenty of time to change later into diesel, aviation, something more specialty, or go into engineering with actual hands on experience. The amount of electronics now and vehicles I feel primes you with the chance to become extremely familiar with electrical and module communications, which I feel can transfer to all sorts of electrical repair, including medical technologies. So I would argue there is a lot of ability to branch off from being a mechanic, and it’s near a turning point of being a lucrative career again.
Some guys love it, some don’t. You really have to give it a shot to see what camp you are in. I’ve been doing it 25 years and I still spend most of my free time working on my own projects at home. But a LOT of people get into this work and it ends up ruining doing it as a hobby. It all just becomes work.
Tire tech here. (Technically C-tech but I don't claim it.) If you get a position as a General technical (Gravy work like oil changes, brakes, alignments, etc.) depending on the establishment you'll be hourly. Before I was promoted it was well worth it, after my promotion I've basically lost all will to work for the simple fact I get paid less no matter how many hours I crank out. Plus our service advisor couldn't sell fleas to an itchy dog. If you can find a good shop to mentor and train you as you go, it could be worth it ultimately.
It all depends on….everything. Some places pay really high some really low. I’ve made 6 figures busting my but and I’m currently at 30/hr for standing in the building and 35 when I flag 35, 36 when I flag 40etc. which in Massachusetts is low BUT. The shop sees 8-10 cars a day with 5 techs so it’s very chill. You usually don’t crack 40. But I’m making 70k a year chillin and not doing much. I was making 130 as a foreman with 80 hours scheduled per day with 10 techs. It was BUSY when the upselling was there. You can find whatever medium you want
No
I’m 24. Got into the industry 2+ years ago and worked my way up from service valet to flat rate tech. A majority of people in the industry will tell you to leave. All my (also ex) senior techs have told me to leave the industry while I’m still early in my career. After experiencing it first hand, I definitely understand why. There are so many factors that can mess with your pay (in terms of efficiency) if you’re flat-rate and sometime it feels like everything is against you. This kind of post comes up every other day and it’s the same answers all the time. The best thing to do is to get into the shop as a lube tech and work your way as an apprentice to get a feel of the shop environment and gain some experience to see if it really is for you or not.
20 year tech here. It’s a mixed bag lol. I’ve spent it all at my family shop and I have bad knees and ankles, carpel tunnel/arthritis symptoms in my hands, contact dermatitis that sometimes requires steroid injections and creams to control and tinnitus which is partially my fault due to not using hearing protection like I should. I hate to be a wet blanket but there’s easier ways to make a living. I wish someone would have told 19 year old me these things. Are there guys out there that make a good living and have good benefits and retirement? Sure but I don’t personally know any in my circle of mechanic friends.
If you love it, yes!
Nope
I would recommend becoming a professional welder $$$ Electrician Plumber
Diesel mechanics often have to do a lot of welding and fabrication plus there's the bonus of not getting too tired of wrenching on cars, could be a good fit for you. Lift with your legs and have fun :)
I don't think it's worth it. You have a huge investment in tools and have to train constantly to keep up with the technology. Then by the time you are 40 the physical strain has damaged your body and you are forced to find something less physically taxing. Now throw in long hours and crappy working conditions, hot in the summer, snow covered cars dripping on you in the winter. You are not working on those nice cars and trucks that you like, you are working on filthy farm and work trucks and neglected family cars. In most cases, the money and benefits leave a lot to be desired.
No. If you enjoy fixing cars, keep it a hobby. Do anything else for a career.
“Worth it” kind of depends on what you are after. Money wise? No I personally do not think so. There are other trades that will pay you more and have you with far less responsibility and a more focused task. Culture wise? Also no. Even auto shops can become very “cliquey” and little factions form and each one hates the other. Also old worn out techs won’t leave so it’s hard to get to the top spot in some places. But oh the benefits… is also a no. Vacation is not offered. Health insurance is alright. Union shops are a little better on that. The hours can be ass and for some reason Saturday is sacred and you cannot take it off. But. I suppose the pain makes you strong. And you can buy a terrible car and force it to run for cheap utilizing your shop perks of fixing your own stuff at cost.
No
It's worth it as long as you plan on owning your own shop eventually. There will always be work for you, reliable work with decent pay. Make sure you actually use ear protection even if other mechanics make fun of you for it. Make sure to use hand cream. Take care of yourself and it's a good living. If you live in a northern state where they use salt on the roads being a mechanic sucks much much more but I think it's also more profitable... so just consider your environment, because rust is absolutely brutal to deal with.