Automobile Service Technicians

With more than 285 million vehicles in operation today in the United States, automobile service technicians should feel confident that a good percentage will require servicing and repair. This is especially true because the average age of cars and light trucks on American roads keeps increasing, and older cars and trucks typically require more maintenance and repair than newer models. The average age of cars and light trucks in the U.S. increased to a record 12.5 years in 2023, according to an analysis from S&P Global Mobility.

Demand will be high for technicians with formal education, ASE certification, and knowledge of cutting-edge automotive technologies such as hybrid-fuel technology and computer systems. Less-skilled workers will face tough competition. All this said, the U.S. Department of Labor predicts that employment in this field will grow about as fast as the average for all careers through 2032.

Most new jobs for technicians will be at independent service dealers and specialty shops and automobile dealerships. Because of the increase of specialty shops, fewer gasoline service stations will hire technicians, and many will eliminate repair services completely. Other opportunities will be available at companies or institutions with private fleets (e.g., cab, delivery, and rental companies, government agencies and police departments).

Another concern for the industry is the automobile industry's trend toward developing the "maintenance-free" car. Manufacturers are producing high-end cars that require no servicing for their first 100,000 miles. In addition, many new cars are equipped with on-board diagnostics that detect both wear and failure for many of the car's components, eliminating the need for technicians to perform extensive diagnostic tests. Also, parts that are replaced before they completely wear out prevent further damage from occurring to connected parts that are affected by a malfunction or breakdown. Although this will reduce troubleshooting time and the number of overall repairs, the components that need repair will be more costly and require a more experienced (and hence, more expensive) technician.