Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
What it pays
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics earn a median of $24.34/hr — about $50,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.66/hr; the top 10% earn $39.32/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics earn a median of $24.34/hr — about $50,500 a year. The lowest-paid 10% earn $16.66/hr; the top 10% earn $39.32/hr. (Annual figures are approximate: hourly × 2,080.)
What you'd actually do
- Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made.
- Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices.
- Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
- Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes.
- Review work orders and discuss work with supervisors.
- Estimate costs of vehicle repair.
How you get there
Typical entry-level education: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
The feel of the work
Much of the work happens outdoors; time pressure is a real part of the job; precision matters — small details carry weight. (Compared against the other 818 careers in the guide.)
Working for yourself
About 13.8% of automotive service technicians and mechanics are self-employed.
Who it tends to fit
This work tends to fit people who are hands-on, organized and detail-focused and analytical.
Work a simulated shift in this job — freeMake the real decisions this job involves, then see what your choices say about you.Related careers
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Quick questions
- How much does a automotive service technicians and mechanic make?
- The median pay is $24.34 per hour — roughly $50,500 a year, with the real range running from about $16.66/hr (10th percentile) to $39.32/hr (90th percentile). Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- Do you need a degree to be a automotive service technicians and mechanic?
- The typical entry-level education is: Post-secondary certificate. Overall preparation level: medium preparation (Job Zone 3 of 5).
- What does a automotive service technicians and mechanic actually do all day?
- Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made. Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices. Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS. Tasks & interests: O*NET. Career pathways shown in the app are draft archetypes — verify before relying on them. Trailhead is a free career guide for students — honest numbers, no hype.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.
Trailhead is operated by FLEXVermont LLC. It is intended for high-school students age 13 and older, and the educators and families who support them, and is not directed to children under 13. Trailhead is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It does not offer professional, financial, or career advice, and its wage figures and pathways are estimates that may not fit your situation — they should not be relied on as the sole basis for any decision.