Automotive Body and Related Repairers

Median salary

$54,890

Average salary

$59,690

Employment

149,310

Projected growth

1.6% growth

Annual openings

14,600

Typical entry education

High school diploma or equivalent

What Automotive Body and Related Repairers Do

Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 2024–2034.

Related work experience: None
On-the-job training: Long-term on-the-job training
Self-employed: 9.9%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 2 of 5

Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Experience: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience.
Education: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Job training: Ranges from a few days to one year of on-the-job training.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

Mechanicalimportance 3.6/5
Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.3/5
Production and Processingimportance 3.1/5
Mathematicsimportance 3.0/5
English Languageimportance 3.0/5
Transportationimportance 3.0/5
Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.8/5
Public Safety and Securityimportance 2.6/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

Exposed to Contaminants5.0/5
Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls5.0/5
Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.9/5
Time Pressure4.5/5
Exposed to Hazardous Conditions4.5/5
Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.5/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Motorcycle Mechanics95% skill match
Home Appliance Repairers95% skill match
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners93% skill match
Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers93% skill match
Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas93% skill match
Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians93% skill match
Sawing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Wood93% skill match
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics93% skill match

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

Repairingimportance 3.3/5
Troubleshootingimportance 3.1/5
Operations Monitoringimportance 3.0/5
Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.0/5
Time Managementimportance 3.0/5
Social Perceptivenessimportance 2.9/5
Coordinationimportance 2.9/5
Service Orientationimportance 2.9/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Hot Technologies

Other Software Used

Accounts receivable software
Appointment scheduling software
AutoZone ALLDATA
Automotive and Accounting Software by R*KOM Invoice Writer
Collision damage estimation software
Collision damage measurement software
Equipment management information software
Materials management software

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

Attention to Detail
Dependability
Cautiousness
Perseverance
Stress Tolerance
Achievement Orientation
Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

RealisticHigh
ConventionalMedium
InvestigativeLow
EnterprisingLow
ArtisticLow
SocialLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where automotive body and related repairers make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).