Everyone has been to a point in life wondering what dream should they pursue, and what’s it going to cost pursuing it? Most of the time, we end up not following and doing what we love because we are afraid to take the risk. Along the way of pursuing your dream, you might end up losing dozens of opportunities that could actually change your life, but when you think about it, those opportunities weren’t actually things that you were passionate about. Since you’re reading this article, I take it you are frustrated whether you want to pursue this dream, being a dirt bike mechanic or a motorcycle mechanic, and is the time that you’re going to sacrifice in doing this worth it! Well, all I can tell you is that everything is worth it if you’re doing what you love, and being a dirt bike mechanic is no exception. My father was a dirt bike mechanic, and he was the reason I started loving dirt bikes in the first place. Considering that fact, I feel like I’m in the perfect position of giving you the insights and all the information you need about this job!
Motorcycle mechanics, in general, make $21-38,000 a year, and if you’re wondering why the salary has a mass difference in between, it’s because it depends on the level of skill and availability. In order to become a certified mechanic, you’re going to need a high school diploma or GED equivalent, and you can find such classes at trade schools, community colleges, and some other four-year universities.
This pretty much answers your question, but there is more information you’re going to need before you take on this journey, so if you’re interested in finding out more details about what it takes, make sure you read the whole article!
Table of Contents
Introduction
Most people that follow this dream are either motorcycle enthusiasts, or people who find working with their hands and manual labor personally rewarding. It is possible for you to reach an average of twenty-eight thousand dollars a year, but that’s more likely to happen if you open your own garage. If you happen to work for someone else, well, things might not go as planned because you’re definitely going to get paid less that you wanted, and you’re definitely going to work more hours than planned. This is the hardest part that mechanics have to face, and as you know, starting your own business is not as simple as it sounds, it will require you to take certain risks which might not seem convenient to everyone!
Job overview
Surprisingly enough, dirt bike and motorcycle mechanics in general rate higher than the average in job satisfaction at a 62%. My father always used to say that his job made people happy in a way, because he was fixing motorcycles that are precious to the owners. Well, not to make this my personal journal, but it’s true to some point, I mean every rider would be happy when they fixed something that has been bothering them, right?
Although, you’re not going to hear at least one mechanic admitting that this job is easy, because it requires a lot of attention, knowledge, and interaction with people. As you know, customers are going to swing by every now and then, which means you’ll have to know the customers intent, how to deal with them, how to understand what they want, and how to satisfy their intent. So, assuming that a customer comes in with their dirt bike that has a problem that you are not able to fix, you should never say “I can fix it” when you clearly can’t, because you’re just going to seem untrustworthy. It’s important that you leave a positive impression on your customers, because those same customers are going to come back when they’ll have other problems with their motorcycles, and they will also tell their friends about you which is a good thing because you’re going to gain more customers.
This is where the best part of the job comes into the spotlight, you’re going to make a lot of friends. A lot of people are going to call you telling about their problem, e-mail you asking for prices, and other similar interaction which you’ll have to handle and be as friendly as possible. If your services are promising, effective, and honest, you will never lose a customer and you’ll always be the first choice that will come to their minds whenever they face a problem. These simple and little facts will make people remember you!
Salary
As I stated above, motorcycle mechanics, in general, make $21-38,000 a year, and the main factor that determines how much money you will be earning is the hours that you’ve worked. The second most important thing that will also play a huge role in salary is how much you charge for repairs, or what is your hourly rate if you’re working for someone else. Assuming that you’re working in your own garage, to repair motorcycles or dirt bikes, you’re clearly going to need new parts, so you’ll also be earning from the parts that you’ll buy because you’ll get them at a certain price and charge some percentage more from the customer, that’s how the business works! Aside from that, you’ll also charge the customer for your manual labor, so the earnings will be good as long as you have customers to work with!
Which states pay more?
Let me tell you this, motorcycle mechanics get paid a lot in California, and I know that for a fact because one of my friends is a mechanic there! From what I have gathered, he makes approximately $40,000 dollars a year, and that’s a great number to live with! There are cases where people make more, but that’s rare and it requires a lot of work! So, from those $40,000 dollars that you might make in California, you’ll also need to consider the cost of living there! Almost everything costs more in California, but the facts state that there’s the highest average pay for motorcycle mechanics!
I took California as an example, but there’s a whole different list about rankings, so let’s take a look at the top 10 highest paying states for motorcycle and dirt bike mechanics!
