Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
MAY 2025 · OCCUPATIONAL WAGES
A wage reference for United States.
Published wage percentiles describe a distribution within the source occupation group. They provide context for a career decision; employer packages and job offers have their own terms.
Source wage group: Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
This wage group may include multiple detailed occupations. The figures are for the source group, which may be broader than Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. They are not an exact-title, employer, experience or seniority match.
May 2025 · USD · United States. Annual and hourly figures are shown only when the source publishes them; neither is calculated from the other.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data, distributed through the O*NET® OnLine service.
Median annual wage$50,620USD per year · Published 50th percentile
Median hourly wage$24.34USD per hour · Published 50th percentile
Annual wage thresholds
USD per year
Hourly wage thresholds
USD per hour
| Percentile | Annual wage (USD/year) | Hourly wage (USD/hour) |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,660 | $16.66 |
| 25th | $38,900 | $18.70 |
| 50th · Median | $50,620 | $24.34 |
| 75th | $70,430 | $33.86 |
| 90th | $81,790 | $39.32 |
“≥” means at least the published amount; “≤” means at most that amount. These are bounds, not exact values. “Not published” means the source did not provide that figure. Occupational wages follow the source definition and do not establish an employer’s base salary, equity or total compensation.
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THE WORK BEHIND THE TITLE
What this career involves.
Occupation definitions describe common work. Responsibilities and requirements vary by employer and specific job.
Selected title examples
AC Tech (Air Conditioning Technician)Alternative Fuel Vehicle Maintenance Technician (AFV Maintenance Tech)Ambulance MechanicASE Master Mechanic (Automotive Service Excellence Master Mechanic)Auto AC Installer (Automotive Air Conditioning Installer)Auto AC Mechanic (Automotive Air Conditioning Mechanic)Auto Bench Mechanic (Automotive Bench Mechanic)Auto Brake Mechanic (Automotive Brake Mechanic)Auto Brake Specialist (Automotive Brake Specialist)Auto Brake Tech (Automotive Brake Technician)Auto Braker Adjuster (Automotive Brake Adjuster)Auto Cooling System Diagnostic Tech (Automotive Cooling System Diagnostic Technician)
Expand more title examples (48)
Auto Drivability Tech (Automotive Drivability Technician)Auto Engine Mechanic (Automotive Engine Mechanic)Auto Fuel Injection Servicer (Automotive Fuel Injection Servicer)Auto Garage Mechanic (Automotive Garage Mechanic)Auto Headlight Mechanic (Automotive Headlight Mechanic)Auto Heater Mechanic (Automotive Heater Mechanic)Auto Maintenance Tech (Automotive Maintenance Technician)Auto Mechanic (Automobile Mechanic)Auto Mechanic (Automotive Mechanic)Auto Motor Mechanic (Automotive Motor Mechanic)Auto Overhauler (Automotive Overhauler)Auto Radiator Mechanic (Automobile Radiator Mechanic)Auto Radiator Mechanic (Automotive Radiator Mechanic)Auto Radiator Specialist (Automotive Radiator Specialist)Auto Repair Tech (Automotive Repair Technician)Auto Service Mechanic (Automotive Service Mechanic)Auto Service Station Mechanic (Automobile Service Station Mechanic)Auto Service Tech (Automotive Service Technician)Auto Services Break Repairer (Automotive Services Brake Repairer)Auto Specialty Tech (Automotive Specialty Technician)Auto Suspension Mechanic (Automotive Suspension Mechanic)Auto Tech (Automative Technician)Auto Tech (Automobile Technician)Auto Tech (Automotive Technician)Auto Tech Specialist (Automotive Technician Specialist)Auto Tune Up Mechanic (Automotive Tune Up Mechanic)Automatic Transmission Mechanic (Auto Transmission Mechanic)Automatic Transmission Technician (Auto Transmission Tech)Brake AdjusterBrake RepairerBrake Shoe RebuilderCar MechanicCertified ASE Master Auto Tech (Certified Automotive Service Excellence Master Automotive Technician)Drivability TechnicianFront End MechanicGeneral Service Technician (General Service Tech)Heavy Duty MechanicHeavy Line Technician (Heavy Line Tech)Hybrid Car MechanicLine MechanicLube Technician (Lube Tech)Make Ready MechanicMechanical Car CheckerNew Car Get-Ready MechanicNew Car Make Ready MechanicQuick Lube Tech (Quick Lubrication Technician)Race Car MechanicRacing Mechanic
Typical tasks
- Follow checklists to ensure all important parts are examined, including belts, hoses, steering systems, spark plugs, brake and fuel systems, wheel bearings, and other potentially troublesome areas.
- Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
- Perform routine and scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications, and tune-ups.
- Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made.
- Align wheels, axles, frames, torsion bars, and steering mechanisms of automobiles, using special alignment equipment and wheel-balancing machines.
- Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes.
Expand more tasks (24)
- Repair, replace, or adjust defective fuel injectors, carburetor parts, and gasoline filters.
- Align vehicles' front ends.
- Repair and service air conditioning, heating, engine cooling, and electrical systems.
- Review work orders and discuss work with supervisors.
- Troubleshoot fuel, ignition, and emissions control systems, using electronic testing equipment.
- Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices.
- Confer with customers to obtain descriptions of vehicle problems and to discuss work to be performed and future repair requirements.
- Test electronic computer components in automobiles to ensure proper operation.
- Maintain cleanliness of work area.
- Overhaul or replace carburetors, blowers, generators, distributors, starters, and pumps.
- Tune automobile engines to ensure proper and efficient functioning.
- Repair or replace parts such as pistons, rods, gears, valves, and bearings.
- Diagnose and replace or repair engine management systems or related sensors for flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) with ignition timing, fuel rate, alcohol concentration, or air-to-fuel ratio malfunctions.
- Tear down, repair, and rebuild faulty assemblies, such as power systems, steering systems, and linkages.
- Plan work procedures, using charts, technical manuals, and experience.
- Disassemble units and inspect parts for wear, using micrometers, calipers, and gauges.
- Change spark plugs, fuel filters, air filters, and batteries in hybrid electric vehicles.
- Rewire ignition systems, lights, and instrument panels.
- Install, adjust, or repair hydraulic or electromagnetic automatic lift mechanisms used to raise and lower automobile windows, seats, and tops.
- Estimate costs of vehicle repair.
- Conduct visual inspections of compressed natural gas fuel systems to identify cracks, gouges, abrasions, discoloration, broken fibers, loose brackets, damaged gaskets, or other problems.
- Repair or rebuild transmissions.
- Rebuild parts, such as crankshafts and cylinder blocks.
- Retrofit vehicle fuel systems with aftermarket products, such as vapor transfer devices, evaporation control devices, swirlers, lean burn devices, and friction reduction devices, to enhance combustion and fuel efficiency.
Skills used in this work
- Repairing
- Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
- Troubleshooting
- Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
- Equipment Maintenance
- Performing routine maintenance on equipment and determining when and what kind of maintenance is needed.
- Critical Thinking
- Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
- Operations Monitoring
- Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.
- Active Listening
- Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Expand more skills (29)
- Complex Problem Solving
- Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Installation
- Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or programs to meet specifications.
- Operation and Control
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
- Quality Control Analysis
- Conducting tests and inspections of products, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance.
- Monitoring
- Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Active Learning
- Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Equipment Selection
- Determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.
- Judgment and Decision Making
- Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Speaking
- Talking to others to convey information effectively.
- Systems Analysis
- Determining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
- Systems Evaluation
- Identifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
- Time Management
- Managing one's own time and the time of others.
- Coordination
- Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
- Reading Comprehension
- Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
- Service Orientation
- Actively looking for ways to help people.
- Learning Strategies
- Selecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
- Social Perceptiveness
- Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Writing
- Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
- Persuasion
- Persuading others to change their minds or behavior.
- Instructing
- Teaching others how to do something.
- Mathematics
- Using mathematics to solve problems.
- Negotiation
- Bringing others together and trying to reconcile differences.
- Management of Personnel Resources
- Motivating, developing, and directing people as they work, identifying the best people for the job.
- Management of Material Resources
- Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.
- Management of Financial Resources
- Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- Technology Design
- Generating or adapting equipment and technology to serve user needs.
- Programming
- Writing computer programs for various purposes.
- Science
- Using scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
- Operations Analysis
- Analyzing needs and product requirements to create a design.
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