Best degree programs for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, ranked by enrollment
8 college programs and 814 schools train Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. Compare graduates per year, cost and pay, $50,620 median wage, 704,640 U.S. jobs. Federal data.
8 college programs at 814 schools train automotive service technicians and mechanics, graduating 51,392 people a year (IPEDS completions). The largest is Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician. The job pays a median of $50,620 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About automotive service technicians and mechanics
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
8 degree programs that lead to this job
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 47.0604 | 46,331 | 90.2% | 762 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
| 2 | CIP 47.0613 | 2,278 | 4.4% | 87 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
| 3 | CIP 15.0803 | 1,292 | 2.5% | 47 | $61,021 | $24,436 |
| 4 | CIP 47.0600 | 814 | 1.6% | 27 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
| 5 | CIP 47.0617 | 479 | 0.9% | 13 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
| 6 | CIP 47.0614 | 192 | 0.4% | 23 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
| 7 | CIP 15.0807 | 4 | 0.0% | 1 | $61,021 | $24,436 |
| 8 | CIP 47.0612 | 2 | 0.0% | 1 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
Top 50 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
What automotive service technicians and mechanics earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $64,980 | 65,420 | 0.79× | 84 | 7,042 |
| Texas | $48,310 | 69,750 | 1.09× | 46 | 5,356 |
| Arizona | $49,570 | 16,400 | 1.12× | 14 | 3,698 |
| Illinois | $49,170 | 29,510 | 1.07× | 38 | 3,024 |
| Georgia | $49,060 | 22,070 | 1.00× | 24 | 2,516 |
| North Carolina | $48,200 | 26,510 | 1.18× | 43 | 2,412 |
| Colorado | $61,280 | 12,300 | 0.94× | 19 | 2,230 |
| Florida | $48,260 | 49,930 | 1.11× | 51 | 2,145 |
| Kentucky | $44,890 | 11,140 | 1.23× | 14 | 1,681 |
| Washington | $57,270 | 12,930 | 0.80× | 24 | 1,358 |
| New Jersey | $56,610 | 17,640 | 0.91× | 16 | 1,297 |
| Ohio | $48,710 | 22,640 | 0.90× | 16 | 1,253 |
| Pennsylvania | $49,800 | 29,400 | 1.07× | 27 | 1,147 |
| Oklahoma | $46,560 | 8,870 | 1.15× | 29 | 1,124 |
| Indianamoderate | $49,360 | 16,480 | 1.14× | 4 | 1,121 |
| New York | $54,120 | 32,020 | 0.73× | 17 | 917 |
| Tennessee | $50,290 | 16,210 | 1.09× | 25 | 804 |
| Iowa | $50,510 | 7,610 | 1.08× | 15 | 771 |
| Kansas | $47,790 | 6,240 | 0.96× | 21 | 755 |
| Wisconsin | $54,350 | 12,270 | 0.92× | 16 | 742 |
| Arkansas | $44,160 | 7,310 | 1.24× | 19 | 711 |
| Virginia | $59,330 | 17,880 | 0.96× | 15 | 703 |
| Louisiana | $46,400 | 8,620 | 0.98× | 8 | 690 |
| Nebraska | $50,560 | 4,560 | 0.98× | 6 | 649 |
| Utah | $46,570 | 9,350 | 1.19× | 12 | 585 |
| Alabama | $45,640 | 9,040 | 0.94× | 17 | 555 |
| Wyoming | $51,330 | 1,560 | 1.22× | 5 | 552 |
| Minnesota | $58,390 | 11,980 | 0.90× | 21 | 499 |
| Michigan | $54,120 | 22,280 | 1.12× | 25 | 480 |
| Nevada | $48,290 | 7,420 | 1.06× | 6 | 436 |
| Missouri | $49,160 | 17,210 | 1.29× | 14 | 408 |
| New Mexico | $47,300 | 5,080 | 1.29× | 13 | 398 |
| Connecticutmoderate | $60,220 | 6,960 | 0.91× | 4 | 390 |
| South Carolina | $48,100 | 13,420 | 1.29× | 12 | 368 |
| Mississippi | $37,820 | 7,410 | 1.41× | 15 | 235 |
| Marylandmoderate | $57,520 | 14,230 | 1.14× | 4 | 220 |
| Idaho | $48,420 | 5,030 | 1.30× | 7 | 205 |
| Oregon | $58,520 | 6,990 | 0.78× | 11 | 195 |
| Massachusetts | $60,760 | 12,710 | 0.77× | 6 | 163 |
| Hawaii | $52,160 | 2,710 | 0.95× | 5 | 162 |
| Maine | $52,040 | 3,390 | 1.17× | 5 | 68 |
| North Dakota | $57,360 | 2,140 | 1.10× | 5 | 68 |
| South Dakotamoderate | $51,160 | 2,010 | 0.97× | 4 | 61 |
| New Hampshire | $59,020 | 4,840 | 1.56× | 5 | 58 |
| Rhode Islandlimited | $51,770 | 2,530 | 1.11× | 1 | 56 |
| Montana | $58,740 | 2,900 | 1.25× | 6 | 40 |
| Delawarelimited | $58,410 | 1,910 | 0.87× | 1 | 28 |
| West Virginiamoderate | $37,660 | 4,490 | 1.41× | 4 | 24 |
| Alaskalimited | $60,840 | 1,420 | 0.96× | 2 | 22 |
