A Better Shop for Journey Mechanics

A career at Community Transit means great pay today and a pension that keeps paying you after you retire. The Washington Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) is a retirement pension benefit that pays you a monthly income for life when you retire.

Your pension is based on:

• Years of service
• Average Highest Compensation: The average of your highest 60 consecutive months (five years) of pay
• Retirement age: If you retire before age 65, your monthly pension may be smaller. How much it’s reduced depends on how many years early you retire and how long you’ve worked in the system.

For the example below, we use about $10,235 in average monthly pay, roughly equivalent to earning about $59/hour, the highest of the current entry-level mechanic wages.

PERS Plan 2 Example

You and your employer contribute a percentage of income to fund this plan. Learn more about the PERS Plan 2.

Years of service × average monthly pay x 2%  

For example, a 65-year-old retiring after the following number of years would make:

30 years of service × $10,235 average monthly pay x 2% = about $6,141 per month for life*

15 years of service × $10,235 average monthly pay x 2% = about $3,071 per month for life*

5 years of service × $10,235 average monthly pay x 2% = about $1,024 per month for life*

There is also a hybrid retirement plan with two income sources. With a PERS 3 plan, your employer contributes to your lifetime retirement pension, and you contribute to the investment account. Learn more about PERS Plan 3.

^{*Examples are estimates for illustration only.}  

• You must be able to clearly communicate (read, speak and write) in English.
• You must pass a pre-employment Department of Transportation (DOT) physical and drug screen before your first day of work.
• You have or be able to obtain within 90 days of a hire a Washington State driver's license and Washington State CDL license with P1 endorsement & airbrake restriction removed.
• You must be willing and able to work any shift assigned, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Required minimum qualifications include:

• Mechanics must meet one of the following criteria for experience:
  
  • Four years of experience in mechanical repair of diesel-powered vehicles, including engine, electrical, hydraulic, suspension, and brake systems.
    or
  • Two years experience and completion of a two-year vocational or community college diesel mechanics program.
• Completed a state-sanctioned apprenticeship program as a diesel mechanic are also qualified with the additional two years’ experience in the trade. Currently all our buses have diesel or diesel-electric hybrid power.
• Most of our Journey Mechanics have a diesel background, but we have found that people with automotive backgrounds can be successful if they have some knowledge of and experience with diesel engines.
• If you don’t think you meet these requirements, but are still interested you should look out for our Apprentice Mechanic openings.

Yes. Mechanics are represented by the International Associations of Mechanics (IAM) District 160, Local 130.

The Vehicle Maintenance Department operates three shifts, seven days a week:

• Day shift: Starting at $54.93 per hour
  
• Swing shift: Starting at $57.68 per hour
• Graveyard shift: Starting at $59.05 per hour

Swing and graveyard shifts receive a shift differential — an additional hourly premium for working outside standard business hours.

Mechanics work a guaranteed 40-hour week with two consecutive days off — though those days off are not necessarily Saturday and Sunday. The position is eligible for overtime, paid at time-and-a-half for hours worked beyond 40 in a week.

Work schedules are based on a seniority system. Employees can bid on shifts at least once per year. Swing and graveyard openings are the most common vacancies.

Employees must be able to work any assigned shift, including any combination of days off.

• Inspecting, diagnosing and repairing mechanical defects in hybrid and diesel-powered buses, and other heavy motorized mechanical equipment.
• Operating and maintaining electronic diagnostic equipment and other material, including computer programs and scanning tools.
• Diagnosing, dismantling, repairing and overhauling all types of gasoline and diesel internal combustion engines, automatic transmissions, differentials, hydraulic, pneumatic and electronic systems.
• Performing wheel alignments, adjusting/replacing brakes and repair of pumps, starters, injectors, lights, steering gears, generators and air conditioning systems.
• Installing, maintaining and repairing a variety of auxiliary systems, equipment and electronics including fare collection, communication, and related components.
• Operating hydraulic lifts, hoists, jacks, cranes, diagnostic computers and software.
• Documenting work done, material used and how time is spent.
• Responding to service calls and performing emergency repair work in the field.

After you’re hired as a Journey Mechanic, you can grow your career through a technical or leadership path.

Technical path:

• Journey Mechanic ($114K + premium)
• Lead Journey Mechanic ($125K + premium)
• Maintenance Director ($136K – $205K)

Leadership path:

• Journey Mechanic ($114K + premium)
• Assistant Manager ($101K – $152K)
• Maintenance Manager ($117K – $176K)
• Maintenance Director ($136K – $205K)