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What is an automotive service technician and how to become one
An automotive service technician performs maintenance, repairs, and inspections on vehicles. They diagnose problems, replace or repair damaged parts, and ensure the safe operation of vehicles. Automotive service technicians work with a variety of tools, including computerized diagnostic equipment, hand tools, and power tools. They may specialize in certain types of vehicles, such as cars, trucks, or motorcycles. Automotive service technicians need effective communication skills and attention to detail.
What general advice would you give to an automotive service technician?
Caid Kroeger
Associates Degree Coordinator/Instructor, Weber State University
Avg. Salary $43,077
Avg. Salary $59,228
Growth rate 1%
Growth rate 0.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%
Asian 4.98%
Black or African American 9.62%
Hispanic or Latino 19.45%
Unknown 4.24%
White 60.91%
Genderfemale 4.40%
male 95.60%
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
What are the pros and cons of being an automotive service technician?
Pros
Job stability
Good pay
Opportunities for advancement
In-demand skills
Flexibility in work schedule
Cons
Physically demanding work
Exposure to hazardous materials and chemicals
Working in noisy and dirty environments
Dealing with difficult customers
Risk of injury or accidents on the job
Automotive service technician career paths
Key steps to become an automotive service technician
Explore automotive service technician education requirements
Start to develop specific automotive service technician skills
Skills Percentages Customer Service 29.60% Hand Tools 12.08% Dexterity 8.52% Customer Satisfaction 5.26% ASE 4.65% Complete relevant automotive service technician training and internships
Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New automotive service 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 service technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real automotive service technician resumes.Gain additional automotive service technician certifications
More About CertificationsAutomotive service technician certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific automotive service technician certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.
The most common certifications for automotive service technicians include Automotive Sales Professional and Associate Service Executive (ASE).
Research automotive service technician duties and responsibilities
- Inspect cars, service and repairs specializing in BMW repairs, manage shop, price and order parts, customer service
- Perform basic care and maintenance including oil changes, lube and tune ups.
- Start immediately after college as a lube technician doing oil changes, tires, and light duty repairs.
- Experience with ADP write up programming.
Prepare your automotive service technician resume
When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your automotive service 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 service 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 service technician resume templates
Build a professional automotive service 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 service technician resume.
Apply for automotive service technician jobs
Now it's time to start searching for an automotive service 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 service technician job
Are you an automotive service technician?
Share your story for a free salary report.
Average automotive service technician salary
The average automotive service technician salary in the United States is $43,077 per year or $21 per hour. Automotive service technician salaries range between $25,000 and $74,000 per year.
What am I worth?
How do automotive service technicians rate their job?
Automotive service 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.
Lubrication exchanging of car spare parts like brake pads gear box chloch pods and other spare parts of the car.
I don't like while am working somebody speaking to me.
Updated January 8, 2025
