Career profile for Automotive Repair Technician

What does an Automotive Repair Technician do?

Automotive Repair Technicians repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.

What kind of tasks does an Automotive Repair Technician perform regularly?

Automotive Repair Technicians are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.
Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.
Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.
Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.
Sand body areas to be painted and cover bumpers, windows, and trim with masking tape or paper to protect them from the paint.
Chain or clamp frames and sections to alignment machines that use hydraulic pressure to align damaged components.
Position dolly blocks against surfaces of dented areas and beat opposite surfaces to remove dents, using hammers.
Cut and tape plastic separating film to outside repair areas to avoid damaging surrounding surfaces during repair procedure and remove tape and wash surfaces after repairs are complete.
Review damage reports, prepare or review repair cost estimates, and plan work to be performed.
Fill small dents that cannot be worked out with plastic or solder.
Remove small pits and dimples in body metal, using pick hammers and punches.
Remove damaged sections of vehicles using metal-cutting guns, air grinders and wrenches, and install replacement parts using wrenches or welding equipment.
Remove upholstery, accessories, electrical window-and-seat-operating equipment, and trim to gain access to vehicle bodies and fenders.
Mix polyester resins and hardeners to be used in restoring damaged areas.
Fit and secure windows, vinyl roofs, and metal trim to vehicle bodies, using caulking guns, adhesive brushes, and mallets.
Adjust or align headlights, wheels, and brake systems.
Replace damaged glass on vehicles.
Remove damaged panels, and identify the family and properties of the plastic used on a vehicle.
Apply heat to plastic panels, using hot-air welding guns or immersion in hot water, and press the softened panels back into shape by hand.
Clean work areas, using air hoses, to remove damaged material and discarded fiberglass strips used in repair procedures.
Soak fiberglass matting in resin mixtures and apply layers of matting over repair areas to specified thicknesses.

The above responsibilities are specific to Automotive Repair Technicians. More generally, Automotive Repair Technicians are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge		Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Making Decisions and Solving Problems		Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment		Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events		Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge

Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Getting Information

Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems

Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events

Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

What is an Automotive Repair Technician salary?

The median salary for an Automotive Repair Technician is $45,350, and the average salary is $49,430. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Automotive Repair Technician salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Automotive Repair Technicians earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Automotive Repair Technicians earn less than $28,090 per year, 25% earn less than $35,170, 75% earn less than $59,560, and 90% earn less than $77,210.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Automotive Repair Technicians is expected to change by 5.3%, and there should be roughly 15,200 open positions for Automotive Repair Technicians every year.

Median annual salary: $45,350
Typical salary range: $28,090 - $77,210
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 5.3%

What personality traits are common among Automotive Repair Technicians?

Interests

Career interests describe a person's preferences for different types of working environments and activities. When a person's interest match the demands of an occupation, people are usually more engaged and satisfied in that role.

Compared to most occupations, those who work as an Automotive Repair Technician are usually higher in their Realistic interests.

Automotive Repair Technicians typically have very strong Realistic interests. Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Values

People differ in their values, or what is most important to them for building job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Compared to most people, those working as an Automotive Repair Technician tend to value Support, Relationships, and Independence.

Most importantly, Automotive Repair Technicians moderately value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Automotive Repair Technicians moderately value Relationships. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment.

Lastly, Automotive Repair Technicians moderately value Independence. Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions.

Psychological Demands

Each occupation brings its own set of psychological demands, which describe the characteristics necessary to perform the job well.

In order to perform their job successfully, people who work as Automotive Repair Technicians must consistently demonstrate qualities such as attention to detail, dependability, and integrity.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Automotive Repair Technicians, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Attention to Detail		Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability		Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Integrity		Job requires being honest and ethical.
Achievement/Effort		Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Innovation		Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

Attention to Detail

Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.

Dependability

Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.

Integrity

Job requires being honest and ethical.

Achievement/Effort

Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.

Innovation

Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.

What education and training do Automotive Repair Technicians need?

Working as an Automotive Repair Technician usually requires a high school diploma.

Automotive Repair Technicians need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Automotive Repair Technicians

22.2% did not complete high school or secondary school
47.2% completed high school or secondary school
18.7% completed some college coursework
8.7% earned a Associate's degree
2.7% earned a Bachelor's degree
0.4% earned a Master's degree
0.1% earned a doctorate or professional degree

Knowledge and expertise required by Automotive Repair Technicians

Automotive Repair Technicians may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as mechanical, customer and personal service, or production and processing knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Automotive Repair Technicians might want to build proficiency, ranked by importance.

Knowledge areas	Importance	Details
Mechanical		Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
Customer and Personal Service		Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Production and Processing		Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
Mathematics		Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Transportation		Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Mechanical

Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Production and Processing

Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Mathematics

Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.

Transportation

Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.

Important Abilities needed by Automotive Repair Technicians

Automotive Repair Technicians must develop a particular set of abilities to perform their job well. Abilities are individual capacities that influence a person's information processing, sensory perception, motor coordination, and physical strength or endurance. Individuals may naturally have certain abilities without explicit training, but most abilities can be sharpened somewhat through practice.

For example, Automotive Repair Technicians need abilities such as arm-hand steadiness, visualization, and manual dexterity in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Automotive Repair Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Arm-Hand Steadiness		The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
Visualization		The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.
Manual Dexterity		The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
Oral Comprehension		The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Problem Sensitivity		The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Arm-Hand Steadiness

The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

Visualization

The ability to imagine how something will look after it is moved around or when its parts are moved or rearranged.

Manual Dexterity

The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.

Critical Skills needed by Automotive Repair Technicians

Skills are developed capacities that enable people to function effectively in real-world settings. Unlike abilities, skills are typically easier to build through practice and experience. Skills influence effectiveness in areas such as learning, working with others, design, troubleshooting, and more.

Automotive Repair Technicians frequently use skills like repairing, troubleshooting, and active listening to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Automotive Repair Technicians, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Repairing		Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Troubleshooting		Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Active Listening		Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking		Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Repairing

Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Troubleshooting

Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Critical Thinking

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

What is the source of this information?

The information provided on this page is adapted from data and descriptions published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration under the CC BY 4.0 license. TraitLab has modified some information for ease of use and reading, and the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment, and Training Administration has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.

If you have any questions or suggestions about this information, please send a message.

Career profile Automotive Repair Technician

Automotive Repair Technician

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