I have a question i hope you can answer for me. i'm looking into taking the MECP exam...i went through 2 study guides and got a 100 on that practice thing on the website and it's really what i wanna do. What can i expect to make /hr at first? I was thinking of going to a BestBuy for a little bit to get a feel for things and to start, move on to a Tweeter or something higher end like that. I plan on doing a whole install on 3 vehicles(mine, sister's, friend's), so i can start myself, i guess you could call it, a "portfolio". Thanks

- Andy

 

Being MECP certified will help you get the job (if the other applicants aren't certified), but it's not going to help you make more money.

 

i figured that, what kinda figures am i lookin at?

- Andy

 

Somewhere between $8/hr and $50/hr depending on 2,000 different things. That question is too hard to answer. It's like asking how fast is a 350? Waaaaayyy too ambiguous.

 

I've got a friend that's MECP... he kept getting screwed on cash. Although he'd get the job, the people running the place didn't appreciate his work in his paycheck... really a friggin' shame.

Good idea on keeping the portfolio! Plus if you do some work on the side, it'll help you get customers.

 

Tom
- where in central jersey did he work? i'm also from central NJ....maybe i would stay away from those places of employment? send me a PM. Thanks!

- Andy

 

Oh, and just for a benchmark... I was MECP certified and made about $6.50/hr doing sales. I got a higher score on the test than all the installers.

 

He's not in Jersey, he's in PA... worked for local "custom" shops, not chain stores like you're going after.

 

Some of it depends on where you go. Specialty shops that deal only with 12v stereo/alarms,etc usually tend to pay more than places like Circuit City and Best Buy. I applied at Circuit City one time and they only wanted to start me off at $11/hr. And that was with my MECP. Before I told them I was MECP, they only offered $9.00. Right now, I am at a local stereo shop making on avg of about $3/hr more than what I was before I got my 1st class cert.

 

I was considering doing the same thing you did and decided not to, here's why:
1. Best Buy sucks. You were talking about doing some friends/family cars as an example to show them, they don't care. All you will do is put in cheap cd players and speakers for rich kids and middle aged people who don't know crap about anything. IF you do a complete system you will only use a pre-built box, pre specified wiring, and specific install instructions. Basicly you have to do a "cookie cutter" install, day in and day out.
2. They won't pay you what you're worth. I went in to Best Buy, told them I did installs out of my house and wanted a job. They said o.k., here's an application. Then I ask them what the pay rate is. This seems like a reasonable question to me. I mean, I have a job now, I will be giving up a considerable amount of time that I work there to work for Best Buy. So I need to know that they are going to pay me enough. I didn't expect them to pay me what I make now, but I didn't want to work for $7.40/hr either. But they wouldn't tell me. First they gave me the "salary is based on your experience" line. O.k., that's fine. But how much experience do you need at best buy? So I ask again. They won't discuss it with me until I'm hired. WTF? So I'm supposed to jump through their corporate hoops of phone and personal interviews plus all their other crap and then IF they decide to hire me they'll tell me what the salary is?
3. Your cut of the profits is VERY small. I called Best Buy and told them I had a 95 nissan sentra. To install a new head unit, 4 speakers, an amp and subs was like $200. Lets say you get $8/hr. You would have to spend 5 hours doing that install to make 10% of what they charge the customer.
4. The REAL money is in custom work. A local stereo shop that just opened up here charges $400 for a custom MDF enclosure. That's twice the cost of a whole best buy install. They also sell high end products which have a higher mark up.

The moral of the story: I decided that I'd just keep doing installs and custom enclosures, etc. out of my house in my spare time. I don't know what your current situation is, but for me the cut in pay wasn't worth the "experience" I would have gained. And personally, I don't trust the guys at best buy. So I don't know how comfortable I'd feel if I went to a high end shop and the guy doing the install had just come over from best buy. If this is gonna be your first job or just something part time while you go to school then it may not be the worst thing. But if not, I'd consider other options. I'm just a few weeks from getting a business license and kicking things into high gear. And the best part, I'm using my car as a "demonstration vehicle" so all of my future modifications are a business expense.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.