Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician

What Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to autobody/collision and repair technology/technician and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Majors

Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Skills for Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to autobody/collision and repair technology/technician:

• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Time Management - Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Majors

As you progress with your autobody/collision and repair technology/technician degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

What Can You Do With a Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with autobody/collision and repair technology/technician:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage	5.1%	$62,520

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician

Some careers associated with autobody/collision and repair technology/technician require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for autobody/collision and repair technology/technician careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	10.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	49.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	28.3%
Some College Courses	7.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	3.8%
Bachelor’s Degree	0.4%

Online Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	263	0
Certificate (2-4 Years)	27	0
Associate’s Degree	156	1
Bachelor’s Degree	0	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	0	0
Post-Master’s	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to autobody/collision and repair technology/technician.

Major	Number of Grads
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician	37,616
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician	9,296
Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician	7,121
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician	2,964
Medium/Heavy Vehicle & Truck Technology/Technician	2,030
Motorcycle Maintenance & Repair Technology/Technician	1,146
Marine Maintenance/Fitter & Ship Repair Technology/Technician	892
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician	735
General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies	716
High Performance & Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic	435
Small Engine Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician	172
Other Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies	148
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician	143
Engine Machinist	91
Recreation Vehicle (RV) Service Technician	43
Bicycle Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician	16

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020
• Image Credit: By Airman 1st Class Nigel Sandridge under License

More about our data sources and methodologies.