In CA, minimum wage for a mechanic without tools is 2x the state minimum; that's ~$20/hr now, right? In auto-repair there are no young guns anymore, the High S

In CA, minimum wage for a mechanic without tools is 2x the state minimum; that's ~$20/hr now, right? In auto-repair there are no young guns anymore, the High Schools got rid of shop, let alone auto-shop, about 30 years ago. Besides, chicks don't dig grease under the fingernails. Almost no HS grads have the chops to become mechanics, they really need to go to Tech Schools beforehand. Some of those Tech Schools are really bad, but some can be good (Las Modanas in the East Bay). In the end, the pay is shit because the owners can't charge the customers enough. Most shops, like restaurants, close quickly because people won't pay. Also, ~90% of my uncle's business is in credit cards. Pre-2008 it was ~30%. The economy has really never recovered for most people.