How To Become An Auto Service Mechanic: What It Is and Career Path

What is an auto service mechanic and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an auto service mechanic. For example, did you know that they make an average of $31.18 an hour? That's $64,851 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 10,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreAuto Service MechanicUS Average

Salary

5.1

Avg. Salary $64,851

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.7

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81%

Asian 5.12%

Black or African American 9.47%

Hispanic or Latino 20.61%

Unknown 4.26%

White 59.72%

Gender

female 4.86%

male 95.14%

Age - 39

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 39

Stress level

7.7

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.7

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become an auto service mechanic

Explore auto service mechanic education requirements

Most common auto service mechanic degrees

High School Diploma

42.1 %

Associate

22.8 %

Bachelor's

19.3 %

Start to develop specific auto service mechanic skills

Skills	Percentages
ASE	28.73%
Electrical Systems	14.52%
Shop Equipment	12.17%
Toyota	11.39%
Light Trucks	8.02%

Complete relevant auto service mechanic training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New auto service mechanics learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as an auto service mechanic based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real auto service mechanic resumes.

Research auto service mechanic duties and responsibilities

Document repairs, modifications and inspections in accordance with FAA requirements on both paper and in an automate maintenance information database.
Install garage doors and automatic garage door openers.
Repair all of BPU's vehicles and equipment.
Install, repair, and service many kinds of garage doors and door openers.

Prepare your auto service mechanic resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your auto service mechanic resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on an auto service mechanic resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable auto service mechanic resume templates

Build a professional auto service mechanic resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your auto service mechanic resume.

Apply for auto service mechanic jobs

Now it's time to start searching for an auto service mechanic job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do auto service mechanics rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Auto service mechanic reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Oct 2019

Pros

The work is enjoyable if you like working with your hands and aren’t afraid o manual labor.

A zippia user wrote a review on Apr 2019

Cons

90% of shops use the out dated Flat rate pay system. Kids let me put it to you this way. It's like stacking rocks,the heavier the better, out in the desert for 10hrs a day as fast as you can go all while being chased by a steam roller. Hurry! Don't stop! Mortgage due! Don't take a rest Taxes due! MOVE MOVE MOVE and at the end of the week if you've managed to find enough rocks you get to eat for the next week. But come Monday it starts all over again and goes on for life.