How to hire an automotive service writer

How to hire an automotive service writer, step by step

Here's a step-by-step automotive service writer hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an automotive service writer job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new automotive service writer
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an automotive service writer do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the automotive service writer you need to hire. Certain automotive service writer roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An automotive service writer's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, automotive service writers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of automotive service writers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Automotive Service Writer	Description	Hourly rate
   Automotive Service Writer	Customer service representatives interact with customers to handle complaints, process orders, and provide information about an organization’s products and services.	$14-34
   Service Advisor	Service Advisors specialize in customer service in a car dealership or automotive shop. Acting as a front-desk representative, it is the Service Advisor's responsibility to greet clients and offer assistance, provide necessary and accurate information to customers regarding the automotive issues and needed repairs, respond to inquiries, and introduce the clients to the available mechanics... Show more	$12-37
   Service Agent	A service agent is a professional whose primary function is to provide a friendly service to internal and external customers about the organization's products and services. An agent should be people-oriented, highly motivated with a positive and friendly attitude... Show more	$10-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Repair Orders
   • Service Appointments
   • Phone Calls
   • Customer Service
   • ADP
   • Automotive Services
   • Organization Reputation
   • Corrective Action
   • Automotive Problems
   • ASE
   • Strong Customer Service
   • Lube
   • Schedule Appointments
   • Approval Signatures

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the refurbishment of used vehicles, writing repair orders.
   • Recommend required service and repairs, educate customers on basic maintenance requirements for their Toyota product.
   • Provide excellent customer service to assist customers troubleshoot IOS devices for hardware and software issues.

   More automotive service writer duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your automotive service writer job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. An automotive service writer can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, automotive service writers' average salary in new mexico is 57% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level automotive service writers 58% less than senior-level automotive service writers.
   • Certifications. An automotive service writer with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in an automotive service writer's salary.

   Average automotive service writer salary

   $46,879yearly

   $22.54 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level automotive service writer salary

   $30,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 28, 2025

   Average automotive service writer salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$57,832	$28
   2	Maryland	$56,968	$27
   3	Massachusetts	$54,589	$26
   4	Illinois	$54,102	$26
   5	Virginia	$54,037	$26
   6	New Jersey	$52,228	$25
   7	Ohio	$52,020	$25
   8	Pennsylvania	$51,659	$25
   9	Tennessee	$50,671	$24
   10	Arizona	$50,639	$24
   11	Colorado	$50,107	$24
   12	Delaware	$49,728	$24
   13	North Carolina	$48,382	$23
   14	Nebraska	$41,029	$20
   15	Florida	$40,220	$19
   16	South Carolina	$39,795	$19
   17	Kansas	$39,257	$19
   18	Georgia	$36,472	$18

   Average automotive service writer salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	State Street	$111,199	$53.46	11
   2	Peterson Toyota of Sarasota	$55,549	$26.71	3
   3	Antwerpen Automotive Group	$51,149	$24.59	15
   4	Hall | MileOne Autogroup	$50,728	$24.39	20
   5	Darling's Auto Group	$50,447	$24.25	16
   6	Randy Marion Automotive	$50,407	$24.23
   7	Towne Auto Group	$49,232	$23.67	7
   8	Rogers Auto Group	$48,882	$23.50
   9	NEX	$41,059	$19.74
   10	Stivers Lincoln Mercury	$40,198	$19.33	1
   11	Virginia Tire & Auto	$40,132	$19.29	43
   12	Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers	$39,701	$19.09	541
   13	Queensboro Toyota	$39,307	$18.90	4
   14	Peak Performance	$38,910	$18.71	5
   15	Genuine Parts	$38,273	$18.40	49
   16	Midas	$37,719	$18.13	565
   17	Walmart	$37,635	$18.09	494

4. Writing an automotive service writer job description

   A job description for an automotive service writer role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an automotive service writer job description:

   Automotive service writer job description example

   · 5 day work week

   · Paid Holidays and Vacations (after one year of service)

   · Interact with people every day.

   · Up to date equipment and software. We use state of the art software to run our shop efficiently and provide every customer with a great experience.

   · Culture of continuous improvement.

   · An environment that rewards creativity

   · Family First - we live it and help you to as well.

   Here at our car care center, we've built our business around our customers and employees: Happy employees = Happy customers. We believe in embracing challenges and enjoying life.

   Here are just a few of the expectations we have for you:

   · Advising and sales of automotive products and services; such as tires, suspension, wheel alignment, brakes, engine and other mechanical services.

   · Able to lead the shop and ensure top notch service and customer care.

   · Computer skills are a must -- including tablets and scanners.

   · An organizational mastermind (maintain an organized neat and safe shop), knowledge of the automotive industry along with a love of what you do.

   · Open to learning -- every minute of every day. Must be willing to share and be open to new ideas. This individual must focus on high personal productivity and the development of current and new business opportunities.

   · You've got to genuinely enjoy helping people!

   • 5+ experience managing a shop.
   • You will also need strong leadership skills and a customer-focused attitude to go along with a high level of motivation and energy.
   • Service Manager ASE certification is a plus!

   Think you've got what it takes? If the above describes who you are and what you want, we want to hear from you!

   Company DescriptionIndependent automotive repair shop with great benefits, great pay and room for growth.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right automotive service writer for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your automotive service writer job on Zippia to find and recruit automotive service writer candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit automotive service writers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new automotive service writer

   Once you've decided on a perfect automotive service writer candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   To prepare for the new automotive service writer first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire an automotive service writer?