Automotive

O*NET defines automotive service technicians and mechanics in a single sentence: they diagnose, adjust, repair or overhaul automotive vehicles. The breadth of that sentence is reflected in the tool list, which at 287 commodities is the longest of any occupation mapped in this archive.

The technician’s core tasks include test-driving vehicles and testing components with infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges and computerized diagnostic devices, and testing and adjusting repaired systems to the manufacturer’s specifications. The trade’s hand tools are dominated by sockets, wrenches and drivers in two measurement systems, and its diagnostic tools by the onboard-diagnostics (OBD) systems that federal light-duty vehicle regulations phased in between 1994 and 1996, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

O*NET OnLine, the occupational database of the US Department of Labor, reports for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (49-3023.00), 825,800 people in 2025, a median wage of $24.34 an hour ($50,620 a year), projected growth for 2025–2035 described as faster than average (5% to 6%), and 66,200 projected job openings.