Inspect, diagnose, and repair cars and light trucks, from brakes and engines to electronic systems.
You may also see this posted as: Automotive Mechanic (Auto Mechanic), Automotive Technician (Auto Tech), Mechanic, Service Technician (Service Tech), Automotive Drivability Technician (Auto Drivability Tech), Automotive Service Technician (Auto Service Tech).
Repair shops and dealerships; indoors, often standing, lifting, and bending.
Usually full-time; some evenings and weekends.
Realistic
working with tools, equipment, materials, or the physical world
Conventional
organizing information, following systems, and getting details right
Investigative
solving problems, analyzing evidence, and figuring out how things work
O*NET job zone 3 of 5
Medium preparation—often vocational training, an associate degree, or substantial experience—is usually needed.
Examples employers report—not a checklist you must already know.
May 2025 BLS wage & employment data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.
Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.
“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.
BLS estimates 13.8% of workers in this occupation are self-employed.
Statewide medians are a better starting point than the national number. Your city and experience still matter.
Certificate program
Training path: Cert programs plus dealer on-the-job training.
Related work experience: None.
On-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training.
No license required; ASE certification is the widely recognized credential.
You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.
Licensing rules and available programs change by state. These federal tools take you to the current official listings.
EVs are rewriting the job — early movers on electric certs win.
Run the Reality Check — build the life you want and see the salary it takes, then compare it to this one.
Browse verified internships, fellowships, and programs — many paid — that lead into fields like this.
Free resume templates, interview practice, and getting-hired guides in the Careers kit.
Standard Occupational Classification 49-3023. Pay and employment from the BLS May 2025 OEWS survey; outlook and openings from the 2024–34 employment projections; job context from the Occupational Outlook Handbook; tasks, interests, work styles, software examples, and job zone from O*NET 30.3. See something off? Tell us.