What does an auto body technician do?
An auto body technician is responsible for assessing vehicle damage and conducting repairs after evaluating the cost estimates. Auto body technicians' duties include replacing auto parts, which caused malfunctions, determining the extent of damage, and testing the engine performance to ensure that it is safe for use after the appropriate modifications. Auto body technicians must also adhere to the client's specifications, especially on upgrading features and installing systems that would improve the engine's performance.
Auto body technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real auto body technician resumes:
- Attain ICAR and ASE master technician status.
- Replace inner and outer body panels using MIG and spot welding machines.
- Repair all makes and models (big jobs/small jobs) A/C work.
- Disassemble cars fenders, chrome trim, badges.
- Load aluminum body side onto jig for automate welding.
- Steel, aluminum, and fiberglass repair and fabrication.
- Mask and tape, block sanding and paint preparation.
- Write estimates using CCC pathways estimating software on damage vehicles.
- Utilize spray mask and fresh air respirators systems per OSHA guidelines.
- line technician, assembly of Honda civic and crv light truck.
- Maintain clean environment by following and maintaining OSHA standards for metal products.
- Perform frame work, sectioning, panel replacement and plastic filler work.
- Maintain ASE certification in body and frame repair, color matching and welding.
- Repair and refinish vehicles to new condition, order materials for paint department.
- Refinish with a primer coat, sand and paint with a finish coat.
Auto body technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 23% of Auto Body Technicians are proficient in Spray Guns, Customer Service, and Collision Repair. They’re also known for soft skills such as Time-management skills, Customer-service skills, and Detail oriented.
We break down the percentage of Auto Body Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Spray Guns, 23%
Poured paint into spray guns, adjusted nozzles and paint mixes for proper paint flow and coating thickness.
- Customer Service, 20%
Frame & Auto Body Technician* Knowledge of Genesis Measuring System* Knowledge of Velocity Measuring System* Estimates on auto damage* Customer service
- Collision Repair, 8%
Implemented quality control and inspection protocol, and maintained ICAR certifications for auto collision repair.
- ASE, 6%
Repaired all vehicles to I-car and ASE standards* Continuously registered 120% efficiency labor production
- Repair Vehicles, 6%
Used pulling equipment to repair vehicles to manufacturer's specifications.
- Work Ethic, 6%
Demonstrated ability to learn quickly and to portray a strong work ethic in a position never before held.
Most auto body technicians use their skills in "spray guns," "customer service," and "collision repair" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential auto body technician responsibilities here:
Time-management skills. One of the key soft skills for an auto body technician to have is time-management skills. You can see how this relates to what auto body technicians do because "automotive body and glass repairers must be timely in their repairs." Additionally, an auto body technician resume shows how auto body technicians use time-management skills: "prefer auto body repair and paint, schedule appointments with customers and make sure our shop got jobs done on time. "
Customer-service skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling auto body technician duties is customer-service skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "automotive body and glass repairers discuss auto body and glass problems, along with options to fix them, with customers." According to an auto body technician resume, here's how auto body technicians can utilize customer-service skills in their job responsibilities: "acted as liaison between the body shop and the customer. "
Detail oriented. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of auto body technicians is detail oriented. This skill is critical to many everyday auto body technician duties, as "automotive body and glass repairers must pay close attention to detail." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "detailed car interior from dust and debris due to the body shop maintenance. "
Dexterity. A big part of what auto body technicians do relies on "dexterity." You can see how essential it is to auto body technician responsibilities because "automotive body repairers’ tasks, such as removing door panels, hammering out dents, and using hand tools to install parts, require a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical auto body technician tasks: "use forklift, oxyacetylene torch, laser controlled frame machine. "
Mechanical skills. A commonly-found skill in auto body technician job descriptions, "mechanical skills" is essential to what auto body technicians do. Auto body technician responsibilities rely on this skill because "automotive body repairers must know which diagnostic, hydraulic, pneumatic, and other power equipment and tools are appropriate for certain procedures and repairs." You can also see how auto body technician duties rely on mechanical skills in this resume example: "welded sheet metal with tig and mig processes* perform mechanical work as needed. "
Physical strength. Another skill commonly found on auto body technician job descriptions is "physical strength." It can come up quite often in auto body technician duties, since "automotive body and glass repairers must sometimes lift heavy parts, such as door panels and windshields." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day auto body technician responsibilities: "body repair customer service paint repair account management damage estimator/ correct pricing for jobs heavy physical requirments"
The three companies that hire the most auto body technicians are:
- Gerber NCS
380 auto body technicians jobs
- Caliber Collision313 auto body technicians jobs
- Crash110 auto body technicians jobs
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Compare different auto body technicians
Auto body technician vs. Paint prepper
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an auto body technician are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "collision repair," "dexterity," and "ase." On the other hand, a job as a paint prepper requires skills like "windows," "painting process," "rough spots," and "mixers." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Paint preppers tend to reach similar levels of education than auto body technicians. In fact, paint preppers are 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Auto body technician vs. Car customizer
Each career also uses different skills, according to real auto body technician resumes. While auto body technician responsibilities can utilize skills like "spray guns," "collision repair," "dexterity," and "ase," car customizers use skills like "customer care," "car rentals," "credit card payments," and "car wash."
Car customizers earn similar levels of education than auto body technicians in general. They're 1.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Auto body technician vs. Body shop worker
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from auto body technician resumes include skills like "spray guns," "customer service," "collision repair," and "dexterity," whereas a body shop worker is more likely to list skills in "local regulations," "original equipment," "body shop operations," and "safety regulations. "
Most body shop workers achieve a similar degree level compared to auto body technicians. For example, they're 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Auto body technician vs. Body worker
Even though a few skill sets overlap between auto body technicians and body workers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an auto body technician might have more use for skills like "collision repair," "dexterity," "ase," and "repair vehicles." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of body workers require skills like "ambulances," "grinders," "sales floor," and "back room. "
In general, body workers hold similar degree levels compared to auto body technicians. Body workers are 1.4% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of auto body technician
Updated January 8, 2025
