Are you interested in a new career as a automotive service
technician, Truck Driver, Diesel Mechanic, Auto Tech
Specialist? Perhaps you should consider looking into programs at
automotive schools for certifications, and diplomas that will help
you land a career in the automotive field of your dreams. Learn
more about automotive careers, and schools that will help you achieve
sucess in your chosen automotive specialization.
Programs that may be of interest to you:
* Applied Service Management
* Automotive Service Technician
* Automotive Technology
* Chassis Fabrication
* High Performance Engines
* Collision
* Diesel
* High Performance
* Street Rod and Custom Fabrication
* Truck Driving Training
* Upholstery Technology
Automobile Mechanic
Also Called: Automotive Technician, Automotive Mechanics
Job Description: Automobile mechanics often work in high-tech repair shops where they use sophisticated software and sensors to get to the root of a car’s problems. A wide range of tools—everything from air wrenches to welding equipment to basic hand-tools—then allow the mechanic to repair, replace, or readjust malfunctioning parts as needed. In order to service the many different brands of car and tackle the most diverse problems, a technician must develop extensive technical and analytical skills to keep the nation’s automobiles on the road and functioning properly.
Working Environment: Most automobile mechanics work 40 hours a week at a repair shop, and many choose to supplement their income by doing extra repair jobs on nights and weekends as self-employed workers. Some repair jobs may require only minor computerized adjustments while others necessitate getting one’s hands into the grease of a vehicle’s internal components.
Education and Training Requirements: In the past, most automobile mechanics learned their trade through a three or four year apprenticeship at a repair shop. The technological progress in the automotive field, however, has made post-secondary training programs a necessary requirement. The best programs are usually taught at a vocational school or community college. At a vocational school, the training lasts between six months and one year. A community college, on the other hand, spreads the training over two years, because courses in other subjects are required. During this instruction, students typically alternate six or twelve weeks of classroom learning with six or twelve weeks of working hands-on at a dealership or training facility.
With two years of job experience, voluntary certification by the ASE (National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence) becomes an option. A year spent at technical school counts as a year of work experience. This national standard of achievement can be obtained in areas such as engines, drivetrain, brakes, suspension, body systems, and other areas. See the ASE section of this website for more details.
In addition, automobile manufacturers such as Porsche, BMW, Jaguar, and many others are now offering advanced programs that accept gifted graduates of certain training programs who wish to jumpstart their career. Schools such as Lincoln Tech offer manufacturer programs to qualified graduates of their regular automotive programs. Promotion to journey-level technician usually takes two to five years, but postsecondary training, and especially these advanced programs, can cut this time in half.
Salary Range:
Entry Level Pay: $25,000-35,000
Mid-Range Pay: $35,000-45,000
Experienced Pay: $45,000-55,000
Top Level Pay (Master Mechanic): $60,000-100,000
Outlook: Good to Excellent. Through the year 2010, employment in the automotive repair field is expected to increase about 10-20%. The ever-increasing number of cars on the roads ensures the need for good mechanics, and job security will be good because the automotive repair business is little affected by general economic trends.
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