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What is an automotive repair technician and how to become one
Automotive repair technicians fix damaged automotive equipment and perform maintenance work to prevent future malfunction. They inspect the machines, run diagnostic tests on vehicles, remove and replace faulty components. They have in-depth knowledge of the functioning of breaks, engines, electrical and mechanical systems of automobiles.
You will work in a garage or repair shop as a member of a team of technicians. You will meet with customers and discuss the issues related to their cars, trucks, and vans. You will perform various maintenance tasks, such as changing oil, adjusting tires, installing batteries and lights, aligning the body, and many more. You will examine the vehicles to identify sources and types of malfunction and carry out appropriate measures to repair them.
Experience on the job is usually a prerequisite to hiring repair technicians. Formal education not so much, you can get started with a high school diploma. You will probably be offered training on the job once you get hired, but prior knowledge about diagnostic tools and auto equipment will be expected.
What general advice would you give to an automotive repair technician?
Caid Kroeger
Associates Degree Coordinator/Instructor, Weber State University
Avg. Salary $43,699
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 1%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.81%
Asian 5.05%
Black or African American 9.91%
Hispanic or Latino 18.71%
Unknown 4.25%
White 61.26%
Genderfemale 5.83%
male 94.17%
Age - 39American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%
Asian 7.00%
Black or African American 14.00%
Hispanic or Latino 19.00%
White 57.00%
Genderfemale 47.00%
male 53.00%
Age - 39Stress level is high
7.1 - high
Complexity level is advanced
7 - challenging
Work life balance is poor
6.4 - fair
Automotive repair technician career paths
Key steps to become an automotive repair technician
Explore automotive repair technician education requirements
Start to develop specific automotive repair technician skills
Skills Percentages Diagnosis 18.06% Professional Work 13.98% Hand Tools 10.79% Customer Service 9.74% ABS 7.18% Complete relevant automotive repair technician training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New automotive repair 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 automotive repair technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real automotive repair technician resumes.Research automotive repair technician duties and responsibilities
- Manage customer accounts from initial diagnosis and estimate to final invoicing.
- Acquire ASE certification in brakes as well.
- Monitor and analyze laser performance with respect to power, beam quality and atmospheric sodium return and communicates laser.
- Download required software for programming and diagnostics to load on correct PC.
Prepare your automotive repair technician resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your automotive repair 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 automotive repair 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 automotive repair technician resume templates
Build a professional automotive repair 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 automotive repair technician resume.
Apply for automotive repair technician jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an automotive repair technician 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 did you land your first automotive repair technician job
Are you an automotive repair technician?
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Average automotive repair technician salary
The average automotive repair technician salary in the United States is $43,699 per year or $21 per hour. Automotive repair technician salaries range between $29,000 and $63,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do automotive repair technicians rate their job?
Automotive repair technician reviews
Great pay, plus there's plenty of room for career advancement.
Love the challenge to diagnose those insane offbeat issues that just don't fit into the everyday problems
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.
Satisfaction of fixing, repairing broken vehicles and challenge of finding problems and correcting them properly.
Electrical problems are my least favorite.
Updated January 8, 2025
