With GCSEs and A-Levels just around the corner and degree results out soon, students everywhere are turning their minds to potential careers, but just what jobs are available for those who love cars but don’t fancy a life on the race track?
New research by OSV has revealed that there’s more out there for people with oil in their veins than just being the star of the driving show.
Vehicle-related jobs are broadly separated into four categories – driving, technical, academic and management – with potential earnings ranging from a perfectly acceptable £27,000p/a for a private chauffeur, to an astronomical £40m, if you happen to be a budding Fernando Alonso, with numerous pit stops in between.
But of course, finding a career isn’t just about the money; ideally you should find something you enjoy doing, so what vacancies could a would-be driver look for, which could take them away from the taxi rank?
- Factory Test Drivers get to play with… ahem, rigorously check new vehicles for safety, comfort and ease of use, for roughly £30,000 per annum, while a Supercar Test Driver can pretend that they are a star in a very expensive car every working day for an appealing £75,000p/a salary.
- Fancy driving some of the most expensive and fastest cars in the world, and getting paid for it? Then a Supercar Collection and Delivery Driver (£30,000p/a) role might be for you.
- For the thrill-seeker there’s Stunt Car Driving within the film industry (£4,000-£200,000 depending on skill and experience). Or for the real risk-taker, War Zone Truck Driver (£60,000-80,000) might bring its own rewards.
Working tirelessly behind the scenes the tech guys and girls are the real heart of the motor industry, filling more than just the role of mechanic:
- With vacancies in Ontario for the Ford GT, Japan for the Acura, Hungary for the Lamborghini & Audi R8, and Surrey for the McLaren P1, the Supercar Engine Builder (£35,000) is in high global demand.
- An F1 engineer can expect to command up to a £75k salary and work anywhere around the world: supercar engine plants in the UK alone include: Lotus, Williams, Mercedes, Red Bull, Silverstone and Marussia. For global picks, check out the following link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Formula_racing#Worldwide
- Or how about a designer (£50k), F1 mechanic (£35k), or Prototype Testing Engineer (£60k) ?