Market study: What is the typical senior mechanic salary?

This research stems from CyclingIndustry.News’ own Independent Retail Channel Study, which drew on the feedback of 201 bike shops and workshops across the UK. To find out more about the study’s content and how to purchase, head here. 

Bike businesses will often complain of struggling to draw the calibre of talent required to fill mechanic’s roles and it’s perhaps plain to see why the skills shortage exists. “Doing it for the love of it” could prove dangerous for employees with high personal overheads. With over 50% of the market’s senior mechanic positions paid under £20,000 per year the bike industry looks set to continue to struggle luring top talent.

What’s the solution? Many suggest that, with the workshop gaining in importance for the majority of shops, that now is the time to revise price lists. Further to fine tuning charges, many other methods have been used to increase turnover and reduce instances where pricing is ambiguous. Calculating your hourly labour rate, sticking rigidly to timed slots and displaying a comprehensive tiered price list front and centre of the register or workshop area is advisable.

In prior ‘Ask the Trade’ segments we have quizzed shops on how they developed their workshop rate card. 

Other methods we’ve seen for incrementally increasing profitability include itemised charges for cleaners and lubricants used on jobs, monthly membership schemes that build in coffee, bike fitting and servicing on each visit and assessing the efficiencies of workshop layout, among other things to consider.

For those looking for available bicycle mechanics jobs, check in with our jobs board here.