Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more

Automotive service technicians and mechanics, often called service technicians or service techs, inspect, maintain, and repair cars and light trucks.

What do Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics do?

Automotive service technicians and mechanics typically do the following:

• Identify problems, often by using computerized diagnostic equipment
• Plan work procedures, using charts, technical manuals, and experience
• Test parts and systems to ensure that they work properly
• Follow checklists to ensure that all critical parts are examined
• Perform basic care and maintenance, including changing oil, checking fluid levels, and rotating tires
• Repair or replace worn parts, such as brake pads, wheel bearings, and sensors
• Perform repairs to manufacturer and customer specifications
• Explain automotive problems and repairs to clients

Although service technicians work on traditional mechanical systems, such as engines, transmissions, and drivebelts, they also must be familiar with a growing number of electronic systems. Braking, transmission, and steering systems, for example, are controlled primarily by computers and electronic components.

Other integrated electronic systems, such as accident-avoidance sensors, are becoming common as well. In addition, a growing number of technicians are required to work on vehicles that use electricity or alternative fuels, such as ethanol.

Service technicians use many different tools, including computerized diagnostic tools and power tools such as pneumatic wrenches, lathes, welding torches, and jacks and hoists. These tools usually are owned by their employers.

Service technicians also use many common hand tools, such as wrenches, pliers, and sockets and ratchets. Service technicians generally own these tools themselves. In fact, experienced workers often have thousands of dollars invested in their personal tool collection. For example, some invest in their own set of pneumatic toolssuch as impact wrenchespowered by compressed air.

The following are examples of types of service technicians: