Amusement Park Mechanic Average Salaries?

What is the average salary of a ride mechanic at amusement parks and what type of experience do you need before you are able to work at a place like cedar point.

Salary varies from experience, somewhere between 35k TO 40k. If you've been a skilled worker for many years, such as a journeyman electrician, that would pay higher wages. I know hospitals have hired new maintenance personel out of the electricians and pipefiters unions. I would think it's very competitive today to land a good paying maintenance position at a place such as CP.

I worked for a few months in maintenance at MiA in 08, I think it was.

Once you were trained, you worked six days a week, 6 AM to 2 PM (majority of people) or 12 PM to 10 PM (or later) if you were on second shift in rides (usually about 4-6 guys) (to be on call and to shut rides down at the end of the day). This was from the beginning of May until the end of September.

The full year-round guys did make around 35-40 K and most of them worked 6 days a week during the season and 5 days a week or less once the rides were shut down and taken apart. They got I believe at least one if not two weeks of vacation, none of which they could take during the operating season.

The average going rate in the business is between $16.00 to $19.00/hr. for the full timers, seasonals a little less at parks that supplement the staff in the summer. At some parks the electricians may make more than the mechanics, depending upon whether or not it's a union shop or not. A lot of parks now want mechanics proficient in the operation and trouble shooting of PLC controls, as well as hydraulics, pneumatic, basic three phase electrical besides the usual mechanical proficiency.

Not all amusement parks run the 60 hour weeks that CF does. Some parks recognize the law of diminishing returns. As a matter of fact, I would bet that now that the hot dog vendor is almost gone, that you see some changes in CF operations.

$16-18/hr is not all that great, I am surprised at that rate for what they do.

I was always curious about that though, because it did interest me. Just surprised it is not $20+/hr.

Which is the reason that a lot of parks are constantly posting ads for this position. SeaWorld in San Diego posts ads at least once a quarter, and Legoland CA has had an opening posted since March of this year. The manufacturing industry out here pays better for the same skill sets, and eventually the new hires at the parks tire of the weird hours and move on.

Invertalon said:
I was always curious about that though, because it did interest me. Just surprised it is not $20+/hr.

It can be $20+ an hour but you have to be fulltime and have been there for a few years. I know a lot of guys at Cedar Point who are making around $25 to $28/hr. No one starts off at that rate and almost always no one starts off fulltime. Seasonal employees in Maintenance are going to make a lot less, around $9/hr but they also do a lot, LOT less as far as actual maintenance work goes. Some guys may get more responsibility if they show that they know their stuff but for the most part, they're greasing trains on 3rd shift.