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

What is a collision technician and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

For individuals who enjoy working on cars and vehicles, a career in the collision repair field might be a good choice. A collision repair technician assesses and fixes damaged vehicles that have been in accidents or fender-benders, and the work entails repairing, replacing, and refinishing those damaged automobile body parts. This individual is trained to fix all aspects of a vehicle, including steering and suspension, bumpers, doors, wheels, axles, roof rails, and essentially the entire structure of a motor vehicle.

Many collision repair professionals work in car dealerships, repair shops, or for auto manufacturers, and are skilled at welding, painting, and in all aspects of auto body repair. Many individuals go through a degree or certificate program in auto collision repair, but others can also receive employee training and develop on-the-job skills. In any case, collision technicians receive considerable training in structural damage assessment and repair. Many collision repair professionals work a typical workweek, and in addition to repair duties, they also should be proficient in computers and are responsible for documenting repairs and reporting any issues to upper management.

Most collision repair technicians can expect to make up to $42,000 a year, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts US job growth to reach 2% by 2029.

ScoreCollision TechnicianUS Average

Salary

3.6

Avg. Salary $45,569

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.7

Growth rate 1%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

8.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.80%

Asian 4.94%

Black or African American 9.47%

Hispanic or Latino 18.86%

Unknown 4.23%

White 61.69%

Gender

female 3.39%

male 96.61%

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

8.8

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.2

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a collision technician

Explore collision technician education requirements

Most common collision technician degrees

High School Diploma

33.5 %

Associate

29.1 %

Diploma

20.9 %

Start to develop specific collision technician skills

Skills	Percentages
Hand Tools	66.94%
Body Repair	8.85%
Body Shop	4.55%
MIG	3.88%
I-Car	2.73%

Complete relevant collision technician training and internships

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

Research collision technician duties and responsibilities

Tear down, repair damage area including structural damage to OEM.
Spray all types of primers, paints and clear coats.
Weld aluminum and steel parts.
Apply and sand body filler by ASE standards.

Prepare your collision technician resume

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

Build a professional collision 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 collision technician resume.

Apply for collision technician jobs

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

-/5

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Collision 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 Dec 2019