Chris Pyle has been a full-time, work-from-home mechanic for over ten years – which may sound like a oxymoron – but his paychecks don’t lie.
He wakes up every day, throws on a tank top and shorts, logs onto JustAnswer.com and answers strangers’ questions about their gas and diesel engine issues from the comfort of his recliner.
Being an expert advice-giver on JustAnswer started as a side hustle for him in 2006, but Pyle made $170,500 last year, which amounts to a staggering $14,200 a month.
In just over three months, Pyle earns what the average mechanic makes in an entire year, all while never having to peek under a hood.
He earned $500 in his first month on the site in 2006. His earnings kept exponentially growing until he was making enough to be able to quit his $75,000-a-year mechanic job at Ford in 2012.
Chris Pyle, 45, is in the process of building a second home for himself and his family on the property – all of which is funded by his JustAnswer work
His new gig has also allowed him and his wife to buy an RV and a 34-acre plot of land for $130,000 in Dickson County, Tennessee.
Pyle, 45, is in the process of building a second home for himself and his family on the property – all of which is funded by his JustAnswer work.
Although he has to work eight to 10 hours a day, seven days per week, he ultimately sets his own schedule, which he says allows him to be present for his family,
‘I was a Cub Scout master for eight years … I was a soccer coach,’ Pyle told CNBC. ‘I could log off right now and go play a video game with my son, or go swim in the pool.’
Of course, Pyle had to get his skills before he could be a virtual car guru.
He explained that Ford hired and trained him as a transmission tech, while also funding his certifications.
In his second month on JustAnswer, Pyle made $1,000, half of which he gave to his wife to go spend wherever she wanted at the mall. He spent his $500 at Bass Pro Shops in just 15 minutes
One day, when he was looking online for how to fix someone’s transmission, he came upon an answer given by another mechanic on JustAnswer.
That was the beginning of it all. He signed up and started answering questions here and there after his workday.
He said he liked the challenge of figuring out the problem in an engine he ‘couldn’t see, touch or smell,’ and soon, he realized he had a knack for it.
When he made $1,000 in his second month on JustAnswer, he took his wife to the mall, gave her $500 of his online haul and remembered telling her: ‘Do not come back with any cash in your hand.’
His half was spent in just 15 minutes at Bass Pro Shop.
He eventually got more serious on the JustAnswer platform, spending three hours answering close to 40 questions per day by 2012.
‘For six years, my paycheck was very consistent working here,’ Pyle says. ‘I was like, “Well, if I throw in some more hours, that [check] will increase.”‘
Since he’s paid by the answer, Pyle feels he has to work at least 40 to 60 hours a week to maintain his income.
Pyle used to work as a full-time mechanic at Ford Motors, a job he quit in 2012 when his income on JustAnswer outpaced his $75,000 yearly salary
He said he works every single day, including Christmas and birthdays.
Pyle doesn’t mind the tradeoffs though, given that JustAnswer has helped him building a better life for his family and a career that isn’t dependent on a boss.
His wife was able to quit her nursing job and homeschool their two sons.
And while he has to file his own taxes and pay for his family’s health insurance – burdens that wouldn’t be as heavy if he were still employed at a traditional 9 to 5 – he does get to write off things like his phone, internet, laptop and 10 percent of his utilities bill.
The major downside to his current job is that he’s not an employee of JustAnswer. Rather, the site grades its experts on a weekly basis, which determines how much they make per answer.
Once Pyle finishes building his new house, he said he wants to cut back on his JustAnswer work, though he’ll likely be on online for at least 30 hours per week.
‘I have zero plans to go back for a real job, unless I’m the boss,’ Pyle said. ‘Between my work attire and the environment that I work in, [life] is pretty good.’
