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

What is a wrecker operator and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

2 min read

There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a wrecker operator. For example, did you know that they make an average of $18.6 an hour? That's $38,678 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 4% and produce 90,900 job opportunities across the U.S.

ScoreWrecker OperatorUS Average

Salary

3.0

Avg. Salary $38,678

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.3

Growth rate 4%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.9

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.83%

Asian 3.85%

Black or African American 11.97%

Hispanic or Latino 17.08%

Unknown 4.79%

White 61.48%

Gender

female 1.50%

male 98.50%

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 operator

Explore wrecker operator education requirements

Most common wrecker operator degrees

High School Diploma

53.1 %

Associate

17.9 %

Diploma

12.4 %

Start to develop specific wrecker operator skills

Skills	Percentages
CDL	27.69%
Safety Regulations	14.98%
Tow Truck	7.96%
Emergency Equipment	5.99%
AAA	5.06%

Complete relevant wrecker operator training and internships

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

Research wrecker operator duties and responsibilities

Perform and record daily pre-trip inspections using company checklist and submit detailed reports after trips and deliveries.
Prepare various vehicles for painting by cleaning, patching surfaces and applying primers and base coats.

Prepare your wrecker operator resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your wrecker operator 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 operator 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 operator resume templates

Build a professional wrecker operator 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 operator resume.