What Is the Yearly Income of an Automotive Technician?
Automotive technicians maintain and repair cars and light trucks powered by gasoline, electricity or alternative fuels such as ethanol. Because these vehicles are becoming increasingly complex, employers look for those who have finished a formal training program in high schools, vocational schools or community colleges. Voluntary certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence can enhance employability and pay.
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Work
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Automotive techs work a standard 40-hour week, with about a quarter of these professionals working even longer hours. They sometimes perform evening and weekend work to accommodate customer schedules. Repair shops are generally well-lighted and ventilated, but can be noisy and greasy. As of May 2009, the median salary of techs was $35,420 annually, with a range of $19,840 to $59,920. This is equivalent to $17.03 hourly, with a range of $9.54 to $28.81. This information is the most current from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Experience
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Experience grants higher salaries as automotive technicians handle more types of cars and technical problems, and are exposed to a wider network of customers. New techs earn $22,382 to $38,884, and those with one to four years of work experience make $22,398 to $40,557. After five to nine years of employment, they get $29,606 to $47,865, and at 10 to 19 years, they receive $35,076 to $59,323. With 20 years or more of experience, they are paid $39,153 to $61,105.
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Employers
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The biggest employer of automotive technicians was automotive repair and maintenance, with over a third of the available 606,990 jobs. They paid a mean $16.74 per hour or $34,820 per year. The highest-paying employer was aerospace product and parts manufacturing, with mean wages at $31.87 per hour or $66,290 per year for 110 positions. Second-ranked for pay were couriers and express delivery services, with lower means at $29.73 per hour or $61,840 per year, but better employment at 1,450 jobs.
Locations
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The state with the best pay for automotive technicians was Alaska, where a high cost of living pushes mean wages to $23.74 per hour or $49,370 per year for 1,460 jobs. Also in the top five states for salaries was Massachusetts, with lower means of $20.48 per hour or $42,600 per year, but higher employment at 14,070 jobs. Among cities, Texarkana, Texas, has the highest wages at $26.34 per hour or $54,790 per year, with 700 jobs. Also in the top five cities for compensation was San Jose, California, at $24.31 per hour or $50,570 per year for 3,280 jobs.
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References
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