Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
- O*NET-SOC code
49-3023.00 - Preparation Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Wages
Median annual wage, U.S.$50,620
Employment, U.S.704,640
Median hourly wage$24.34
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $34,660 | $38,900 | $50,620 | $70,430 | $81,790 |
By state (51)
| State | Employment | Median annual | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 9,040 | $45,640 | 0.94 |
| Alaska | 1,420 | $60,840 | 0.96 |
| Arizona | 16,400 | $49,570 | 1.12 |
| Arkansas | 7,310 | $44,160 | 1.24 |
| California | 65,420 | $64,980 | 0.79 |
| Colorado | 12,300 | $61,280 | 0.94 |
| Connecticut | 6,960 | $60,220 | 0.91 |
| Delaware | 1,910 | $58,410 | 0.87 |
| District of Columbia | 310 | $68,660 | 0.10 |
| Florida | 49,930 | $48,260 | 1.11 |
| Georgia | 22,070 | $49,060 | 1.00 |
| Hawaii | 2,710 | $52,160 | 0.95 |
| Idaho | 5,030 | $48,420 | 1.30 |
| Illinois | 29,510 | $49,170 | 1.07 |
| Indiana | 16,480 | $49,360 | 1.14 |
| Iowa | 7,610 | $50,510 | 1.08 |
| Kansas | 6,240 | $47,790 | 0.96 |
| Kentucky | 11,140 | $44,890 | 1.23 |
| Louisiana | 8,620 | $46,400 | 0.98 |
| Maine | 3,390 | $52,040 | 1.17 |
| Maryland | 14,230 | $57,520 | 1.14 |
| Massachusetts | 12,710 | $60,760 | 0.77 |
| Michigan | 22,280 | $54,120 | 1.12 |
| Minnesota | 11,980 | $58,390 | 0.90 |
| Mississippi | 7,410 | $37,820 | 1.41 |
| Missouri | 17,210 | $49,160 | 1.29 |
| Montana | 2,900 | $58,740 | 1.25 |
| Nebraska | 4,560 | $50,560 | 0.98 |
| Nevada | 7,420 | $48,290 | 1.06 |
| New Hampshire | 4,840 | $59,020 | 1.56 |
| New Jersey | 17,640 | $56,610 | 0.91 |
| New Mexico | 5,080 | $47,300 | 1.29 |
| New York | 32,020 | $54,120 | 0.73 |
| North Carolina | 26,510 | $48,200 | 1.18 |
| North Dakota | 2,140 | $57,360 | 1.10 |
| Ohio | 22,640 | $48,710 | 0.90 |
| Oklahoma | 8,870 | $46,560 | 1.15 |
| Oregon | 6,990 | $58,520 | 0.78 |
| Pennsylvania | 29,400 | $49,800 | 1.07 |
| Rhode Island | 2,530 | $51,770 | 1.11 |
| South Carolina | 13,420 | $48,100 | 1.29 |
| South Dakota | 2,010 | $51,160 | 0.97 |
| Tennessee | 16,210 | $50,290 | 1.09 |
| Texas | 69,750 | $48,310 | 1.09 |
| Utah | 9,350 | $46,570 | 1.19 |
| Vermont | 1,610 | $51,630 | 1.17 |
| Virginia | 17,880 | $59,330 | 0.96 |
| Washington | 12,930 | $57,270 | 0.80 |
| West Virginia | 4,490 | $37,660 | 1.41 |
| Wisconsin | 12,270 | $54,350 | 0.92 |
| Wyoming | 1,560 | $51,330 | 1.22 |
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 Service Technicians and Mechanics, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Equipment Repairers | Operations Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.959 |
| Boilermakers | Operation and Control | 0.88 | 0.956 |
| Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operations Monitoring | 0.88 | 0.943 |
| Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic | Operations Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.937 |
| Stationary Engineers and Boiler Operators | Operations Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.935 |
| Biofuels Processing Technicians | Reading Comprehension | 0.87 | 0.931 |
| Biomass Plant Technicians | Operations Monitoring | 0.76 | 0.930 |
Software to learn next
Software used by at least 3 of the 20 occupations most similar to Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, excluding software Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Computerized maintenance management system CMMS | 5 of 20 | 7.7x |
| Inventory tracking software | 5 of 20 | 5.1x |
| Dassault Systemes CATIA | 3 of 20 | 2.3x |
| Autodesk AutoCAD | 5 of 20 | 1.3x |
| 3 of 20 | 1.0x | |
| Web browser software | 9 of 20 | 1.0x |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 11 of 20 | 0.8x |
Skills
From O*NET data. Importance is rated 1 to 5 and level 0 to 7.
