Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Also called: AC Tech (Air Conditioning Technician), Alternative Fuel Vehicle Maintenance Technician (AFV Maintenance Tech), Ambulance Mechanic, ASE 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)
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
What automotive service technicians and mechanics do
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.
- 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.
Typical path into the job (BLS)
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics salary
The median annual wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics is $50,620 (BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national). The lowest 10 percent earn less than $34,660 and the highest 10 percent earn more than $81,790. The mean annual wage is $56,420.
The mean hourly wage of $27.00 is 3.7× 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 Service Technicians and Mechanics (3, 5 and 10 years)est.
Today $50,620 → in 3 years $55,700 → in 5 years $59,300 → in 10 years $69,500 (10-year range $59,800–$80,700). 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 Service Technicians and Mechanics
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 Service Technicians and Mechanics? 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 Service Technicians and Mechanics
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 Service Technicians and Mechanics United States | 自動車整備士 Japan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median / average pay | $50,620 | ¥5.04M ≈ $32,038 |
| Pay in 10 years (est.) | $69,500 | ¥7.11M |
| Outlook score | 61 | 67 |
| AI replacement risk | 27% Low | 30% Low |
| Workers | 705K | — |
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 Service Technicians and Mechanics
Key skills
O*NET skill level ratings (0–7).
Key knowledge areas
What the work involves
Important abilities
Training before entry
Related work experience
Job Zone 3 — medium preparation needed (O*NET)
Difficulty of entry: ★★☆☆☆ Fairly easy (from education, training, experience and Job Zone)
How to become automotive service technicians and mechanics
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 service technicians and mechanics
Career-path guidance is being prepared. Pay by percentile is shown in the Pay section.