Guest nezzie76 Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 I'm looking to either go back into taking classes in auto body or go into healthcare. See, alot of people I know highly recommend going into healthcare ( like radiology or nursing) b/c there is such a shortage and the money is definately there. But I have a couple of terms of auto paint at the community college and I originally did it just to learn how to paint my car, but upon talking to my teacher he said that in portland a mediocre bodyman makes 50k, a good one makes 80k and one of his former students who is like a year older than me ( like 23-24) makes over 100k. I asked him why so much, and he said that good painters are hard to find. It seems that it's an exaggeration, but still, that's alot. Honestly what do you guys think? Is there really that much money in the industry? I mean nurses make like 50-80k a year too, but it's hard to get into the classes. Part of me wants to keep my passion for cars separate from my profession ( so that I don't get burned out badly), but on the other hand I'd like to live cars. Thanks guys, Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Zachb55 Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 I believe what you do as your career should certainly be something you love, not just for money. if you cant see yourself doing that job every day for a really long time then why waste the money on classes, then go into the profession just to find its not fun or fulfilling enough? i think i would probably burn out being a body guy, i couldnt see myself working on my car forever, but then again what keeps you going is that it is very fulfilling to get a great end result... sorry man, that is a tough decision you would have to make, im not sure about the demand in the industry, im sure you could find area specific info online somewhere. goodluck with whatever you choose -Zach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Damn Cracker Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 some famous dude said: "choose a profesion you love, and you will never work a day in your life." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted May 12, 2003 Share Posted May 12, 2003 Before deciding a profession, you might want to ask how much overtime is needed to make that kind of cash. Also what is considered a "good" body guy. One who can do a flame job like in the current post, or one who can bang out a dozen dented Huyndi's a week? My guess is the high $$ body guys are really earning that money, either in time or sheer volume or both. Get a summer job in a body shop and see just how much work it can be. Similarly do volunteer work in a hospital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest freakypainter Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 painting cars is a good career BUT you have to get in the right shop, which is hard to do sometimes, than the fact that you work on a commision basis can be very stressfull. there was a 3 week period during march where the cadillac dealer i work at had almost no work. instead of flagging 100 hours a week i was doing 40 hours a week. but things are back to normal now and ill put in another 12 hour day tomorrow, but I love painting cars. Yes you can make very good money painting cars, but if you doing it for the money find something else to do because it takes a special kind of idot to paint every day, I guess that makes me special,lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nezzie76 Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 I was also considering going into the auto mechanic program. I was figuring that it wouldn't be quite as monotonous. But then there are some crappy things about being a mechanic too. Do you guys think the money is around the same for auto body vs mechanic? I didn't think about the fact about overtime. Dang, I'd like to work around 40-50 hours a week. If I worked 100 I know I'd burn out. I wouldn't say that I'm doing it for the money, but it is a big factor. I'd like to live well and have plenty of money left over for toys. Anyways thanks for your time! Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
denny411 Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 I have to agree with the above posts. Don`t pick your proffession based on money. People have a tendancy to live to their income level. if you end up making lots of money you will most likely have the debt and bills to go along with it. That would make it VERY hard to take a step down later to do something you really love. Now, if your lucky enough to love doing something that brings in lots of cash, then you`ve got the BULL BY THE HORNS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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