The government can't just let any vehicle out on the road. A jalopy that's falling apart on the highway is not only dangerous to the driver but also to other vehicles. That is where an auto inspector comes in. Auto inspectors, sometimes called motor vehicle inspectors, work for dealers or government agencies to make sure that all vehicles on the road meet safety standards.
Auto inspectors help inspect vehicles before they're sold or conduct the mandatory yearly inspections that all drivers need to get in order to stay on the road. They check the car for any issues with its mechanical parts and recommend necessary repairs. They also make sure that drivers have not installed any illegal devices, like exhaust pipes or dark window tints.
It goes without saying that an auto inspector needs to know a lot about cars in order to figure out whether a vehicle is really safe beneath its shiny surface. Many have previous experience as professional drivers or mechanics. On average, auto inspectors earn $52,549 a year.
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an Auto Inspector. For example, did you know that they make an average of $27.76 an hour? That's $57,739 a year!
When it comes to the most important skills required to be an Auto Inspector, we found that a lot of resumes listed 27.7% of Auto Inspectors included Mechanical Problems, while 19.8% of resumes included Vehicle Condition, and 17.3% of resumes included Vehicle Inspections. Hard skills like these are helpful to have when it comes to performing essential job responsibilities.
If you're interested in becoming an Auto Inspector, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 21.4% of Auto Inspectors have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 1.2% of Auto Inspectors have master's degrees. Even though some Auto Inspectors have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an Auto Inspector. When we researched the most common majors for an Auto Inspector, we found that they most commonly earn High School Diploma degrees or Bachelor's Degree degrees. Other degrees that we often see on Auto Inspector resumes include Diploma degrees or Associate Degree degrees.
You may find that experience in other jobs will help you become an Auto Inspector. In fact, many Auto Inspector jobs require experience in a role such as Cashier. Meanwhile, many Auto Inspectors also have previous career experience in roles such as Customer Service Representative or Driver.