Automotive Body and Related Repairers
Also called: Auto Body Customizer, Auto Body Detailer, Auto Body Estimator (Automotive Body Estimator), Auto Body Man, Auto Body Mechanic, Auto Body Paint Prepper (Automotive Body Paint Prepper), Auto Body Paint Tech (Automotive Body Paint Technician), Auto Body Repair Technician (Auto Body Repair Tech)
Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.
What automotive body and related repairers do
Typical tasks
- File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
- Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.
- Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.
- Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.
- Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.
- Sand body areas to be painted and cover bumpers, windows, and trim with masking tape or paper to protect them from the paint.
- Chain or clamp frames and sections to alignment machines that use hydraulic pressure to align damaged components.
- Position dolly blocks against surfaces of dented areas and beat opposite surfaces to remove dents, using hammers.
- Cut and tape plastic separating film to outside repair areas to avoid damaging surrounding surfaces during repair procedure and remove tape and wash surfaces after repairs are complete.
- Review damage reports, prepare or review repair cost estimates, and plan work to be performed.
- Fill small dents that cannot be worked out with plastic or solder.
- Remove damaged sections of vehicles using metal-cutting guns, air grinders and wrenches, and install replacement parts using wrenches or welding equipment.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Automotive Body and Related Repairers salary
The median annual wage for automotive body and related repairers is $54,890 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $36,910 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $87,940. The mean annual wage is $59,690.
The mean hourly wage of $28.00 is 3.9× the federal minimum wage of $7.25. State minimums are higher in most large states. Minimum wage by state →
How does your pay compare with people your age?
Your numbers are not sent or stored. The comparison uses this occupation's BLS wage percentiles, adjusted for age with BLS median weekly earnings by age group (Q3 2026).
Pay by percentile
Annual wage percentiles from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). Percentiles are a good proxy for pay by experience.
Projected pay for Automotive Body and Related Repairers (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $54,890 → in 3 years $60,300 → in 5 years $64,200 → in 10 years $75,100 (10-year range $64,600–$87,200). The model assumes pay growth of +3.2% per year.
What drives the annual growth rate
Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →
Outlook score for Automotive Body and Related Repairers
Each component is a percentile rank among all occupations in the same country (0–100). Weights: labor demand 25, wage momentum / openings 15, pay level 15, AI resistance 25, aging workforce 10 (Japan only), entry barrier 10.
Will AI replace Automotive Body and Related Repairers? AI replacement risk
How AI is changing this job
A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.
AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →
Labor demand for Automotive Body and Related Repairers
Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (2025–35). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.
The same job in Japan
| Automotive Body and Related Repairers United States | 自動車板金塗装 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $54,890 | ¥5.04M ≈ $32,038 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $75,100 | ¥7.11M |
| Outlook score | 53 | 67 |
| AI replacement risk | 24% Low | 24% Low |
| Workers | 149K | — |
Matched by occupation (SOC code). Yen converted at 157.25 JPY/USD for reference; Japanese figures are averages, U.S. figures are medians, and the surveys define occupations differently.
Skills, education and requirements for Automotive Body and Related Repairers
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Education of workers
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 2 — some preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★☆☆☆☆ Easy to enter (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become automotive body and related repairers
A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.
Career path and how to earn more as automotive body and related repairers
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.