As a diesel technician and heavy equipment mechanic, you play a big role in the success of your company and its customers. Having the skills to keep a machine running, even on a tight schedule, is impressive and has a lasting impact on the world.
That makes a career in diesel technology personally rewarding.
Like anyone else, you want to be paid fairly for your work and maximize your career earnings.
Here at RDO Equipment Co., we employ more than 1,000 technicians across our organization. Each of these employees strives to put their best foot forward every day to increase the amount of money they take home at the end of them.
In this article, we’ll outline nine things you can do to make more money as a service technician — some of which you can implement right now.
Diesel mechanic pay changes based on a number of factors.
Implementing even a few of the tactics outlined below should increase your income throughout your technician career.
1) Gain Certifications
Certifications are part of any service technician career — whether you work for a semi-truck dealership, heavy equipment shop or otherwise. Manufacturers (like John Deere, Vermeer, Caterpillar and Peterbilt, for example) offer certification programs to train techs on their product lines.
These multi-day programs (lasting up to a week) often include online lessons/coursework and in-person training followed by testing.
Every certification you earn will expand your knowledge base and skills. Technicians who pursue certifications can work independently on more things and become really valuable to their employers. This will help you make more money throughout your career.
2) Take Advantage of Overtime Opportunities
If you’d like to make more as a technician immediately, overtime is your best bet. While it will vary by employer, the vast majority of service shops offer some form of regular overtime.
Paid at 1.5 times your normal hourly wage, if you have the option (and flexibility) to put in 40+ hours each week, this will add up quickly.
Taking advantage of overtime opportunities will help you make substantially more money over the course of your career.
3) Be Reliable
Being a reliable team member is one of the most underrated skills a service technician can have. Arriving at work on time every day demonstrates your commitment to success. Dependability will give you more advancement opportunities, recognition and overtime hours throughout your career.
4) Work Hard
This tip goes hand-in-hand with the previous one and is perhaps the most important on this list.
Ultimately, if you want to make more money, you’ll have to work hard.
This is true of any career, and being a technician is no different. Showing up day after day with a good attitude and work ethic will take you far in your career as a technician.
5) Look For a Company with Profit Sharing or Bonuses
You’ll find there are a lot of employment options for talented service technicians. In the diesel world, the vast majority of companies pay techs hourly. To make a bit more money, you might want to hunt down an employer with a regular bonus or profit-sharing structure.
Although this isn’t terribly common, some companies (including RDO) offer these incentives monthly, quarterly or annually. This can provide a nice bump to your bank account on payday and make you feel like you’re adequately compensated for your work.
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6) Consider Becoming a Mobile Technician
Though it’s not always the case, mobile technicians or field service technicians tend to make more money than shop technicians. This is partially due to the longer hours they work but is also tied to the advanced technical requirements of this job.
As you consider the progression of your career, keep a mobile technician role in mind. While you will likely need a few years’ experience before getting one of these jobs, becoming a mobile technician can help you substantially advance your income over time.
7) Pay Attention to the Frequency of Wage Reviews
Considering your hourly wage is important. This is a big indicator of how much money you’ll make over the course of your career. That said, how often your wage increases is another thing to keep in mind.
For example, if you’re earning $28/hour and get a three percent raise annually, you won’t see an increase until your yearly review. Alternatively, another company may review your wage every 90 or 180 days and give you a pay increase at that time.
Even if you end up with the same percentage increase overall, you’ll likely make more money faster with three months between reviews than with 12.
Over the course of a career, less time between wage reviews can put more money in your pocket — especially when accounting for inflation.
8) Develop a Track Record of Success (Avoid Job Hopping)
As a technician, there are a lot of industries and companies you can work for. In fact, if you’re an experienced service technician, you’ll likely have no problem finding employment — you’re in high demand.
Although it’s great to know you’ll always have work, you don’t want to find yourself in a cycle of job hopping.
It’s becoming more and more common for employers to offer technicians a sign-on bonus when hired. These payouts are designed to attract great applicants and reward them for their value. However, sometimes, service technicians jump from job to job to claim these bonuses.
This can hurt your career over the long term. Area employers are more connected than you’d expect. That means word gets around between hiring managers and if you’ve left more than a few jobs within a short period, this could be seen as a red flag.
Instead of job hopping, we encourage you to find a company you love to work for where you feel valued and spend some time there. Becoming a crucial part of a company’s service team will leave more money in your pocket over the course of your career.
9) Learn to Fix Machines Nobody Wants to Work On
Do the hard stuff. It’s really that simple. If a piece of machinery or equipment is difficult to understand, troubleshoot or fix, become an expert on it. Showing initiative to learn things nobody else wants to learn will help you stand out amongst your peers and increase the value you bring to the service team.
Adopt an “I’ll do it” mentality and embrace the hardest repair jobs. Spend time learning the ins and outs of the most difficult machines and become your company’s expert.
Increase Your Income as a Member of RDO Equipment Co.
As you progress in your career as a service technician, your income will (likely) increase.
Over the long run, if you work hard, pursue learning and certifications, take advantage of overtime and develop a track record of success, you’ll make more than if you don’t.
Another crucial thing you can do to raise your earnings is find a company offering profit sharing. RDO Equipment Co. offers many of our service positions profit sharing and quarterly wage reviews.
Want to learn more about working for RDO? Your next step is to read A Day in the Life of a Service Technician at RDO Equipment Co.
Or, if you’re ready to apply, find an open position near you.
Greg Maurer
Greg has a rich history in the heavy equipment industry. Before transitioning into management in 2014, Greg was a field service technician for 19 years. Nine of these years were with RDO Equipment Co. where he impacted the progress of our company in Arizona through high-quality service and leadership. Today, as the general manager for our Tucson dealership, Greg leads a growing team of heavy equipment professionals and enjoys helping RDO customers succeed every day.
