Automotive Engineering Technicians
Assist engineers in determining the practicality of proposed product design changes and plan and carry out tests on experimental test devices or equipment for performance, durability, or efficiency.
- O*NET-SOC code
17-3027.01 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
BLS doesn't publish wages for Automotive Engineering Technicians separately. These are the figures for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3027), its parent occupation.
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $48,400 | $59,510 | $74,510 | $88,110 | $106,050 |
By state (45)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 400 | $60,350 | 0.82 |
| Alaska | 70 | Not available | 0.93 |
| Arizona | 730 | $72,090 | 0.97 |
| California | 3,660 | $87,390 | 0.86 |
| Colorado | 330 | $77,090 | 0.50 |
| Connecticut | 350 | $82,660 | 0.88 |
| Delaware | 50 | $77,820 | 0.43 |
| Florida | 540 | $59,720 | 0.24 |
| Georgia | 560 | $73,870 | 0.50 |
| Idaho | 30 | $68,310 | 0.16 |
| Illinois | 1,170 | $77,020 | 0.82 |
| Indiana | 1,500 | $77,220 | 2.01 |
| Iowa | 500 | $71,670 | 1.37 |
| Kansas | 410 | $55,390 | 1.24 |
| Kentucky | 520 | $77,990 | 1.12 |
| Louisiana | 270 | $102,800 | 0.59 |
| Maine | 220 | $76,790 | 1.45 |
| Maryland | 640 | $79,180 | 1.00 |
| Massachusetts | 1,310 | $62,390 | 1.55 |
| Michigan | 4,930 | $68,170 | 4.81 |
| Minnesota | 400 | $63,990 | 0.58 |
| Mississippi | 220 | $70,570 | 0.81 |
| Missouri | 800 | $92,150 | 1.17 |
| Nebraska | 250 | $80,050 | 1.06 |
| Nevada | 420 | $72,950 | 1.17 |
| New Hampshire | 570 | $66,740 | 3.58 |
| New Jersey | 260 | $65,180 | 0.26 |
| New Mexico | 320 | $97,560 | 1.57 |
| New York | 1,140 | $78,210 | 0.51 |
| North Carolina | 1,190 | $62,360 | 1.03 |
| North Dakota | 90 | $76,440 | 0.91 |
| Ohio | 1,800 | $78,500 | 1.39 |
| Oklahoma | 490 | $61,480 | 1.24 |
| Oregon | 260 | $80,840 | 0.56 |
| Pennsylvania | 1,620 | $70,820 | 1.15 |
| Rhode Island | 30 | $81,600 | 0.27 |
| South Carolina | 1,290 | $69,580 | 2.40 |
| South Dakota | 110 | $53,670 | 1.04 |
| Tennessee | 580 | $62,270 | 0.76 |
| Texas | 2,140 | $76,610 | 0.65 |
| Utah | 900 | $61,870 | 2.24 |
| Virginia | 670 | $75,650 | 0.71 |
| Washington | 890 | $79,410 | 1.07 |
| West Virginia | 200 | $47,660 | 1.20 |
| Wisconsin | 900 | $67,850 | 1.31 |
Similar occupations
Similarity is our measure: the cosine of importance x level over all 120 O*NET skills, knowledge areas and abilities. It is not an O*NET finding. More.
Circles are the 20 most similar occupations, coloured by Job Zone. Lines join pairs where one is among the other's 10 most similar; darker lines are pairs O*NET also lists as related. Drag a circle to move it out of the way; select one to open it.
One skill away
Among the 50 occupations most similar to Automotive Engineering Technicians, those at the same Job Zone or lower, where exactly one skill rated at least 3 in importance needs a level more than 0.75 points higher (on O*NET's 0-7 level scale). Our definition. Change the thresholds.
| Occupation | Skill to build | Level gap | Similarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuclear Technicians | Operations Monitoring | 1.12 | 0.954 |
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators | Operations Monitoring | 1.12 | 0.946 |
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | Operations Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.943 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers | Operations Monitoring | 1.00 | 0.941 |
| Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians | Repairing | 0.88 | 0.939 |
| Biomass Plant Technicians | Operations Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.936 |
| Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operations Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.934 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Automotive Engineering Technicians, excluding software Automotive Engineering Technicians already lists and any you named. Ranked by how many of them use it, weighted by how much more common it is among them than across all occupations (lift). Our ranking.
