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Eighty-four percent of respondents said higher pay is the most urgent issue facing the industry . Seventy-one percent want a better pay structure. But here's the thing—only about half of all technicians said their shop provides fair compensation. That number dropped two points from last year .
Diesel techs are doing a little better. Sixty-seven percent of them feel fairly paid, up five points from last year . That's progress, but it still leaves a third of diesel technicians who think they're not getting what they're worth.
The type of shop matters too. Fleets came out on top with 70% of techs saying they're paid fairly. Independent shops followed at 67%. Dealerships? Fifty-one percent. Franchises and chains brought up the rear at 45%. If you're running a dealership or a franchise, that number should be keeping you up at night.
Technicians are moving away from the traditional flat-rate model. They want income stability. The survey shows more diesel techs prefer hourly or salary pay with a production bonus—up 11% from last year to 34% . But most still want straight hourly or salary.
Mark Wilson from WrenchWay put it bluntly: "You're an adult, you're professionals, you're showing up to work." The idea that techs need the threat of lost income to stay productive is, in his words, "disrespectful" . If pay is the only thing motivating someone to work, that's a management problem, not a worker problem.
The survey asked techs to rank what they need from an employer. The results are pretty clear about what matters :
The temperature-controlled building number is interesting too. Forty-three percent say it's a must-have. That's up from previous years. Techs are tired of freezing in the winter and baking in the summer. It's not a huge ask.
The Net Promoter score has been sliding for three years. It's now at minus 60 . That means for every technician who would recommend this career, far more would tell their friends to look elsewhere.
Jay Goninen from WrenchWay said it plainly: "We're not making progress. Technicians don't see that vision, that light at the end of the tunnel. We need to take that seriously" .
Mark Wilson added that he sees shops and dealers making progress in some areas, but the overall trend is bad. "We have to do better".
The people turning wrenches today don't see themselves as just mechanics. They see themselves as professionals. They're working on machines that cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, with technology that didn't exist ten years ago. They're diagnosing electrical gremlins, programming modules, and dealing with systems that require serious brain power.
But a lot of shops still treat them like they're interchangeable parts. Show up, turn wrenches, go home. No career path. No investment in their future. No respect for their time.
The survey data backs this up. Nearly half of respondents said a well-documented career path is a must-have [citation:0]. They want to know where they're going. They want to see a future.
Meanwhile, a lot of shops are running the same way they did twenty years ago. Flat rate pay. No paid training. Hand-me-down tools. A shop that's freezing in December and sweltering in July.
The gap between what techs want and what shops provide isn't growing because techs are asking for more. It's growing because shops aren't changing fast enough.
Diesel techs are somewhat happier than their automotive counterparts. Sixty-seven percent say they're paid fairly, compared to the overall average . That makes sense—diesel work often pays better, and the environments can be more stable, especially in fleet settings.
But even diesel techs are feeling the gap. They want the same things: proper equipment, paid time off, retirement, training. The industry as a whole hasn't figured out how to deliver those consistently.
The flat rate model isn't dead yet, but its days are numbered. Techs want stability. They want to know what they're taking home every week without guessing. Shops that move toward hourly or salary pay with production bonuses are going to have an easier time keeping good people.
The survey shows 34% of diesel techs now prefer hourly with a bonus, up 11 points in a year . That's a big shift. Shops that don't adapt will get left behind.
Eighty-seven percent of techs say proper equipment is a must-have. That means lifts that work, diagnostic tools that are up to date, computers that don't crash. If you're making techs fight with broken equipment every day, they're going to leave.
Same with paid vacation. Eighty-seven percent say it's non-negotiable . If you're not offering it, you're not even in the game.
Forty-six percent want a well-documented career path. That's not just a title change every few years. It's clear expectations, regular reviews, and a real plan for advancement. Techs want to know that if they stick around and do good work, there's somewhere to go.
The folks at ASE and WrenchWay make a point worth repeating: expectations aren't stagnant. As the industry pushes toward professionalism, techs are going to expect more . Shops that aren't paying attention will find themselves with empty bays and no one to fill them.
Dave Johnson put it this way: "We've got a long way to go, but we can do it. We just have to keep plugging away at it" .
The gap between what technicians want and what shops provide is real, and it's getting wider. Techs see themselves as professionals, and they're asking for the things professionals expect: fair pay, proper equipment, paid time off, retirement, a real career path. Too many shops are still operating like it's 1995.
The Net Promoter score of minus 60 should be a wake-up call. Technicians aren't recommending this career to their friends because they don't see a good future in it. That's on the industry. And until shops start taking this seriously—really seriously—the shortage is only going to get worse.
The good news? The solutions aren't a mystery. Pay people fairly. Give them the tools they need. Treat them like professionals. Create a path forward. It's not complicated. It just takes the will to change.
A: Minus 60. That means far more technicians would not recommend their career to a friend than would. The score has dropped for three straight years.
A: Proper equipment in the shop and paid vacation top the list at 87%, followed by retirement funds at 73%, paid training at 66%, and no weekend work at 50%. A well-documented career path is a must-have for 46% .
A: Somewhat. Sixty-seven percent of diesel techs say they're paid fairly, compared to lower numbers in other segments. But the gap between what they want and what shops provide still exists .
A: Technicians want income stability. Flat rate makes their paycheck unpredictable and doesn't reflect the professional nature of the work. More techs are moving toward hourly or salary pay with production bonuses .
A: More than 5,500 technicians, students, instructors, and managers responded between November and December 2025. About 13% of the technicians worked in the diesel industry .
A: Fleets rank highest with 70% of techs saying they're paid fairly, followed by independent shops at 67%. Dealerships come in at 51%, and franchises and chains at 45% .
A: The overall trend is worse. The Net Promoter score keeps dropping, and the percentage of techs who feel fairly paid dropped two points overall. Some segments are improving, but the industry as a whole isn't keeping up with technician expectations .
