Our country is in trouble: bays with lifts and tools, but no workers to fill them
Few mechanics make it to the six-figure pay "pinnacle." (Getty Images/Scharfsinn86)
Ford says its dealerships have thousands of open mechanic positions that can eventually pay six-figure salaries—but very few workers stay long enough to reach that level.
In Kent, Ohio, 39-year-old technician Ted Hummel is one of the rare exceptions. Ford classifies him as a “senior master,” the highest rank in its dealership technician system, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. Hummel handles the most demanding jobs many mechanics avoid, such as replacing a 300-pound transmission in an F-150 pickup. Ford’s warranty system pays dealers 14.6 labor hours for that repair, but Hummel can complete it in about five and a half. In 2025, his earnings reached roughly $160,000. His manager summed it up simply: “I wish we could clone Ted.”
Hummel’s career illustrates why replacing technicians like him is so difficult. He spent about $30,000 on a two-year automotive technology degree, then years earning modest pay—his first job at a muffler shop in 2007 paid less than $10 an hour. Beyond tuition, he had to buy tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of tools, from impact guns to $800 torque wrenches required by Ford, often financing them through weekly payments to mobile tool vendors. It wasn’t until 2022—after more than a decade at a Ford dealership, earning top certification, and supervising apprentices—that his income finally passed $100,000.
The same pay system that allows top technicians to earn high incomes has also contributed to the labor shortage. Most dealership mechanics work under a “flat-rate” system, meaning they are paid a set number of billable hours per job regardless of how long the work actually takes. Highly skilled technicians who finish jobs quickly can stack hours and boost their pay, while slower workers—or those sidelined by injury—can see their income drop sharply, especially during slow periods. The job is physically demanding, with back injuries, hernias, and long hours on lifts common, and time off for recovery often comes without pay.
While repair costs have risen 59% over the past decade, mechanics’ wages have increased only 34%. Federal data shows the median dealership technician earned about $58,600 in 2024. Ford says its senior master technicians average around $67,000 after five years, with only a small number reaching $120,000 or more. The company is trying to expand the workforce through 33 training centers and scholarship programs, but shortages are expected to persist.
“We are in trouble in our country,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said in November. “A bay with a lift and tools and no one to work in it.”
The New York Times reported last year that while mechanic shortages are not new, the problem has worsened as vocational education programs have declined and vehicles have become increasingly complex and computerized.
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