| Vermontlimited | $51,630 | 1,610 | 1.17× | 1 | 3 |
Skills and tools
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made.
- Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices.
- Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
- Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes.
- Review work orders and discuss work with supervisors.
- Estimate costs of vehicle repair.
- Confer with customers to obtain descriptions of vehicle problems and to discuss work to be performed and future repair requirements.
- Align vehicles' front ends.
Skills
- Critical Thinking3.5
- Monitoring3.3
- Active Listening3.3
- Speaking3.1
- Reading Comprehension2.9
- Writing2.8
- Active Learning2.8
- Learning Strategies2.6
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical4.8
- Customer and Personal Service3.3
- Computers and Electronics3.3
- Engineering and Technology3.0
- English Language2.9
- Transportation2.8
Abilities
- Deductive Reasoning3.9
- Manual Dexterity3.9
- Inductive Reasoning3.8
- Near Vision3.8
- Finger Dexterity3.8
- Problem Sensitivity3.8
Core activities
- Getting Information4.6
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment4.5
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge4.2
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment4.2
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.1
- Handling and Moving Objects4.0
Tools and technology
hotmarks an O*NET hot technologyHow to get in
How to become a Automotive Service Technician
Job zone 3 of 5 · SVP 6.0 to < 7.0- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 8 majors mapped to Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics8 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 15.0803Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician
- 15.0807Motorsports Engineering Technology/Technician
- 47.0600Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician, General
- 47.0604Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician
- 47.0612Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Technology/Technician
- 47.0613Medium/Heavy Vehicle and Truck Technology/Technician
- 47.0614Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician
- 47.0617High Performance and Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become an Automotive Service Technician?+
Postsecondary nondegree award is the typical entry-level education BLS reports for this occupation. The most common program people actually graduate from is Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician, which awarded 46,331 degrees in 2024-25, 90.2% of everyone graduating from a program that feeds this career.
Which college majors lead to becoming an Automotive Service Technician?+
The NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 8 programs to this occupation. The largest are Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 51,392 people a year.
How much do automotive service technicians and mechanics earn?+
The median is $50,620 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $34,660 at the 10th percentile to $81,790 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for automotive service technicians and mechanics growing?+
BLS projects a +4.2% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, about as fast as average, with roughly 70,000 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
814 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 8 programs that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do automotive service technicians and mechanics work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Mechanic, Automotive Technician (Auto Tech), Service Technician (Service Tech), Automotive Mechanic (Auto Mechanic) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 49-3023.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
Explore every U.S. college in one conversation
Clema turns plain-language questions into sourced answers across every U.S. institution — earnings, aid, acceptance, graduation, safety, and athletics from IPEDS, College Scorecard, and 10+ federal datasets, built in.
Free for teams up to 3 · No credit card