Career profile for Bus Mechanic

What does a Bus Mechanic do?

Bus Mechanics diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul buses and trucks, or maintain and repair any type of diesel engines.

In addition, Bus Mechanics includes mechanics working primarily with automobile or marine diesel engines.

What kind of tasks does a Bus Mechanic perform regularly?

Bus Mechanics are often responsible for overseeing or executing some or all of the following tasks:

Inspect brake systems, steering mechanisms, wheel bearings, and other important parts to ensure that they are in proper operating condition.
Use handtools, such as screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches, pressure gauges, or precision instruments, as well as power tools, such as pneumatic wrenches, lathes, welding equipment, or jacks and hoists.
Adjust and reline brakes, align wheels, tighten bolts and screws, and reassemble equipment.
Examine and adjust protective guards, loose bolts, and specified safety devices.
Test drive trucks and buses to diagnose malfunctions or to ensure that they are working properly.
Perform routine maintenance such as changing oil, checking batteries, and lubricating equipment and machinery.
Raise trucks, buses, and heavy parts or equipment using hydraulic jacks or hoists.
Attach test instruments to equipment, and read dials and gauges to diagnose malfunctions.
Rebuild gas or diesel engines.
Inspect and verify dimensions and clearances of parts to ensure conformance to factory specifications.
Inspect, test, and listen to defective equipment to diagnose malfunctions, using test instruments such as handheld computers, motor analyzers, chassis charts, or pressure gauges.
Rewire ignition systems, lights, and instrument panels.
Recondition and replace parts, pistons, bearings, gears, and valves.
Align front ends and suspension systems.
Specialize in repairing and maintaining parts of the engine, such as fuel injection systems.
Inspect, repair, and maintain automotive and mechanical equipment and machinery, such as pumps and compressors.
Install or repair accessories.
Diagnose and repair vehicle heating and cooling systems.
Disassemble and overhaul internal combustion engines, pumps, generators, transmissions, clutches, and differential units.
Repair or adjust seats, doors, or windows.

The above responsibilities are specific to Bus Mechanics. More generally, Bus Mechanics are involved in several broader types of activities:

Activities	Importance	Details
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment		Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.
Getting Information		Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment		Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials		Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards		Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment

Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment that operate primarily on the basis of mechanical (not electronic) principles.

Getting Information

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

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment

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

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials

Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards

Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

What is a Bus Mechanic salary?

The median salary for a Bus Mechanic is $50,200, and the average salary is $52,090. Both the median and average roughly describe the middle of the Bus Mechanic salary range, but the average is more easily affected by extremely high or low salaries.

Many Bus Mechanics earn significantly more or less than the average, due to several factors. About 10% of Bus Mechanics earn less than $32,820 per year, 25% earn less than $40,180, 75% earn less than $62,290, and 90% earn less than $76,460.

Between the years of 2020 and 2030, the number of Bus Mechanics is expected to change by 7.8%, and there should be roughly 28,100 open positions for Bus Mechanics every year.

Median annual salary: $50,200
Typical salary range: $32,820 - $76,460
Projected growth (2020 - 2030): 7.8%

What personality traits are common among Bus Mechanics?

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 a Bus Mechanic are usually higher in their Realistic interests.

Bus Mechanics 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 a Bus Mechanic tend to value Support, Relationships, and Achievement.

Most importantly, Bus Mechanics strongly value Support. Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees.

Second, Bus Mechanics 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, Bus Mechanics moderately value Achievement. Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

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 Bus Mechanics must consistently demonstrate qualities such as adaptability/flexibility, attention to detail, and dependability.

Below, you'll find a list of qualities typically required of Bus Mechanics, ranked by importance:

Demands	Importance	Details
Adaptability/Flexibility		Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
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.
Stress Tolerance		Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Analytical Thinking		Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

Adaptability/Flexibility

Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

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.

Stress Tolerance

Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.

Analytical Thinking

Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.

What education and training do Bus Mechanics need?

Bus Mechanics often have training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Bus Mechanics usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with this occupation.

Educational degrees among Bus Mechanics

13.4% did not complete high school or secondary school
46.6% completed high school or secondary school
23.0% completed some college coursework
13.6% earned a Associate's degree
3.1% 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 Bus Mechanics

Bus Mechanics may benefit from understanding of specialized subject areas, such as mechanical, transportation, or customer and personal service knowledge.

The list below shows several areas in which most Bus Mechanics 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.
Transportation		Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
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.
Public Safety and Security		Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
Engineering and Technology		Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Mechanical

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

Transportation

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

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.

Public Safety and Security

Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Engineering and Technology

Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

Important Abilities needed by Bus Mechanics

Bus Mechanics 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, Bus Mechanics need abilities such as near vision, problem sensitivity, and manual dexterity in order to perform their job at a high level. The list below shows several important abilities for Bus Mechanics, ranked by their relative importance.

Abilities	Importance	Details
Near Vision		The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
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.
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.
Finger Dexterity		The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
Deductive Reasoning		The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

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.

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.

Finger Dexterity

The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.

Deductive Reasoning

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Critical Skills needed by Bus Mechanics

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.

Bus Mechanics frequently use skills like troubleshooting, repairing, and operations monitoring to perform their job effectively. The list below shows several critical skills for Bus Mechanics, ranked by their relative importance.

Skills	Importance	Details
Troubleshooting		Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
Repairing		Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
Operations Monitoring		Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
Operation and Control		Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
Critical Thinking		Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

Troubleshooting

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

Repairing

Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.

Operations Monitoring

Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Operation and Control

Controlling operations of equipment or systems.

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.

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