Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles. Includes mechanics who work on engines, transmissions, brakes, suspension, electrical systems, and other vehicle components.
Salary distribution (US)
Real salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The p10–p90 spread tells you more than the median alone.
Top skills
Knowledge you'll build
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Computers and Electronics
- Engineering and Technology
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Administration and Management
- Public Safety and Security
A day in the life
You clock in and check the service bay schedule—a check-engine light diagnosis, a brake job, and an oil change are all on the board before lunch. You hook up an OBD-II scanner to a car throwing a misfire code, interpret the data, and trace the problem to a failed ignition coil that you swap out in under an hour. Mid-morning might involve pulling a transmission, replacing worn clutch plates, and reinstalling everything with torque specs from the shop manual. Afternoons could include aligning a suspension, explaining a repair estimate to a customer, or staying late to figure out an electrical gremlin that has everyone stumped. Modern cars are rolling computers, so the job blends old-school wrench-turning with high-tech diagnostics, and the satisfaction of hearing an engine purr after a tough repair is hard to beat.
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