- New York – $19.61 hourly wage / $40,799 annual salary
- Massachusetts – $19.45 hourly wage / $40,466 annual salary
- New Hampshire – $19.09 hourly wage / $39,710 annual salary
- Maryland – $18,13 hourly wage / $37,703 annual salary
- Hawaii – $17,93 hourly wage / $37,289 annual salary
- Alaska – $17,93 hourly wage / $37,284 annual salary
- Nevada – $17,93 hourly wage / $37,284 annual salary
- Montana – $17,93 hourly wage / $37,284 annual salary
- North Dakota – $17,93 hourly wage / $37,284 annual salary
- Idaho – $17,93 hourly wage / $37,284 annual salary
Of course, you will need to consider the fact that you’ll get a slight decrease in your earning per year because the cost of living in some certain states will be higher than in some others! The best way to reach the highest salary as a dirt bike or motorcycle mechanic is manufacturing, because it goes in a parallel line with wholesale trade! Wholesale trade is a rich and highest-paying industry, especially in California! As far as I know, the lowest paying industry is retail trade from which you could respectively make $31,000 a year to almost up to $34,000 a year.
Which states pay less?
We pointed out which states prove the highest annual income as a dirt bike mechanic, now let’s see which states provide the lowest annual compensation for dirt bike and motorcycle mechanics!
The first state to mention is definitely West Virginia! I made hours of research on this, and West Virginia has the lowest annual income for dirt bike mechanics out of all 50 states! It sits at an average of $21,500 a year, and with all due respect, that’s not enough! If you were planning on living and working there, you have to at least have one person in your family who’s going to help with paying the bills! If that’s not possible, well, I guess you will have to work two jobs, one to cover your necessary living costs, and one to pay the bills. If you think about it, in West Virginia you’ll earn half of what you could earn in the states mentioned above!
Next comes South Carolina! It’s a better annual salary for dirt bike mechanics than in West Virginia, but again not enough with $27,200 a year. North Carolina doesn’t differ much either, dirt bike and motorcycle mechanics have an annual salary of $28,564, and an hourly wage of $13,73. However, there’s an advantage that South Carolina has over West Virginia, the annual cost of living is only slightly higher than it will cost you to live in West Virginia, and you’d still get five thousand dollars more a year! So, if you were to choose between these two states, South Carolina is definitely the state I would go for!
All things considered, you’d be earning more and still be able to save larger portions of your paycheck! That’s the American dream, isn’t it? Idaho has been on the list of the lowest-paying states for dirt bike and motorcycle mechanics, and I’ve known that for a fact, but as I was doing my research I saw that many people were actually stating that the annual salary has reached $37,000 which is a huge difference when you compare that number to the number that was present only a couple of years ago. The cost of living isn’t that expensive, but it isn’t that cheap as well, you can safely put it in between West Virginia and South Carolina! Now to change situations, if you were to choose between these three states, I’d say you should go for Idaho! It has a slightly higher annual salary when compared to South Carolina and West Virginia, and the cost of living is actually bearable!
Other things that you should consider is how far is Idaho let’s say from your hometown, from where your family is, because you’ll have to eventually visit your family every now and then! If you’re a student, you should also consider where your university is, and taking the fact that you’re interested in becoming a dirt bike mechanic, it means that you’re a rider as well, so are there any terrains for your type of riding in the city that you’re wanting to move? Ask yourself these questions, do some research, and if you end up satisfied with the answers, then you’re pretty much ready it’s only a matter of “are you willing to do it and pursue your dream”.
How do I become a certified motorcycle mechanic?
As mentioned above, to become a motorcycle or a dirt bike mechanic you’ll need a high school diploma or a GED certificate along with training in motorbike maintenance. You can earn such qualifications through certification and diploma programs at a technical school or community college. In addition, if you plan on running your own shop, you can take extra classes and earn an associate degree in business or management. Aside from that, the training program helps and prepares you for jobs as a motorcycle mechanic with hands-on experience in engine maintenance repair, motorcycle suspensions, brake systems, electrical systems, and microcomputers.
Is motorcycle mechanic a good career?
Well, the only words I have for you is that if you enjoy working with your hands and have an aptitude for mechanics, this career is the right one for you. Loving motorcycles plays a huge role in this, you get to work on all types of motorcycles such as Harley-Davidson, Suzuki, Honda, Triumph, etc. In this case, we’re talking about dirt bike mechanics, so you’d have to take additional classes to specialize in maintenance repair for particular motorbike manufacturers.
Bottom line
I hope this article was helpful to you, and if by any chance I left any questions related to this article unanswered, feel free to contact me and I’ll see how I can help you! As you saw, being a dirt bike mechanic requires certain things, time, and education above all. If you’re a dirt bike enthusiast and you love working and repairing them, then being a dirt bike mechanic might be the ideal career for you.
