Automotive Body and Related Repairers

Overview

Automotive Body and Related Repairers has a national median salary of $54,890 per year, with +3.7% projected job growth from 2025–2035. The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation.

Description

Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.

Work Values

• Support
• Relationships
• Independence

Work Styles

Responsibilities

Tasks

• File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
• Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.
• Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.
• Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.
• Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.

Work Activities

• Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge
• Getting Information
• Making Decisions and Solving Problems
• Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment
• Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events
• Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work
• Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials
• Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards
• Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates
• Processing Information

Detailed Work Activities

• Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
• Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
• Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Running, maneuvering, navigating, or driving vehicles or mechanized equipment, such as forklifts, passenger vehicles, aircraft, or watercraft.
• Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
• Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
• Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems or defects.
• Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

T-A-S-K

Technology, Abilities, Skills & Knowledge

Education

Education Levels of Current Workers

The Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation. The chart below shows the highest level of education held by people already working in this field, ages 25 and older. It includes workers who earned more education than the job requires and workers who entered the field under earlier requirements, so the largest bar is not the entry requirement. For example, if someone finished an associate's degree and then started working in this field, they are counted under “Associate's degree” here, but the job itself typically asks for a high school diploma or equivalent.

Certificates

Certifications applicable to Automotive Body and Related Repairers:

Video Resources