Car detailers make $25/hr?!

ggnl

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2004
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Cant read craigslist from work, but I imagine that's with tips.
 

FeuerFrei

Diamond Member
Mar 30, 2005
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m i in da wrong bidness?

I think you're paid by the job. How long you take is up to you.
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
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actually that would not surprise me. a good detailer guy is worth it.
 

FoBoT

No Lifer
Apr 30, 2001
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fobot.com
maybe they don't do it full time, a job here a job there, so you only work 10 hours a week = $250
 

MrWizzard

Platinum Member
Mar 24, 2002
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Self Employed $25 an hour is poverty level. Do some research please.

EDIT :To make it more clear, health insurance, business auto insurance, professional liability insurance, supplies, driving time. ETC. Will make that $25 seem like nothing
 

LS20

Banned
Jan 22, 2002
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if he does a 50$ detailing job in 2 hours, that would be correct

however , that detailer wont bring in 8 hours of detailing 5 days a week.

25$/hour != 50k salary
 

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
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Well it is possible. they are a "mobile company" so odds are they have contracts with a bunch of used car lots. they go from lot to lot doing the cars. It is possible that they make around $25 /hr.

we had one that came the car lot we had. we paid $10 a car for a full detail. figure we had around 50-80 cars that had to be done.

edit: but its not a REAL detail. more of a quick wash/vacum. not a good full detail
 

marincounty

Diamond Member
Nov 16, 2005
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My buddy details high-end cars, mercedes, ferraris, maybach, porsches etc.
He charges $300, but it takes him all day to detail a car (properly). It is hard work.
 

kumanchu

Golden Member
Feb 15, 2000
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my brother used to work for a detail shop. they would charge ~ 120 for a detail and it would take about 3 hours with 2 people working on it. 25 dollars an hour doesn't sound far off the mark.
 

SampSon

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2006
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That's a Washington DC/Fairfax job listing, so $25/hour is piddlyshit.
I'm not sure being an auto detailer is that much of a great career move, unless you own the company with a solid client base.

The grass is always greener... but do you really want to be the cleaning bitch for someone elses car?
 

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
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I have own a detail shop and have owned a second. $25 dollars an hour is not that much. I can detail an average mini van in two hours, that is 100$ for the van, 50$ an hour. Of course that is doing the work myself, if I hired someone they would receive about 35$ for the car. That's how most detailers pay, by commision. But, because that is a mobile shop, they actually will be working for about 5 hours...and would not be able to afford to pay by the car because they usually just wash a whole inventory of a used car lot. And, I mean wash not detail

But, considering that most places hire illegal mexicans it is something.

And, for those saying it is a sh!t job, you do not know much at all.
 

SVT Cobra

Lifer
Mar 29, 2005
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Originally posted by: marincounty
My buddy details high-end cars, mercedes, ferraris, maybach, porsches etc.
He charges $300, but it takes him all day to detail a car (properly). It is hard work.

Name of his company? Otherwise I call shens, that is not charging enough for that type of work.
 

alkemyst

No Lifer
Feb 13, 2001
83,769
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Originally posted by: JEDI
Link

Sounds like a work-at-home scam to me?

$25/hr should be possible for an 8 hour day for any good detailer.

That's not equal to making $50k/yr in a typical W2 job. I 'make' over the average of 30% more than my salary in benefits including insurance, 401k contributions, PTO, bonus and profit sharing. I am pretty sure the average is 30% just based on my past jobs.

So someone making a $25/hr salary would be really making close to $32/hr.

There are a lot of detailers making less due to regions and / or not having full days.

Also in a salaried position you should make at least 3% more each year on average and every few years make larger jumps due to promotion/better pay elsewhere.

The detailer makes $25/hr and merely can adjust for inflation usually each year.

Å
 

Imported

Lifer
Sep 2, 2000
14,679
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I detailed my car this past weekend.. took me 4 hours. I'd pay someone $100 to do what I did.. wash/clay bar/wax/seal/interior cleaning.
 

PAB

Banned
Dec 4, 2002
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Originally posted by: JEDI
Link

Sounds like a work-at-home scam to me?

Its not unheard of, if you charge $100 to do a car like my guy does and he spends 4 hours on it thats $25/hr.
 

compuwiz1

Admin Emeritus Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
27,111
926
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Actually, detailing requires some skill. Unfortunately, there are too many monkeys out there with a buffer, who really don't know what they are doing. The good ones can make $25 per hour, and I have worked with a guy who got paid $40 per hour before.
 

JEDI

Lifer
Sep 25, 2001
29,391
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Originally posted by: redly1
car detailing would be a sh!t job, especially once you hit your 30s
why?


Originally posted by: Dunbar
Not to mention it's back breaking work.
I dont know enuf of detailing. What's involved besides soaping the car up and rinsing with a hose? plus vacumming the inside?
 

compuwiz1

Admin Emeritus Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: JEDI
Originally posted by: redly1
car detailing would be a sh!t job, especially once you hit your 30s
why?


Originally posted by: Dunbar
Not to mention it's back breaking work.
I dont know enuf of detailing. What's involved besides soaping the car up and rinsing with a hose? plus vacumming the inside?


Not too many people do it well. By well, I mean totally clean glass, all wax out of cracks and emblems, no swirls. A good detailer will make a nice car look showroom new throughout, even on an older car. Few people are capable of such attention to detail, hence the reason good ones are paid so well.

Sometimes, depending on the car, it can mean a couple thousand bux difference in value.
 

prontospyder

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: JEDI
Originally posted by: redly1
car detailing would be a sh!t job, especially once you hit your 30s
why?


Originally posted by: Dunbar
Not to mention it's back breaking work.
I dont know enuf of detailing. What's involved besides soaping the car up and rinsing with a hose? plus vacumming the inside?

Never tried doing all this in a day but here are some steps I take with detailing cars:
Exterior: Wash, Clay, Polish, Wax, Dress up tires and wheel wheels.
Interior: Vacuum, wash the carpet/seats, clean door jams, clean windows, dress the dash and plastic.

The pros also detail the engine bay but I've only wiped it.
 

Dunbar

Platinum Member
Feb 19, 2001
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Originally posted by: JEDI
Originally posted by: Dunbar
Not to mention it's back breaking work.
I dont know enuf of detailing. What's involved besides soaping the car up and rinsing with a hose? plus vacumming the inside?

To wash the inside and out and add couple coats of polish/wax takes a lot of time (many hours) and is very physical work. Lots of squatting down, leaning over, repetitive hand movements and elbow grease over several hours. Add in 95 degree heat and you have the makings of a long day. I just did just the outside of my car a few weks back -wash, clay bar and three coats of Zaino. It broke it up over the course of a weekend and afterwards I felt like I had been to boot camp. It would help somewhat if I was in shape.