What is the best place to start off with a high pay in the auto body field?

Dustin,

Wherever you go when you find employment upon receiving your certifications will have a high pay based on your skills and experience.

Hi Dustin. This isn't exactly first hand, but a son of a friend discovered an auto mechanics training at a community college that was sponsored by several of the US and foreign auto makers.....and I THINK there was a small salary during training, but also the guarantee of a job afterwards. And a mechanics job at a 'brand name' automobile service facility is likely to be among the better paying. Do some digging online and you'll probably run into the program. I know you said you are in a training class at the moment, but I'm guessing it is more general in nature and not specific to one brand of vehicle. There is certainly demand for folks with the broader skills as well, so if you want to run that route then find a couple of places where you would like to work, if things worked out, and then go there now and ask to talk to someone there, for 10 minutes, for career advice in the automotive mechanics field. You may run into some "No's" in this process, but keep plugging, it only takes one good connection.

Good luck