Installation, Maintenance & Repair
Automotive Body and Related Repairers
Also called: Auto Body Man, Auto Body Repair Technician (Auto Body Repair Tech), Auto Body Repairman, Automotive Body Technician (Auto Body Tech)
US median pay
$54,890
per year, 2025
Job growth 2025–35
+3.7%
about average or slower
Openings a year (US)
12,600
163,200 employed
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
Preparation 2/5 · Some preparation
What this job is
Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.
What they do day to day
- 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.
- Sand body areas to be painted and cover bumpers, windows, and trim with masking tape or paper to protect them from the paint.
- Chain or clamp frames and sections to alignment machines that use hydraulic pressure to align damaged components.
- Position dolly blocks against surfaces of dented areas and beat opposite surfaces to remove dents, using hammers.
- Cut and tape plastic separating film to outside repair areas to avoid damaging surrounding surfaces during repair procedure and remove tape and wash surfaces after repairs are complete.
- Review damage reports, prepare or review repair cost estimates, and plan work to be performed.
Skills and knowledge that matter most
Skills
- Repairing3.2/5
- Troubleshooting3.1/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.0/5
- Operations Monitoring3.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.9/5
- Service Orientation2.9/5
- Operation and Control2.9/5
Knowledge
- Mechanical3.6/5
- Customer and Personal Service3.2/5
- Production and Processing3.1/5
- Mathematics3.0/5
- English Language3.0/5
- Transportation3.0/5
Importance rated by people working in the job (1 = not important, 5 = extremely important).
Education and preparation
Preparation level 2 of 5 — Some preparation. Usually a high school diploma; some previous work experience or training helps.
Typical entry education (BLS): High school diploma or equivalent.
Highest education of people in this job:
- High school diploma42%
- Post-secondary certificate35%
- Less than high school23%
Who this job suits
Mostly Realistic
Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals
Conventional
Organising data, details and procedures
Based on the Holland (RIASEC) interest profile for this occupation.