Ohio·Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations·SOC 49-3023

Best Automotive Service Technician programs in Ohio, ranked by enrollment

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive.

16 schools in Ohio run programs that feed this job, graduating 1,253 people a year. The job pays a median of $48,710 in Ohio across about 22,640 jobs (BLS OEWS May 2025).

Also calledMechanicAutomotive Technician (Auto Tech)Service Technician (Service Tech)Automotive Mechanic (Auto Mechanic)FramerBrakemanDetailerFrameman
Graduates / yr
1,253
in Ohio
Median pay · Ohio
$48,710
BLS OEWS May 2025
Jobs in state
22,640
people employed
Schools
16
with a feeder program
Avg graduation rate
51%
across those schools
Median net price
$28,679
per year, IPEDS

Fields of study in Ohio that lead to this job

Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level. Numbers are graduates per year in this state.

5 programs in Ohio that lead to this job

Ranked by graduates per year in Ohio (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are national College Scorecard figures reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. Each program also links to its own Ohio page.

Degree programs that lead to this occupation, ranked by graduates per year
#ProgramGraduates / yrShare of pipelineSchoolsGrad earnings (1 yr)Median debt
1
CIP 47.0604In Ohio
841
67.1%
14$37,089$11,790
2
CIP 47.0617In Ohio
204
16.3%
2$37,089$11,790
3
CIP 15.0803In Ohio
134
10.7%
5$61,021$24,436
4
CIP 47.0613In Ohio
39
3.1%
2$37,089$11,790
5
CIP 47.0614In Ohio
35
2.8%
1$37,089$11,790

Top 16 schools in Ohio

Ranked by graduates per year into this job. Graduate earnings are reported for 5 of the 16 schools in this state.

Schools ranked by graduates per year into this occupation
#SchoolGraduates / yrTop feeder programGrad earnings (1 yr)Grad rateNet priceAcceptance
1University of Northwestern Ohio
Lima, OH Private not-for-profit · 3 feeder programs
458Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician$42,33854%$19,592
2Stark State College
North Canton, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
248Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician23%
3Sinclair Community College
Dayton, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
147Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician41%
4Cuyahoga Community College District
Cleveland, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
96Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician$46,24931%
5Ohio Technical College
Cleveland, OH Private for-profit · 3 feeder programs
67Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician$34,31290%$28,679
6Columbus State Community College
Columbus, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
52Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician28%
7Terra State Community College
Fremont, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
45Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician39%
8Owens Community College
Perrysburg, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
35Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician$61,02135%
9Washington State College of Ohio
Marietta, OH Public · 2 feeder programs
31Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician32%
10Great Oaks Career Campuses
Cincinnati, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
21Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician$37,30790%
11Cincinnati State Technical and Community College
Cincinnati, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
15Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician16%
12Polaris Career Center
Middleburg Heights, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
14Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician77%
13Mahoning County Career and Technical Center
Canfield, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
9Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician80%
14Lorain County Joint Vocational School District
Oberlin, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
8Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician90%
15Hocking College
Nelsonville, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
4Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician37%
16Collins Career Technical Center
Chesapeake, OH Public · 1 feeder programs
3Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician55%

All 16 schools in Ohio

Every school in Ohio with a program that feeds this job, ordered by graduates per year. Earnings are shown for the ranked schools above; open a school profile for the rest.

All schools in Ohio that feed this occupation
SchoolCityControlGraduates / yrFeeder programs
University of Northwestern OhioLimaPrivate not-for-profit4583
Stark State CollegeNorth CantonPublic2482
Sinclair Community CollegeDaytonPublic1471
Cuyahoga Community College DistrictClevelandPublic962
Ohio Technical CollegeClevelandPrivate for-profit673
Columbus State Community CollegeColumbusPublic521
Terra State Community CollegeFremontPublic452
Owens Community CollegePerrysburgPublic351
Washington State College of OhioMariettaPublic312
Great Oaks Career CampusesCincinnatiPublic211
Cincinnati State Technical and Community CollegeCincinnatiPublic151
Polaris Career CenterMiddleburg HeightsPublic141
Mahoning County Career and Technical CenterCanfieldPublic91
Lorain County Joint Vocational School DistrictOberlinPublic81
Hocking CollegeNelsonvillePublic41

What automotive service technicians and mechanics earn in Ohio

What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.

Median annual in Ohio
$48,710
Mean annual
$54,590
Jobs in state
22,640
What the range looks like
10th pct$34,110Median$48,71090th pct$79,690
Versus the national median
-3.8%

U.S. median $50,620. Ohio pays below the national figure.

Job concentration
0.90×

1.00× means the state has its expected share of these jobs.

Metro areas in Ohio

Columbus, OH
$56,150median
3,920 jobs
Cleveland, OH
$50,260median
4,120 jobs
Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN
$49,090median
4,520 jobs
Akron, OH
$52,900median
1,580 jobs
Lima, OH
$45,740median
270 jobs
Mansfield, OH
$48,350median
250 jobs
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH
$47,100median
1,570 jobs
Toledo, OH
$47,090median
1,350 jobs

Job outlook

Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.

Projected growth 2024–34
+4.2%
About as fast as average
Openings per year
70,000
new jobs plus replacements
Employment change
33,600
805,600 → 839,200
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award
Plus short-term on-the-job training

Growth and openings are national. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not publish employment projections at state level, so these figures describe the occupation across the whole U.S., not this state alone.

How to get in

The full skills, tools, and day-to-day breakdown lives on the national Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics page.

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.

Top skills

Critical ThinkingMonitoringActive ListeningSpeakingReading ComprehensionWriting

The same job in other states

Where else this occupation employs the most people, and what it pays there.

Related careers in Ohio

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

Common questions

Answers for people weighing automotive service technicians and mechanics programs in Ohio.

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 841 degrees in Ohio in 2024-25, 67.1% 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 5 programs to this occupation. The largest are Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians. Together they graduate about 1,253 people a year in Ohio.

How much do automotive service technicians and mechanics earn in Ohio?+

The median is $48,710 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). That is 3.8% below the U.S. median of $50,620. 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 in Ohio?+

16 institutions in Ohio reported graduates from at least one of the 5 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.

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in other statesCaliforniaTexasArizonaIllinoisGeorgiaNorth CarolinaColoradoFlorida

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 2025

    Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.

  • BLS Employment Projections

    2024–34

    Projected 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 cohorts

    Median graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.

  • Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes

    latest available

    Graduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.

  • NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk

    CIP 2020 / SOC 2018

    Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.

  • O*NET Database 30.3

    30.3

    Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.

    Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA

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