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What is an automobile technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Julia Johnson
introduction image
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being an automobile technician. For example, did you know that they make an average of $19.14 an hour? That's $39,815 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 1% and produce 10,600 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to an automobile technician?

Julia JohnsonJulia Johnson LinkedIn profile

Professor, Automotive Technology, Skyline College

You will be starting out as a Lube Tech for your first job in the automotive industry. You will be expected to perform maintenance services accurately and within the industry standard timeframe. It may seem like it’s not challenging enough or too repetitive, but you will be expected to prove yourself at this level before you can advance.
ScoreAutomobile TechnicianUS Average
Salary
3.1

Avg. Salary $39,815

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 5.04%

Black or African American 9.89%

Hispanic or Latino 20.82%

Unknown 4.25%

White 59.19%

Gender

female 2.20%

male 97.80%

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

Automobile technician career paths

Key steps to become an automobile technician

  1. Explore automobile technician education requirements

    Most common automobile technician degrees

    Associate

    32.6 %

    High School Diploma

    23.9 %

    Bachelor's

    19.6 %
  2. Start to develop specific automobile technician skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Oil Changes14.93%
    Preventive Maintenance8.96%
    Engine Tune-Ups7.81%
    Diagnosis5.85%
    Shop Equipment5.26%
  3. Complete relevant automobile technician training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New automobile technicians 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 automobile technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real automobile technician resumes.
  4. Research automobile technician duties and responsibilities

    • Inspect cars, service and repairs specializing in BMW repairs, manage shop, price and order parts, customer service
    • Position: ASE certify automobile technician.
    • Service Toyota, domestic imports to rental trucks, preventative maintenance
    • Earn certifications through manufacturer and ASE classes/testing.
  5. Prepare your automobile technician resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your automobile technician 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 automobile technician resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable automobile technician resume templates

    Build a professional automobile technician 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 automobile technician resume.
    Automobile Technician Resume
    Automobile Technician Resume
    Automobile Technician Resume
    Automobile Technician Resume
    Automobile Technician Resume
    Automobile Technician Resume
    Automobile Technician Resume
    Automobile Technician Resume
    Automobile Technician Resume
  6. Apply for automobile technician jobs

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

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

How did you land your first automobile technician job

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Average automobile technician salary

The average automobile technician salary in the United States is $39,815 per year or $19 per hour. Automobile technician salaries range between $26,000 and $59,000 per year.

Average automobile technician salary
$39,815 Yearly
$19.14 hourly

What am I worth?

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How do automobile technicians rate their job?

-/5

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Automobile technician reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2022
Pros

Love the challenge to diagnose those insane offbeat issues that just don't fit into the everyday problems

Cons

Pay is minimal for your knowledge. Hours are better for white collar professionals. Have to buy your own tools with witch you could have bought your home with and no one cares. Treated as a second rate individual because you said "I'm an automotive mechanic." Expected to be perfect from customers who wonder why you didn't get it fixed on the first try when MD's almost never get it right. Expected to be an expert on over 60k types of automobiles that change every friggan year.....want more? If I had the choice to do it all over again I'd go into politics so I could rip off ppl every day and get rich and no one would ever complain.


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Aug 2020
Pros

Lubrication exchanging of car spare parts like brake pads gear box chloch pods and other spare parts of the car.

Cons

I don't like while am working somebody speaking to me.


profile
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.

Cons

The pay, flat rate pay is not worth it in most cases and benefits, what benefits? Lol


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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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