How To Become A Body Technician: What It Is and Career Path

What is a body technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Body technicians work in auto repair shops and fix damaged bodies of vehicles. They check parts, order and replace faulty components, hammer out dents, and prepare other repair work as necessary.

You will work under the supervision of a manager and report to him or her if there are additional repairs needed or if scheduled repair times need extensions to deliver quality service. It will be your job to maintain your tools and working environment safe and functional and respect safety regulations at all times.

You can get to work with a GED or high school diploma. Getting vocational training in auto mechanics will help a great deal, as experience is often required. There are also certifications out there, which you can acquire to prove your skills and boost your chances of getting hired.

ScoreBody TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.1

Avg. Salary $39,798

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.8

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

7.3

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.65%

Asian 1.73%

Black or African American 7.27%

Hispanic or Latino 19.54%

Unknown 4.10%

White 66.71%

Gender

female 9.75%

male 90.25%

Age - 44

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 - 44

Stress level

4.8

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.9

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

5.6

Work life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a body technician

Explore body technician education requirements

Most common body technician degrees

High School Diploma

43.7 %

Associate

21.8 %

Diploma

17.4 %

Start to develop specific body technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Customer Satisfaction	13.50%
Hand Tools	12.02%
OSHA	8.48%
Body Shop	6.40%
Repair Process	5.48%

Complete relevant body technician training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New body 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 a body technician based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real body technician resumes.

Research body technician duties and responsibilities

Attain ICAR and ASE master technician status.
Perform MIG and TIG welding.
Mix and apply primer coats to vehicles.
Perform Tig and Mig welding and utilize pneumatic tools.

Prepare your body technician resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your body 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 a body 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 body technician resume templates

Build a professional body 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 body technician resume.

Apply for body technician jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a body 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 do body technicians rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Body technician reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jan 2020

Pros

Working with hands, vehicle repair cost savings, tangible benefits, satisfaction.

Cons

Poor wages, physical damage to health, complicated repair procedures due to safety construction, liability due to lack of training, cost of having proper tooling, insurance companies dictating repairs. MSO’s working to monopolize shops, cost of materials

A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019