How To Become A Wrecker Driver: What It Is and Career Path

What is a wrecker driver and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

The average wrecker driver salary is $36,820. The most common degree is a high school diploma degree with an automotive technology major. It usually takes 1-2 years of experience to become a wrecker driver. Wrecker drivers with a Commercial Driver License (CDL) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 90,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreWrecker DriverUS Average

Salary

2.9

Avg. Salary $36,820

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.78%

Asian 3.50%

Black or African American 14.24%

Hispanic or Latino 16.76%

Unknown 4.60%

White 60.10%

Gender

female 3.97%

male 96.03%

Age - 49

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 - 49

Stress level

7.3

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

4.6

Complexity level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work life balance

1.4

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a wrecker driver

Explore wrecker driver education requirements

Most common wrecker driver degrees

High School Diploma

57.4 %

Diploma

17.0 %

Associate

13.5 %

Start to develop specific wrecker driver skills

Skills	Percentages
Tow Vehicles	24.75%
Customer Vehicles	12.85%
Rollback	8.99%
Tow Truck	8.15%
Service Stations	6.50%

Complete relevant wrecker driver training and internships

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

Research wrecker driver duties and responsibilities

Operate rollback auto wrecker to move damage by accident, stall or tick by police for traffic violations.
Tow vehicles from accident scenes, trespasses, and repair calls for AAA, dispatch drivers to appropriate calls.
Tow and or repair semi truck and trailers break down along Rt.80 in the Logington pa and surrounding area.
Provide AAA roadside assistance and tows.respond to city impounds and wrecks.salvage car transportation

Prepare your wrecker driver resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your wrecker driver 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 wrecker driver resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable wrecker driver resume templates

Build a professional wrecker driver 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 wrecker driver resume.