What is the pay range from entry-level pay to high end with experience in this career?
Entry-level pay is above the minimum wage and, of course, the wages rise with experience and ASE/smog/AC certifications. A technician with two years of full-time experience currently makes from a low end of $13.16 to $24.37 per hour for the upper 25% of technicians in the valley. The California State Employment Development Department (EDD) reports that the hourly mean wage in 2006 was $19.54. Highly motivated and skilled technicians with perhaps five or more years of experience and ASE certifications will earn between $45,000 and $75,000 per year. Are there any physical or legal limitations (immigration status, felony or misdemeanor convictions, etc.) to licensing or employment? Apparently BAR does review any felony convictions before allowing a smog license to be granted but immigration status doesn’t seem to be an issue. A valid driver’s license is pretty much required to work as a technician by most employers but is not required for ASE or Smog certification. Drug testing is pretty
