How Chris Pyle Went From Mechanic to $14k/Month: Here’s What You Can Learn

Let’s cut to the chase.

Chris Pyle, a 45-year-old former Ford mechanic, flipped the script on his career. He quit his $75,000-a-year job to work full-time on his side hustle—answering questions on a website called JustAnswer. Now, he’s pulling in $14,200 a month. That’s $170,000 a year, more than double his old salary .

How did he do it? And more importantly, what can you take from his story to level up your own income?

Let’s break it down.

The Mechanic Side Hustle That Made Him More Than His Day Job

Pyle didn’t start out with a plan to make six figures. He was just answering questions after work for extra cash.

He’s an automotive guy, so he jumped into JustAnswer, where people pay to get their car problems solved by experts. He made $500 in his first month. Not bad, right?

Then, he doubled that the next month. And doubled it again.

By 2012, he was making more on JustAnswer than he was working full-time at Ford. So, he quit his job and went all-in .

Lesson: Start small, but go where the money is.

Chris didn’t reinvent the wheel. He took a skill he already had and found a platform where he could monetize it online .

The Real Reason He’s Making $170k

A lot of people stop here. They get a side hustle going, it’s paying them more than their job, and they’re happy.

Not Chris.

He realized the math: if he could make $500 working a few hours, what happens if he put in 40+ hours? Spoiler: it worked.

By working 40 to 60 hours a week on JustAnswer, he scaled up to $14,200 a month.

Here’s the kicker: He’s not doing anything crazy. He’s still just answering questions about cars. But he put in the time and the reps. That’s how you scale anything .

Key takeaway: Treat your side hustle like a real business.

Most people dabble. Chris committed. That’s why he’s banking $170k a year.

Why JustAnswer Worked So Well for Him

Chris didn’t just get lucky. He found the right platform.

JustAnswer is a platform that connects experts with people who need advice. Chris was one of the experts, and people needed his knowledge to fix their cars. It’s that simple .

What’s great about platforms like JustAnswer is:

• Flexibility: You log in whenever you want. No boss. No 9-to-5.
• Scalable: The more questions you answer, the more money you make.
• No overhead: No shop rent, no parts inventory, no physical business .

Chris realized this early: You don’t need a ton of resources to make a ton of money. You just need a skill, a market, and a platform to connect the two.

Why You Need to Get Paid for Your Skills

Chris was a Ford mechanic for years. He knew his stuff. But here’s the thing: your skills aren’t worth much until you monetize them.

Most people sit on their skills and wonder why they aren’t making more money. It’s because they’re not putting themselves in a position to get paid for what they know.

Chris didn’t try to learn something new. He took what he already knew—how to fix cars—and found a way to get paid more for it. You can do the same with whatever skill you have .

The market doesn’t care how hard you work. It cares about how much value you bring.

Chris brought value by solving car problems. That’s why he got paid .

The Lifestyle Upgrade: More Time, More Money

Now let’s talk about the payoff.

Since going all-in on JustAnswer, Chris has not only doubled his income, but he’s also taken control of his life. He bought a 34-acre property, started building a second home, and is spending more time with his family .

He works 7 days a week, but here’s the difference: he works when he wants, on his terms. He can log off to hang with his kids or take a break whenever he feels like it .

That’s real freedom.

He’s not chained to a boss or a schedule anymore. And the best part? His wife quit her job to homeschool their kids because they no longer need a second income.

The lesson here?

It’s not just about the money. It’s about what the money gets you: freedom, time, control .

How You Can Do the Same

Here’s the simple blueprint if you want to follow Chris’s path:

1. Pick a skill: What are you good at? What do people need help with? It doesn’t have to be fancy—just something people are willing to pay for.
2. Find the right platform: Whether it’s JustAnswer, Upwork, or Fiverr, there are platforms for every skill. Get on one and start offering your services.
3. Start part-time: Don’t quit your job immediately. Do what Chris did—start small and scale as you see results.
4. Commit: Once you see it’s working, go all in. The faster you double down, the faster you’ll see results .

Closing Thoughts

Chris Pyle’s story isn’t magic. It’s execution. He took what he knew, found the right platform, and worked the system until it paid off big time.

Most people are sitting on skills they’re not using. Don’t be one of them. You don’t have to invent something new—you just need to monetize what you already know.

If you want to go from side hustle to full-time income, follow the same path Chris did: leverage your skills, find the right platform, and put in the work.

Now, it’s your turn. What skill are you sitting on, and how are you going to make money with it?

Sources:

1. CNBC: Mechanic quit Ford job to pursue side hustle, now makes six figures
2. LinkedIn: JustAnswer CEO Andy Kurtzig shares about Chris Pyle’s success
3. CBG.com: How Chris Pyle transitioned to making $14,200 a month on JustAnswer
4. CNBC Make It on Twitter: Highlighting Chris Pyle’s career transformation
5. JustAnswer on LinkedIn: Chris Pyle’s career transformation