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Auto Body Mechanics

Auto Body Mechanic Training and Jobs


Schools and Degrees

To become a auto body mechanic, you need a high school diploma or a GED at the entry level. In order to repair newer automobiles, special training and education is a must. Post secondary vocational schools or community colleges offer candidates collision repair programs. Courses in physics, electronics, English, chemistry, mathematics and computers can prove to be extremely helpful in furthering one’s career in this profession. In addition, throughout his/ her career, an auto body mechanic needs to attend continuing education programs and training in order to keep up with new technology.

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Training and Education

Employees normally have long-term on-the-job training before landing a job. Degrees are held by 3% of current auto body mechanics. Post-secondary schooling was enough for 23% of workers. Education topped out at high school for 74% of employees.


Job Overview

Auto body mechanics primarily repair damaged vehicles. Their job requires them to fix vehicles bodies, replace heavily damaged parts that cannot be fixed and remove dents in the body of an automobile. They have to handle all kinds of vehicles, including trucks, cars, buses, tractors and pick-up trucks.


Job Requirements

Candidates can earn the certification offered by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence by passing the ASE Master Collision Repair and Refinish Exams. Passing all the four exams will mean that the candidate becomes an ASE Master Collision Repair and Refinish Technician. In order to retain this certification, auto body mechanics have to take the examination every 5 years.

In addition to academic qualifications, auto body mechanics need to have proper knowledge handling computer and in basic mathematics. They must also pay attention to detail when repairing the damaged parts of an automobile.


Nature of Work

Knowledge of the various automotive construction and repair techniques is essential when dealing with damaged vehicles. The extent of the damage must be considered and then the required parts are ordered by auto body mechanics. They either repair the parts of the vehicles or replace parts in cases where repair is not possible.

Auto body mechanics usually work indoors where it can be very noisy. The work is usually strenuous and can be dirty. Auto body mechanics usually work for about 40 hours a week, but longer hours are often required in cases of emergency or when there is a backlog of repair work. Working on weekends is also quite common for auto body mechanics.


Area Job Conditions

You'll see a lot of auto body mechanics in Palm Coast (Florida), Great Falls (Montana), and Framingham (Massachusetts), and comparatively fewer in Longview (Texas), Brownsville (Texas), and Kennewick (Washington).

Wages for Workers are highest in Anchorage (Alaska), Boulder (Colorado), and Santa Rosa (California), and lowest in Cape Coral (Florida), Sherman (Texas), and Yuma (Arizona).


Part-Time and Self Employment

Part-time work suffices for 6% of auto body mechanics. Workers working on their own make up 14% of the total.


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Auto Body Mechanics by Metropolitan Area (city and its surroundings)

In the table below, a Job Density near 0% means the area has an average number of people in this occupation, for its population. A higher or lower Job Density (e.g., +22% or -45%) tells you there are that many more or fewer workers of that type there than in the average US metro area. So, the higher the number, the more common the occupation.

Alabama

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anniston $33,000 40 +5%
Auburn $34,000 80 +118%
Birmingham $37,000 480 +2%
Decatur $31,000 50 +10%
Dothan $37,000 60 +21%
Florence $26,000 110 +150%
Gadsden $48,000 40 +42%
Huntsville $40,000 150 -22%
Mobile $41,000 300 +84%
Montgomery $42,000 180 +20%
Tuscaloosa $35,000 40 -50%

Alaska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anchorage $54,000 130 -16%

Arizona

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Flagstaff $52,000 40 -16%
Kingman $28,000 70 +77%
Phoenix $40,000 1,700 +0%
Prescott $51,000 80 +75%
Tucson $46,000 320 -1%
Yuma $33,000 70 +49%

Arkansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Fayetteville $38,000 120 -37%
Fort Smith $40,000 140 +26%
Hot Springs $37,000 40 +36%
Little Rock $40,000 250 -24%
Pine Bluff $24,000 50 +107%

California

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bakersfield $43,000 170 -31%
Chico $40,000 40 -34%
El Centro $41,000 30 -28%
Fresno $42,000 160 -47%
Los Angeles $40,000 3,150 -20%
Merced $47,000 50 +4%
Modesto $39,000 160 +12%
Napa $57,000 30 -44%
Oakland $52,000 870 -10%
Oxnard $62,000 130 -54%
Redding $41,000 70 +37%
Riverside $44,000 940 -19%
Sacramento $45,000 550 -34%
Salinas $54,000 100 -32%
San Diego $41,000 900 -29%
San Francisco $53,000 580 -39%
San Jose $42,000 560 -35%
San Luis Obispo $46,000 90 +9%
Santa Ana $55,000 1,130 -19%
Santa Barbara $45,000 130 -16%
Santa Cruz $66,000 80 +4%
Santa Rosa $55,000 150 -7%
Stockton $42,000 160 -18%
Vallejo $49,000 90 -17%
Visalia $44,000 80 -35%