| Software | Similar jobs using it | Lift |
|---|---|---|
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 16 of 20 | 4.3x |
| Supervisory control and data acquisition SCADA software | 8 of 20 | 6.0x |
| Dassault Systemes SolidWorks | 7 of 20 | 5.6x |
| Programmable logic controller PLC software | 5 of 20 | 11.0x |
| Ladder Logic | 3 of 20 | 34.6x |
| Simulation software | 4 of 20 | 14.2x |
| Rockwell RSLogix | 3 of 20 | 23.1x |
| Dassault Systemes CATIA | 6 of 20 | 4.6x |
| Ansys Fluent | 3 of 20 | 17.3x |
| AVEVA InTouch HMI | 3 of 20 | 15.4x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.38 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 3.12 | 3.12 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.50 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 2.62 | 3.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.12 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | not rated |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.62 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.38 | 2.62 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.62 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 2.25 | not rated |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 2.12 | 1.88 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 1.50 |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering and Technology | 4.52 | 5.04 |
| Mechanical | 4.22 | 5.22 |
| Computers and Electronics | 4.11 | 4.89 |
| Mathematics | 3.93 | 4.59 |
| English Language | 3.81 | 4.11 |
| Physics | 3.67 | 4.41 |
| Transportation | 3.15 | 3.52 |
| Design | 3.12 | 3.77 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.04 | 3.70 |
| Education and Training | 3.00 | 3.81 |
| Production and Processing | 2.93 | 3.04 |
| Chemistry | 2.89 | 3.85 |
| Administrative | 2.81 | 3.44 |
| Administration and Management | 2.63 | 3.33 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.44 | 2.63 |
| Telecommunications | 2.37 | 2.41 |
| Law and Government | 2.31 | 2.67 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 2.26 | 2.70 |
| Communications and Media | 2.26 | 2.26 |
| Economics and Accounting | 2.08 | 1.92 |
| Psychology | 2.04 | 1.70 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.00 | 2.07 |
| Building and Construction | 1.96 | 1.81 |
| Foreign Language | 1.96 | 1.62 |
| Geography | 1.93 | 1.96 |
| Biology | 1.67 | 1.33 |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.56 | 0.93 |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.30 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.30 | 0.41 |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.29 | 0.62 |
| History and Archeology | 1.17 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.12 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.11 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Written Comprehension | 3.88 | 4.00 |
| Deductive Reasoning | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Near Vision | 3.75 | 3.50 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Oral Expression | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Information Ordering | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.38 | 3.50 |
| Written Expression | 3.38 | 3.38 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Speech Clarity | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.38 | 3.00 |
| Selective Attention | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.12 | 3.38 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Visualization | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Far Vision | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.12 | 2.62 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 3.50 |
| Originality | 3.00 | 3.25 |
| Control Precision | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 2.62 | 2.88 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Reaction Time | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Extent Flexibility | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Response Orientation | 2.50 | 2.62 |
| Auditory Attention | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 2.50 | 2.50 |
| Depth Perception | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Memorization | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Trunk Strength | 2.38 | 2.50 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Static Strength | 2.38 | 2.12 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Rate Control | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Sound Localization | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Explosive Strength | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.12 | 1.75 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.00 | 1.75 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 2.00 | 1.62 |
| Stamina | 2.00 | 1.25 |
| Night Vision | 1.88 | 1.62 |
| Dynamic Strength | 1.88 | 1.50 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 1.88 | 1.25 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.00 | not rated |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.00 | not rated |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- SAP software hot
- A&D Technology iTest
- Autodesk AutoCAD Mechanical
- Autodesk Inventor
- Data acquisition software
- IBM Notes
- National Instruments LabVIEW
- PTC Creo Parametric
Where it concentrates
BLS doesn't publish wages for Automotive Engineering Technicians separately. These are the figures for Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians (17-3027), its parent occupation.
Metro areas ranked by BLS location quotient: the occupation's share of the area's jobs divided by its share of all US jobs. Above 1 means more concentrated than the nation. Metros employing fewer than 100 are left out.
| Metro area | Employment | Location quotient | Median annual |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, IN | 130 | 10.84 | $82,460 |
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI | 3,140 | 7.09 | $69,490 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 280 | 5.47 | $84,150 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | 200 | 4.86 | $82,220 |
| Manchester-Nashua, NH | 230 | 4.86 | $74,730 |
| Ogden, UT | 300 | 4.69 | $64,130 |
| Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC | 240 | 4.39 | $96,610 |
| Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC | 390 | 3.90 | $69,580 |
| Elkhart-Goshen, IN | 100 | 3.24 | $79,570 |
| Spartanburg, SC | 120 | 3.10 | $61,670 |