What do "racecar engineers" make?

[RBbugBITme]

I've always been interested in working for companies like Garrett/Borg Warner, TiAl, or even a racing team but not really an OEM like Honda/Ford/whoever. I told myself I would probably make less money going this route than pretty much any other way I could go but I would enjoy going to work which is a perfectly good trade off for me.

What do those jobs typically pay though because I don't know?

[RBbugBITme]

I've always been interested in working for companies like Garrett/Borg Warner, TiAl, or even a racing team but not really an OEM like Honda/Ford/whoever. I told myself I would probably make less money going this route than pretty much any other way I could go but I would enjoy going to work which is a perfectly good trade off for me.

What do those jobs typically pay though because I don't know?

[drivetrainUW-Platt]

There are so many variables I dont know if there is an answer. Look around, get some offers and go from there. I think its an individual basis with you and the company, there is no "going rate" for x engineer.

[RBbugBITme]

Yeah I hear ya. I always assumed for example a raceing team, the money went mostly toward the cars and the engineers didn't make that much. Like < 50k

[js10coastr]

50K-60K a year for an "entry level" position... meaning FSAE and then about two years of experience. Race engineers are in the 200K+...

MoTeC starts out at 30K/year for the first 6 months but is more willing to hire someone straight out of College/FSAE.

[RBbugBITme]

Good to know, very wide range.

Thanks

[Roger]

When I first got out of college, I started working for Honda on the Champ Car engine program. The engineers there were paid salary and made in the mid 30k range and traveled about 200 days a year. That was in the late 90's and early 2000. I hear they pay a tad bit more these days since they would lose a lot of people. Heck, I didn't stick around with that kind of pay. =)

[Hoosier Daddy]

I depends which industry you'll be working in, and at what level. The higher the level of motorsports the more budget there is for engineering talent.

For instance I know engineers working in sportscar and openwheel racing that do 'ok'. Entry level you could expect 40k and up... That's not really good compared to starting with an OEM.

I work in Cup and salaries for engineers in the shops range from mid 40's to as much as maybe $200k for experienced race engineers on the better funded teams. Senior engineers, ie technical directors etc, and those that graduate to crew chiefs can do quite a bit better.

Best pay out of school would be by joining an OEM or other large corporation, as race teams generally won't spend the money on newbies to the industry... Although, as experience grows salaries can grow much quicker compared to the corporate environment, at least in Cup... Not sure about ChampCar or IRL, and it less likely in lower profile seres.

[Dan G]

Garrett (Honeywell) pays the same as the rest of the automotive industry, which as a whole seems excellent in comparison to some of the other majors/industries. I'm sure Borg Warner is very similar. The motorsports group here is on the same pay structure, but there's much less room and opportunity for career growth. Much easier on the OEM side of the business where you can make steady progress climbing either the management or technical ladders thanks to the size and schedule of the teams.

My second hand experience polling close friends at various levels of the aftermarket/motorsports industry is that the further you get from mass production automotive engineering, the less glamorous and/or consistent the salary... unless you can break through the barrier into the very few high paying gigs. For instance, figure an engineer at an aftermarket company is going to make 10-20% less for the same job, with likely a weaker benefits package. This isn't a proven rule by any means, just my observations from a few sources. Obviously there are examples of high paying race engineering spots out there too.

I'm working the plain jane OEM/supplier -> "performance" OEM/supplier -> motorsports ladder myself. But I'm not set on whether I'll actually try to continue on to a career in motorsports, or stick with the comfortable, secure type of positions I've had thus far and get my racing fix on the weekends.

[RBbugBITme]

Thanks dudes. Its sounding like my expectations are on par with reality.

[Roger]

I have worked in the aftermarket for 5 years, expect about 25% less in salary than the average in the area you are working. They tend to hire more engineers straight out of college and train them, and also starting them off at really low wages. When I went in I had more experience and got slightly more. Now that I left the auto aftermarket my salary jumped WAY up. Now I can afford to play more with my own cars than be paid to work on other people's cars.

[Cory M]

Also consider the resources that some of the smaller aftermarket companies lack. For example, are they going to be willing to pay for you to be properly trained on the latest software or are you going to have to learn it yourself on the job? Do they even have the latest software? What about training courses for public speaking, professional commmunication, managemant skills, etc? These things are important if you want to be competitive when looking for future jobs down the road when the novelty wears off and you want to be able to buy a house and support a family.

[Charlie]

Engineers with no experience (FSAE regardless) are going to make very very poor wages in the average motorsport job (OEM motorsport programs excluded, well, take the very very out http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_wink.gif ). After a few years of long hours and crap work, you can start eeking out a living. IF you can hold down a job for that long.

It ain't easy. The call of the stable job weeds most out.