Colorado

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boulder $51,000 130 -8%
Colorado Springs $52,000 200 -16%
Denver $40,000 1,520 +26%
Fort Collins $51,000 160 +40%
Grand Junction $38,000 40 -17%
Greeley $39,000 70 +11%
Pueblo $31,000 70 +45%

Connecticut

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bridgeport $51,000 470 +16%
Danbury $50,000 100 +69%
Hartford $40,000 640 +16%
New Haven $44,000 250 -3%
Norwich $41,000 150 +35%
Waterbury $38,000 100 +70%

Delaware

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Dover $41,000 40 -8%
Wilmington $41,000 240 -22%

District of Columbia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Washington $54,000 1,820 -23%

Florida

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Coral $43,000 160 -11%
Deltona $35,000 90 -36%
Fort Lauderdale $40,000 530 -21%
Fort Walton Beach $44,000 60 -10%
Gainesville $38,000 120 +9%
Jacksonville $42,000 630 +9%
Lakeland $38,000 160 -9%
Miami $35,000 800 -15%
Naples $43,000 80 -21%
Ocala $51,000 50 -36%
Orlando $42,000 690 -29%
Palm Bay $46,000 150 -18%
Port St Lucie $39,000 80 -26%
Sarasota $37,000 280 +21%
Tallahassee $46,000 120 -19%
Tampa $49,000 840 -24%
West Palm Beach $36,000 390 -21%

Georgia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $38,000 130 +145%
Athens $44,000 90 +46%
Atlanta $51,000 2,580 +16%
Augusta $42,000 230 +20%
Brunswick $36,000 40 +18%
Columbus $31,000 130 +31%
Dalton $32,000 60 +2%
Hinesville $37,000 30 +203%
Macon $42,000 110 +37%
Savannah $32,000 190 +39%
Valdosta $28,000 60 +44%
Warner Robins $44,000 40 -12%

Hawaii

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Honolulu $44,000 290 -31%

Idaho

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Boise $36,000 270 +10%
Idaho Falls $39,000 70 +79%
Lewiston $48,000 50 +178%

Illinois

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bloomington $48,000 160 +162%
Champaign $45,000 80 -13%
Chicago $45,000 3,970 +9%
Decatur $37,000 50 +32%
Kankakee $44,000 50 +48%
Peoria $50,000 220 +40%
Rockford $55,000 180 +40%
Springfield $47,000 150 +55%

Indiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Anderson $37,000 30 -3%
Bloomington $46,000 60 -1%
Elkhart $43,000 110 +13%
Evansville $42,000 180 +14%
Fort Wayne $44,000 150 -21%
Gary $45,000 240 -5%
Indianapolis $46,000 640 -26%
Lafayette $49,000 80 +21%
Michigan City $42,000 50 +48%
Muncie $34,000 50 +32%
South Bend $47,000 160 +36%
Terre Haute $38,000 50 -15%

Iowa

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ames $42,000 50 +65%
Cedar Rapids $39,000 170 +34%
Davenport $36,000 310 +79%
Des Moines $47,000 420 +35%
Dubuque $36,000 90 +99%
Iowa City $42,000 110 +79%
Sioux City $33,000 130 +105%
Waterloo $34,000 180 +138%

Kansas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Manhattan $34,000 100 +127%
Topeka $47,000 140 +41%
Wichita $43,000 300 +10%

Kentucky

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lexington $43,000 120 -47%
Louisville $43,000 620 +6%
Owensboro $36,000 30 -24%

Louisiana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baton Rouge $36,000 480 +36%
Houma $45,000 60 -29%
Lake Charles $47,000 70 -10%
Monroe $40,000 50 -25%
New Orleans $31,000 580 +14%
Shreveport $37,000 220 +32%

Maine

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bangor $38,000 40 -24%
Lewiston $40,000 50 +18%
Portland $41,000 220 +18%

Maryland

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Baltimore $51,000 1,080 -15%
Bethesda $53,000 470 -15%
Cumberland $30,000 50 +67%
Hagerstown $38,000 150 +73%
Salisbury $44,000 70 +54%