| Skill | Type | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Repairing | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Troubleshooting | Transferable skill | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Equipment Maintenance | Transferable skill | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Critical Thinking | Essential skill | 3.50 | 3.75 |
| Operations Monitoring | Transferable skill | 3.38 | 3.12 |
| Installation | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Quality Control Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.25 |
| Complex Problem Solving | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.12 |
| Active Listening | Essential skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Operation and Control | Transferable skill | 3.25 | 3.00 |
| Monitoring | Essential skill | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Active Learning | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Equipment Selection | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speaking | Essential skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Systems Analysis | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Systems Evaluation | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Time Management | Transferable skill | 3.00 | 2.75 |
| Service Orientation | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Coordination | Transferable skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Reading Comprehension | Essential skill | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Learning Strategies | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Social Perceptiveness | Transferable skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Writing | Essential skill | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Persuasion | Transferable skill | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Instructing | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 2.62 |
| Mathematics | Essential skill | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Negotiation | Transferable skill | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | Transferable skill | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Management of Material Resources | Transferable skill | 1.88 | 0.88 |
| Management of Financial Resources | Transferable skill | 1.75 | 0.88 |
| Technology Design | Transferable skill | 1.62 | 0.75 |
| Programming | Transferable skill | 1.50 | 0.62 |
| Science | Essential skill | 1.50 | 0.50 |
| Operations Analysis | Transferable skill | 1.38 | 0.38 |
Knowledge (33) and abilities (52)
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | 4.59 | 5.29 |
| Engineering and Technology | 3.49 | 3.46 |
| Computers and Electronics | 3.39 | 3.71 |
| Customer and Personal Service | 3.18 | 2.37 |
| English Language | 3.18 | 2.33 |
| Mathematics | 3.13 | 3.55 |
| Education and Training | 2.91 | 2.91 |
| Physics | 2.63 | 2.60 |
| Administration and Management | 2.50 | 2.37 |
| Transportation | 2.48 | 1.81 |
| Chemistry | 2.28 | 2.65 |
| Administrative | 2.20 | 1.81 |
| Public Safety and Security | 2.17 | 1.68 |
| Production and Processing | 2.10 | 1.74 |
| Sales and Marketing | 2.04 | 1.09 |
| Design | 1.83 | 1.49 |
| Law and Government | 1.83 | 0.71 |
| Personnel and Human Resources | 1.80 | 0.95 |
| Building and Construction | 1.68 | 1.08 |
| Communications and Media | 1.64 | 0.86 |
| Foreign Language | 1.50 | not rated |
| Economics and Accounting | 1.47 | not rated |
| Telecommunications | 1.39 | 0.30 |
| Psychology | 1.16 | not rated |
| Fine Arts | 1.12 | not rated |
| Medicine and Dentistry | 1.10 | not rated |
| Therapy and Counseling | 1.10 | not rated |
| Food Production | 1.07 | not rated |
| Biology | 1.06 | not rated |
| Geography | 1.06 | not rated |
| Philosophy and Theology | 1.06 | not rated |
| History and Archeology | 1.00 | not rated |
