Auto Technician Jobs on the Rise

by AJ Fanter
ajfanter@careerschoolguide.com
Career School Guide Columnist

If you love cars, are mechanically inclined, and are in the market for a career that offers amazing potential, it may interest you to know that automotive technician jobs are in plentiful supply. In fact, according to Automotive Careers Today, as of right now there are more than 100,000 jobs available in the auto retailing industry—and roughly 37,329 of those are auto technician jobs.

What’s more, in the next 10 years there will be an estimated 319,000 new automotive service technician jobs (that’s 31,900 per year for 10 years) due to both a growing need for new automotive technicians and a need to fill the jobs of retiring auto technicians.

Auto Technician Jobs Pay Well

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, auto technician jobs at dealerships have an annual median income of $38,060; however, it is important to know that master auto technician jobs at some dealerships can pay as much as $70,000 to $100,000 per year, depending on the kind of dealership, where it’s located, and how much education, training, and experience the technician has.

The Changing Nature of Automotive Technician Jobs

One of the reasons today’s automotive technician jobs pay so well is because the average car or truck is far more complex that it was in just a few short years ago. In fact, according to the NADA, the National Automotive Dealers Association, because it is so packed with so many different kinds of diagnostic and repair equipment—including computers—the typical automotive service bay looks more like some sort of science lab. Today, an auto technician must not only be comfortable with the mechanics of a car or truck, but they must also have an extensive knowledge of electronics and computer technology in order to be good at their job.

If you enjoy working on cars and trucks, have an interest in computers and electronics, and are looking for a career that offers excellent prospects, becoming an automotive technician could be the ideal job for you.

Sources

Automotive Careers Today
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Automobile Dealers Association

About the Author

AJ Fanter is a freelance writer based in Reno, Nevada.