Massachusetts

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Barnstable Town $40,000 100 +13%
Boston $39,000 1,490 -11%
Brockton $39,000 230 +188%
Framingham $46,000 200 +33%
Haverhill $55,000 100 +38%
Lawrence $42,000 50 -2%
Lowell $47,000 150 +38%
New Bedford $41,000 50 -10%
Peabody $48,000 130 +43%
Pittsfield $37,000 40 +54%
Springfield $38,000 310 +10%
Taunton $36,000 50 +34%
Worcester $38,000 290 +23%

Michigan

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Ann Arbor $49,000 180 +17%
Battle Creek $30,000 60 +37%
Bay City $27,000 60 +129%
Detroit $52,000 690 +7%
Flint $30,000 360 +204%
Grand Rapids $42,000 600 +67%
Holland 110 +28%
Jackson $49,000 50 +22%
Lansing $50,000 150 -19%
Niles $41,000 60 +21%
Saginaw $38,000 160 +121%
Warren $46,000 1,580 +52%

Minnesota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Duluth $38,000 110 -7%
Mankato $53,000 70 +46%
Minneapolis $52,000 1,340 -22%
Rochester $43,000 90 -2%
St Cloud $37,000 140 +64%

Mississippi

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Gulfport $33,000 140 +45%
Hattiesburg $38,000 60 +23%
Pascagoula $38,000 50 +29%

Missouri

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Cape Girardeau $42,000 100 +170%
Columbia $52,000 70 -1%
Jefferson City $35,000 60 -7%
Joplin $34,000 110 +59%
Kansas City $41,000 910 -7%
Springfield $43,000 190 +7%
St Joseph $36,000 50 +17%
St Louis $39,000 1,700 +32%

Montana

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Billings $38,000 90 +21%
Great Falls $41,000 70 +134%
Missoula $39,000 60 +36%

Nebraska

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Lincoln $38,000 190 +29%
Omaha $38,000 760 +69%

Nevada

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Carson City $34,000 30 +47%
Las Vegas $44,000 630 -23%
Reno $48,000 180 +1%

New Hampshire

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Manchester $49,000 120 +29%
Nashua $45,000 240 +91%
Portsmouth $42,000 50 +2%
Rochester $44,000 40 -12%

New Jersey

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Atlantic City $37,000 80 -40%
Camden $44,000 470 -6%
Edison $41,000 1,230 +24%
Newark $37,000 1,230 +28%
Ocean City $55,000 50 +47%
Trenton $44,000 130 -39%
Vineland $31,000 40 -22%

New Mexico

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albuquerque $39,000 390 +6%
Farmington $33,000 40 -4%
Santa Fe $41,000 50 -6%

New York

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Albany $41,000 450 +4%
Binghamton $31,000 140 +38%
Buffalo $33,000 660 +24%
Glens Falls $41,000 80 +81%
Ithaca $37,000 30 -11%
Kingston $39,000 60 +16%
Nassau $38,000 1,840 +50%
New York $37,000 3,100 -38%
Poughkeepsie $39,000 330 +42%
Rochester $42,000 360 -26%
Syracuse $40,000 390 +31%
Utica $32,000 150 +32%

North Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Asheville $41,000 160 -3%
Burlington $41,000 30 -38%
Charlotte $43,000 1,010 +22%
Durham $46,000 180 -31%
Fayetteville $41,000 180 +57%
Goldsboro $37,000 50 +50%
Greensboro $40,000 290 -14%
Greenville $43,000 60 +2%
Jacksonville $46,000 90 +155%
Raleigh $44,000 710 +43%
Rocky Mount $42,000 60 +21%
Wilmington $40,000 110 -12%
Winston Salem $45,000 150 -24%

North Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bismarck $39,000 110 +95%
Fargo $41,000 200 +81%
Grand Forks $38,000 40 -1%

Ohio

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Akron $42,000 400 +31%
Canton $47,000 150 -3%
Cincinnati $43,000 1,130 +16%
Cleveland $40,000 1,170 +19%
Columbus $37,000 1,400 +58%
Dayton $36,000 400 +10%
Lima $37,000 60 +36%
Mansfield $35,000 80 +83%
Springfield $34,000 130 +223%
Steubenville $34,000 50 +46%
Toledo $37,000 390 +40%
Youngstown $33,000 280 +32%

Oklahoma

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Oklahoma City $39,000 740 +33%
Tulsa $38,000 530 +29%

Oregon

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bend $36,000 50 -8%
Eugene $39,000 200 +55%
Medford $39,000 100 +47%
Portland $42,000 840 -15%
Salem $41,000 130 -5%

