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.

Most important skills

Reading Comprehension
Speaking
Critical Thinking
Active Listening
Writing
Complex Problem Solving
Operations Monitoring
Quality Control Analysis

Key knowledge

Engineering and Technology
Mechanical
Computers and Electronics
Mathematics
English Language
Physics
Transportation
Design

What the work involves

Build instrumentation or laboratory test equipment for special purposes.
Order new test equipment, supplies, or replacement parts.
Set up mechanical, hydraulic, or electric test equipment in accordance with engineering specifications, standards, or test procedures.
Recommend tests or testing conditions in accordance with designs, customer requirements, or industry standards to ensure test validity.
Monitor computer-controlled test equipment, according to written or verbal instructions.
Read and interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, or charts.
Maintain test equipment in operational condition by performing routine maintenance or making minor repairs or adjustments as needed.
Install equipment, such as instrumentation, test equipment, engines, or aftermarket products, to ensure proper interfaces.

Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Investigative, Conventional.

Qualifications and licensing

Most common education: Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree (37% of respondents)
Related experience: Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (29.6%)
On-the-job training: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (37%)
Preparation level: O*NET job zone 3: Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed
Licensing: Not yet verified. Check your state licensing board.

Check before planning

Licensing for Automotive Engineering Technicians is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
Projection education uses SOC 17-3027 (detailed_parent); it may describe a broader group.

Limits

Distributions show what current workers or occupational experts report, not legal minimums.
Requirements vary by employer and state; time to qualify is not estimated.

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA, CC BY 4.0); BLS Employment Projections · dataset 2026.10.8 · method e3-qualification-1.0.0

Work environment

How the typical conditions of this occupation compare with 911 occupations in O*NET (very low = the lowest fifth).

Levels are relative. Most occupations involve a lot of contact with people, for example, so “very low” can still mean regular contact; the last column shows what workers actually reported.

Rankings compare typical U.S. occupation-level work conditions; individual jobs and employers vary. Data: O*NET 31.0 Work Context and BLS wages (May 2025).
Condition	Level	Compared with other occupations	Most common answer (O*NET survey)
Contact with others	Low	Lower on contact with others than 65% of occupations compared	41% of surveyed respondents chose “Constant contact with others”
Dealing with the public	Low	Lower on dealing with the public than 72% of occupations compared	26% of surveyed respondents chose “Fairly important”
Teamwork	Moderate	Higher on teamwork than 50% of occupations compared	52% of surveyed respondents chose “Very important”
Freedom to make decisions	Very low	Lower on freedom to make decisions than 86% of occupations compared	48% of surveyed respondents chose “Limited freedom”
Time pressure	Moderate	Lower on time pressure than 54% of occupations compared	56% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a week or more but not every day”
Conflict situations	Moderate	Higher on conflict situations than 54% of occupations compared	44% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a month or more but not every week”
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people	Moderate	Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 55% of occupations compared	59% of surveyed respondents chose “Once a year or more but not every month”
Consequence of error	High	Higher on consequence of error than 65% of occupations compared	26% of surveyed respondents chose “Very serious”

Work-pressure profile

Time pressure: moderate
Conflict situations: moderate
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: moderate
Consequence of error: high

Each part is shown on its own. There is no combined stress score, and conditions vary by employer and role.

Full answer distributions