Ford can't find auto mechanics -- for $120,000 a year. Most high school graduates don't know enough math (or read well enough) to succeed in job training.
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I'm no expert, but from a quick Google search that looks to be twice the median income for a mechanic. If they can't find workers at that income level, it seems to me that they are either filtering based on another criteria (more than just trade school, as the article suggests) or Ford must be such an awful place to work that nobody applies.
Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the mean annual wage of "Automotive Technicians and Repairers (SOC code 49-3020)" is $55,780 as of May 2025, so yeah, something doesn't add up.
It's very state dependent.
For example, by law in California, auto mechanics make double minimum wage if they don't own their tools (so they can go buy some). That works out to about $68k/yr these days.
$120k/yr is not suuuuuper crazy in some areas for some auto work (think restoration). But generally, yes, Ford is not adding up here
> auto mechanics make double minimum wage if they don't own their tools (so they can go buy some)
I think you have that backwards:
"Typically, in California, if your employer wants you to provide and maintain your own work tools, they must pay you at least double the minimum wage. This means that in 2025, with California’s minimum wage at $16.50 per hour, your employer must pay you at least $33.00 per hour before they can require you to supply your own tools."
Auto mechanics make double minimum wage if the do own their own tools.
By Balgair 2025-11-1918:33 Ah, yes, you got me there. I typed that out well before my first cup this morning. Thank you for the correction!
Just amazing that people keep letting the Ford CEO get away with this fake $120k claim.
You could try to start a manufacturing business and see how it goes. It’s pretty dire.
Check out the ‘Smarter Everyday’ YouTube video for what it took to get people to design and manufacture a simple grill scrubber in the US.
They could find exactly one old retired guy with the knowledge and experience to make a mold, across several states.
You can get this done and delivered in 20 minutes in Shenzhen, and talk to an expert over a storefront countertop by walking over a few hundred feet from your business.
> They could find exactly one old retired guy with the knowledge and experience to make a mold, across several states.
Have you considered the issue being no company is willing to do on-the-job training ?
I hardly can believe that retired guy had everything figured out prior to starting his first day of work.
By fooker 2025-11-199:05 You can not replace 12 years of education with 'on the job training'.
You could 50 years ago. You still can, for some aspects of software engineering, which makes tech people believe that it can be done for everything.
But no, you are not going to teach someone modern chemistry, electronics, and general wetlab work with 'on the job training'.
By Tadpole9181 2025-11-195:561 reply Yes, there is a lack of people with tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars to start a mass manufacturing business of parts everyone can get in China for a tenth of the cost.
There is not a lack of mechanics who can assemble Fords on a factory line from pre-built components with instructions. FFS.
Yes, America has a serious problem. No, the Ford CEO is not actually pointing it out. He's fucking lying so he can justify using what amounts to slave labor in other countries while also touting "patriotism" branding while also refusing to do even the tiniest possible to alleviate the problem via training.
> assemble Fords on a factory line
This job is very different from your great grandfathers Ford factory job. Go tour a modern car factory.
The concept of a line worker is on its way out. The work is more on the side of maintaining the contraptions that make the car and retooling/tweaking it on a regular basis.
I’m not a native English speaker and I have a hard time figuring out what is behind the term "mechanics" here. What I find online seems to point to working in a garage and knowing how to do repairs, not being a line worker or technician in a factory doing maintenance on machinery like you say. In the article it’s confusing, they talk about servicing and trades school, so not really factory work. Maybe I’m lost in translation but it looks like even English speakers are not using a vague term to talk about different things here? What does is 120k job really about, working in a Ford garage fixing cars or being a factory technician?
By fooker 2025-11-198:45 > being a factory technician?
This one.
> working in a Ford garage fixing cars
In general (except for Tesla), there are no $Company garages in the US like the rest of the world, all repair work is handled by privately owned dealerships, whose existence is mandated by the government in most states. Experienced mechanics make about 40$ per hour at these, with juniors about half that. You'd not have trouble finding a mechanic for this rate, it being slightly above the median income.
By pragmatic 2025-11-1912:40 Yes, where is a link to a job page?
Just one. The description, the location and the salary.
Again just one link.
Anyone seen one? Can you post it here?
By general1465 2025-11-197:43 Ford mechanic explaining where is a problem.
https://www.motor1.com/news/774805/ford-ceo-complains-shorta...
By deadbolt 2025-11-193:53 indeed.com
I don't doubt there's fewer people in the trades, but I also don't see them making 120k generally and these claims seem questionable at best outside some very specific situations.
I worked at a company that actually paid well for a tech support team of about (roughly) 20 - 40 people at any given time covering a 24/7 schedule 365 days a year.
Over the course of TWENTY years the core group all stayed together. It was no mystery how, good training (that we did ourselves), good pay to start, good benefits, flexible / respectful management. It wasn't even 6 figures, but they were good jobs that made it hard for most everyone to leave, in a good way.
But all good things come to an end, tech support, I suspect like all "maintenance" roles they are eventually are seen as a cost and quality management starts to fade ... and everything falls apart. Management will bemoan not being able to find good people, while doing nothing to help make them good or treat them well.
I wonder how many leaders understand that it is their job to MAKE A GOOD TEAM and that it is their job to keep it that way, as opposed to expect people to just show up and do it for them?
By nathanaldensr 2025-11-1913:561 reply Your last paragraph reminds me of modern dating and relationship-building: people demanding everything from everyone else but nothing of themselves. Wanting it all and giving nothing. I guess we can chalk this up to living in a failed world.
By kirubakaran 2025-11-1917:39 Sure, some do that, not everyone. So I wouldn't call it a "failed world". I agree with your general point though.