Pennsylvania

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Allentown $42,000 360 +9%
Altoona $37,000 40 -23%
Erie $36,000 130 +11%
Harrisburg $40,000 300 -1%
Johnstown $37,000 70 +46%
Lancaster $41,000 420 +90%
Lebanon $40,000 100 +164%
Philadelphia $45,000 1,650 -11%
Pittsburgh $41,000 1,090 -1%
Reading $40,000 340 +120%
Scranton $33,000 170 -31%
State College $39,000 50 -7%
Williamsport $38,000 80 +84%
York $37,000 180 +10%

Rhode Island

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Providence $38,000 940 +76%

South Carolina

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charleston $37,000 420 +54%
Columbia $50,000 220 -34%
Florence $37,000 50 -28%
Greenville $31,000 230 -19%
Myrtle Beach $37,000 120 +22%
Spartanburg $39,000 110 +5%

South Dakota

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Rapid City $34,000 120 +118%
Sioux Falls $36,000 100 -22%

Tennessee

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Chattanooga $38,000 220 +3%
Clarksville $34,000 110 +60%
Jackson $39,000 60 +19%
Johnson City $45,000 60 -4%
Kingsport $38,000 120 +9%
Knoxville $36,000 370 +17%
Memphis $45,000 700 +18%
Morristown $42,000 50 +31%
Nashville $51,000 770 +8%

Texas

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Abilene $33,000 60 +10%
Amarillo $41,000 40 -58%
Austin $54,000 920 +21%
Beaumont $40,000 180 +21%
College Station $34,000 70 -15%
Corpus Christi $35,000 180 +9%
Dallas $43,000 2,090 +3%
Fort Worth $40,000 1,070 +28%
Houston $40,000 2,240 -12%
Killeen $44,000 210 +79%
Laredo $30,000 40 -42%
Longview $42,000 80 -6%
Mcallen $37,000 130 -40%
Midland $43,000 80 +47%
Odessa $49,000 60 +24%
San Angelo $53,000 40 +17%
San Antonio $38,000 1,120 +33%
Sherman $34,000 40 +17%
Texarkana $31,000 70 +52%
Tyler $39,000 60 -25%
Victoria $33,000 40 0%
Waco $49,000 110 +23%
Wichita Falls $36,000 40 -15%

Utah

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Logan $38,000 70 +77%
Ogden $44,000 170 -8%
Provo $36,000 210 +33%
Salt Lake City $41,000 560 -4%
St George $33,000 80 +110%

Vermont

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Burlington $35,000 210 +108%

Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Blacksburg $40,000 100 +91%
Danville $38,000 40 +44%
Harrisonburg $32,000 70 +47%
Lynchburg $40,000 90 +2%
Richmond $53,000 510 -14%
Roanoke $39,000 130 -9%
Virginia Beach $59,000 570 -22%
Winchester $37,000 50 +20%

Washington

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Bremerton $33,000 90 +23%
Kennewick $37,000 40 -55%
Longview $38,000 30 +13%
Mount Vernon $43,000 50 +36%
Olympia $60,000 60 -32%
Seattle $49,000 890 -34%
Spokane $40,000 160 -16%
Tacoma $41,000 350 +40%
Wenatchee $32,000 40 +26%
Yakima $38,000 60 -19%

West Virginia

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Charleston $30,000 140 +5%
Huntington $36,000 100 -3%
Morgantown $31,000 80 +77%
Parkersburg $37,000 50 -15%
Wheeling $32,000 70 +25%

Wisconsin

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Appleton $32,000 160 +54%
Eau Claire $31,000 60 -7%
Fond $46,000 50 +41%
Green Bay $40,000 180 +16%
Janesville $40,000 60 +10%
La Crosse $39,000 70 +12%
Madison $38,000 400 +24%
Milwaukee $38,000 840 +5%
Oshkosh $38,000 100 +28%
Racine $36,000 100 +54%
Sheboygan $41,000 60 +26%
Wausau $39,000 80 +39%

Wyoming

City and Area Median Salary Employees Job Density
Casper $37,000 50 +69%
*FOOTNOTES: Job Facts salary and numbers data is based on US Department of Labor Statistics data for 2011. Other data on page may be from earlier years. Typical salary is given as median salary, where 50% in the job make more and 50% less. Salary range is Job Hunt's estimates of typical starting salary as being at the 10th percentile of reported pay and typical top end salary, for the most senior workers, as being at the 90th. Job openings is an estimate of new jobs every year due to growth plus those leaving the field. Where NA is given data is not available. Suggested studies is based on Job Hunt research, suggesting a minimum degree level that is judged to offer the best opportunities for entry-level employment. This Automotive Body Repairers schools and career page was originally researched by CityTownInfo.com.