| Sociology and Anthropology | 1.00 | not rated |
| Name | Importance | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Deductive Reasoning | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Near Vision | 4.00 | 3.88 |
| Problem Sensitivity | 4.00 | 3.50 |
| Finger Dexterity | 3.88 | 3.88 |
| Manual Dexterity | 3.88 | 3.75 |
| Control Precision | 3.75 | 3.75 |
| Inductive Reasoning | 3.75 | 3.62 |
| Extent Flexibility | 3.62 | 4.00 |
| Arm-Hand Steadiness | 3.62 | 3.62 |
| Visualization | 3.50 | 3.88 |
| Information Ordering | 3.50 | 3.50 |
| Oral Comprehension | 3.25 | 4.00 |
| Flexibility of Closure | 3.25 | 3.75 |
| Perceptual Speed | 3.25 | 3.38 |
| Multilimb Coordination | 3.12 | 3.25 |
| Trunk Strength | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Written Comprehension | 3.12 | 3.00 |
| Hearing Sensitivity | 3.00 | 3.62 |
| Oral Expression | 3.00 | 3.62 |
| Visual Color Discrimination | 3.00 | 3.38 |
| Auditory Attention | 3.00 | 3.12 |
| Category Flexibility | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Speech Recognition | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Static Strength | 3.00 | 3.00 |
| Fluency of Ideas | 3.00 | 2.88 |
| Response Orientation | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Speed of Closure | 2.88 | 3.00 |
| Dynamic Strength | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Selective Attention | 2.88 | 2.88 |
| Far Vision | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Speech Clarity | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Time Sharing | 2.88 | 2.75 |
| Originality | 2.75 | 3.00 |
| Depth Perception | 2.75 | 2.62 |
| Reaction Time | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Sound Localization | 2.62 | 2.75 |
| Memorization | 2.62 | 2.62 |
| Written Expression | 2.62 | 2.50 |
| Wrist-Finger Speed | 2.62 | 2.38 |
| Explosive Strength | 2.50 | 2.38 |
| Spatial Orientation | 2.38 | 2.25 |
| Gross Body Coordination | 2.25 | 2.12 |
| Stamina | 2.25 | 2.00 |
| Rate Control | 2.25 | 1.88 |
| Gross Body Equilibrium | 2.12 | 2.00 |
| Mathematical Reasoning | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Number Facility | 2.00 | 2.00 |
| Peripheral Vision | 2.00 | 1.88 |
| Glare Sensitivity | 1.88 | 1.75 |
| Dynamic Flexibility | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Speed of Limb Movement | 1.88 | 1.12 |
| Night Vision | 1.62 | 1.00 |
Software used
Examples from O*NET data. "Hot" and "in demand" are O*NET flags for technologies often listed in job postings.
- Apple Safari hot
- Microsoft Edge hot
- Microsoft Excel hot
- Microsoft Office software hot
- Microsoft Outlook hot
- Microsoft Windows hot
- Microsoft Word hot
- Mozilla Firefox hot
- SAP software hot
- Alliance Automotive Shop Controller
- Amcom AUTOS2000
- AutoZone ALLDATA
- Blue Streak Electronics Buell Diagnostic
- CODA Engine Analysis System
- Database software
- Estimating software
- Genisys Fast Fixes
- Hunter WinAlign
- IBM Notes
- Mainsaver Asset Management
- Mitchell Manager Invoicing System
- Mitchell OnDemand5 Manager
- Nexiq Tech HDS Suite for Palm
- Online service manual database software
- Recordkeeping software
- SPX/OTC Genisys ConnecTech PC
- Scheduling software
- Scott Systems MaxxTraxx Pro
- Snap-On ShopKey
- Technical manual database software
All 33
- Vehicle management software
- Work order management software
- YouTube
Where it concentrates
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ | 540 | 2.10 | $46,670 |
| Fayetteville, NC | 1,220 | 2.05 | $46,870 |
| Punta Gorda, FL | 520 | 2.01 | $46,190 |
| Parkersburg-Vienna, WV | 330 | 1.99 | $37,250 |
| Beckley, WV | 380 | 1.96 | $37,340 |
| Watertown-Fort Drum, NY | 350 | 1.94 | $47,280 |
| Abilene, TX | 650 | 1.90 | $46,190 |
| Ocala, FL | 1,030 | 1.87 | $45,900 |
| Carson City, NV | 270 | 1.86 | $54,270 |
| Homosassa Springs, FL | 300 | 1.86 | $46,150 |