The Average Salary of a Professional Pool Table Mechanic

I don't run into pool table mechanic's very often as 99% of the work done to pool tables is having the cloth replaced, and replacing the cushions, right or wrong. In my opinion, it takes a lot more skills to be a pool table mechanic than what meets the eye of the customer, so the title "pool table mechanic" is thrown around very loosely. Yes, there are professional installers like PT911, who take a tremendous amount of pride in the work he and his crew perform, but he's 100% right about most everyone working on pool tables, as most of them OTHER out there only know how to "price" the work in order to land the job, and there's plenty of stupid customers willing to pay for cheap, with lack of knowledge on how to perform the work correctly, and for those customers I have no sympathy, as you get what you pay for. To the OP, no matter how much you think you'd like to go into this link of work, all I have to say is this line of work will decide who comes and goes, not the person trying to just make a buck!
 
Runner said:
Here in L.A. we have the inimitable Mr. Ernesto Dominguez... I think he has a regular circuit... tables always play right and tight! He's a formidable player as well... don't know what he pulls in, seems to do OK.
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If he had one of my pocket gages I invented, he could get all 4 corner pockets on a pool table the same size;)
 
bigchase said:
I'm just wondering if you guys can help me out. I saw the post about the salary of a professional pool player, what about the salary of a professional pool table mechanic? With all you pool players out there who do you turn to when you need to make sure your equipment is in tip top shape? The Professional Pool Table Mechanic or do you strike out and attempt to cover and level your table yourself? I'm thinking that is where I want to be, there's literally thousands of pool tables out there someone has to maintain them. What kid of salary do you think a table mechanic can bring in annually? If your good you can get a couple of tables ina day, and can even buy and sell tables as well. So anyone out there live the life a professional pool table mechanic? Can you maintain a steady income and put food on the table for your family? Thanks in advance for your input...
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Here, I'll help you out with your question about how much you could earn. As long as you're willing to turn & burn jobs, meaning get them done as fast as you can, and don't bother going back for the unhappy customers, and your prices are cheap enough so that you can play off the bad work by telling the unhappy customers they got what they paid for, and providing you don't run out of them customers, you could pocket a $100,000+ a year.
 
smashmouth said:
quality here in Toronto is horrendous, has been for decades
yet we have more rooms and a bigger pool scene than most American cities
go figure

our rooms for the most part have no diamonds nor brunswicks...even the snooker tables were mostly mid grade stuff
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Corner Bank has all new Diamonds. Shooters has GCs, IIRC. Le Spot has GCs and Diamonds, IIRC (PT109 please correct me). What rooms are you choosing to play in?

cue work needed? forget about i

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I'm at the point where I ship my shafts to Seyberts for tip replacements which SUX cause it aint cheap and you worry about your shaft getting lost as well as being without it for a couple weeks
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You don't like Hari? I'd be curious why?

Gideon
 
Fixed it for ya. :smile:

realkingcobra said:
Here, I'll help you out with your question about how much you could earn. As long as you're willing to turn & burn jobs, meaning get them done as fast as you can, and don't bother going back for the unhappy customers, and your prices are cheap enough so that you can play off the bad work by telling the unhappy customers they got what they paid for, and providing you don't run out of them customers, you could pocket a $100,000+ a year gross. $30k after expenses. :D .
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Just so everybody in CA knows, Tommy Hill is our newest PBIA/SPF certified instructor. We're very excited to have him out teaching, and providing quality instruction for all levels of players...beginner to pro.:thumbup:

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com

tommyhill said:
I have made my living as a Professional Billiard Mechanic and Cue repairman for 30 years. I can tell you it is not a great living at all. when I get commercial work and do a pool room I can put some away but the problem is that every pool player today thinks they can work on tables so the prices are driven down because of all the hacks out there and the everyday home owner getting a table moved or recovered dosent care. cue repair is worse. everyone has a lathe now and the quality of cue work being done in the pool rooms where I live is just upsetting. at 45 years old im looking to do something else and that's sad because I love working on tables.
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realkingcobra said:
Here, I'll help you out with your question about how much you could earn. As long as you're willing to turn & burn jobs, meaning get them done as fast as you can, and don't bother going back for the unhappy customers, and your prices are cheap enough so that you can play off the bad work by telling the unhappy customers they got what they paid for, and providing you don't run out of them customers, you could pocket a $100,000+ a year.
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So you're telling me that you have made 100k a year? What's the average of the last 5 years?
 
bigchase said:
So you're telling me that you have made 100k a year? What's the average of the last 5 years?
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There is no average income from working on pool tables because it all depends on who's doing the work, not what work is being done. I happen to be at the top of the list as far as table mechanics go, Mark Gregory to for that matter....do you really think you're going to compare what we do to pool tables for a living as some kind of measurement of this industry as to what YOU might be able to earn?
 
realkingcobra said:
How much have YOU earned over the last 5 years?
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I'm a government servant I make way less than I should... but that's not what I asked you told me average salary for a mechanic is 100k/year so I asked if that's what you made? I'm just wondering for when my governmentservice ends
 
bigchase said:
I'm a government servant I make way less than I should... but that's not what I asked you told me average salary for a mechanic is 100k/year so I asked if that's what you made? I'm just wondering for when my governmentservice ends
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Quote me where I said the average cloth installer earns over $100,000 a year:rolleyes:
 
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