Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
Most important skills
- Troubleshooting
- Repairing
- Equipment Maintenance
- Critical Thinking
- Operations Monitoring
- Active Listening
- Complex Problem Solving
- Installation
Key knowledge
- Mechanical
- Engineering and Technology
- Computers and Electronics
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Education and Training
- Physics
What the work involves
- Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices.
- Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made.
- Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
- Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes.
- Review work orders and discuss work with supervisors.
- Troubleshoot fuel, ignition, and emissions control systems, using electronic testing equipment.
- Confer with customers to obtain descriptions of vehicle problems and to discuss work to be performed and future repair requirements.
- Align vehicles' front ends.
Strongest interest areas (O*NET): Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
Qualifications and licensing
- Most common education
- Post-Secondary Certificate (32.4% of expert ratings)
- Related experience
- Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (43.3%)
- On-the-job training
- Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month (26.2%)
- 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 Service Technicians and Mechanics is not yet verified for any state: check the state licensing board before planning.
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.
| Condition | Level | Compared with other occupations | Most common answer (O*NET survey) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contact with others | Low | Lower on contact with others than 79% of occupations compared | 44% of surveyed respondents chose “Contact with others most of the time” |
| Dealing with the public | Low | Lower on dealing with the public than 70% of occupations compared | 26% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Teamwork | Very low | Lower on teamwork than 89% of occupations compared | 38% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely important” |
| Freedom to make decisions | Moderate | Higher on freedom to make decisions than 54% of occupations compared | 42% of surveyed respondents chose “A lot of freedom” |
| Time pressure | High | Higher on time pressure than 66% of occupations compared | 52% of surveyed respondents chose “Every day” |
| Conflict situations | Low | Lower on conflict situations than 60% of occupations compared | 29% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Dealing with unpleasant or angry people | Low | Lower on dealing with unpleasant or angry people than 67% of occupations compared | 33% of surveyed respondents chose “Never” |
| Consequence of error | High | Higher on consequence of error than 76% of occupations compared | 36% of surveyed respondents chose “Extremely serious” |
Work-pressure profile
- Time pressure: high
- Conflict situations: low
- Dealing with unpleasant or angry people: low
- 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
Contact with others
- No contact with others: 0%
- Occasional contact with others: 11.18%
- Contact with others about half the time: 14.81%
- Contact with others most of the time: 44.13%
- Constant contact with others: 29.87%
n = 23, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with the public
- Not important at all: 25.86%
- Fairly important: 23.37%
- Important: 12.57%
- Very important: 12.27%
- Extremely important: 25.92%
n = 23, Incumbent 08/2026
Teamwork
- Not important at all: 10.86%
- Fairly important: 13.51%
- Important: 23.57%
- Very important: 13.68%
- Extremely important: 38.39%
n = 23, Incumbent 08/2026
Freedom to make decisions
- No freedom: 0%
- Very little freedom: 6.43%
- Limited freedom: 12.78%
- Some freedom: 38.55%
- A lot of freedom: 42.24%
n = 23, Incumbent 08/2026
Time pressure
- Never: 4.43%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 9.42%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 14.62%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 19.2%
- Every day: 52.34%
n = 23, Incumbent 08/2026
Conflict situations
- Never: 29.12%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 15.02%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 24.56%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 21.3%
- Every day: 10%
n = 23, Incumbent 08/2026
Dealing with unpleasant or angry people
- Never: 33.24%
- Once a year or more but not every month: 21.84%
- Once a month or more but not every week: 16.5%
- Once a week or more but not every day: 19.16%
- Every day: 9.25%
n = 23, Incumbent 08/2026
Consequence of error
- Not serious at all: 9.58%
- Fairly serious: 12.77%
- Serious: 18.3%
- Very serious: 22.88%
- Extremely serious: 36.47%
n = 23, Incumbent 08/2026
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O*NET-SOC 49-3023.00 · SOC 49-3023 (exact, high confidence) · dataset 2026.10.8