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Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants: Career Overview
Service automobiles, buses, trucks, boats, and other automotive or marine vehicles with fuel, lubricants, and accessories. Collect payment for services and supplies. May lubricate vehicle, change motor oil, refill antifreeze, or replace lights or other accessories, such as windshield wiper blades or fan belts. May repair or replace tires.
What Do Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Take On?
The day-to-day responsibilities of automotive and watercraft service attendants cover:
- Collect cash payments from customers, and make change or charge purchases to customers' credit cards, providing customers with receipts.
- Check tire pressure and levels of fuel, motor oil, transmission, radiator, battery, or other fluids, adding air or fluids as required.
- Perform minor repairs, such as adjusting brakes, replacing spark plugs, or changing engine oil or filters.
- Clean parking areas, offices, restrooms, or equipment, and remove trash.
- Order stock, and price and shelve incoming goods.
- Sell and install accessories, such as batteries, windshield wiper blades, fan belts, bulbs, or headlamps.
- Grease and lubricate vehicles or specified units, such as springs, universal joints, or steering knuckles, using grease guns or spray lubricants.
- Rotate, test, and repair or replace tires.
What Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Need to Know
Top automotive and watercraft service attendants rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Key Skills
These are the skills most important for this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Related Job Titles
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- Attendant
- Auto Garage Attendant
- Auto Self Service Station Attendant
- Auto Service Station Attendant
- Auto Servicer
- Automobile Self-Serve Service Station Attendant
- Automobile Service Station Attendant
- Automobile Technician
How Many Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Are There?
There are roughly 457,867 automotive and watercraft service attendants working in the United States today. Employment is projected to grow by +1.8% over the projection horizon.
How Much Do Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Make?
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $54,064 |
| Hourly median | $25.99 |
| 10th percentile | $35,376 |
| 25th percentile | $44,720 |
| 75th percentile | $63,408 |
| 90th percentile | $72,752 |
Wages vary widely based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Hawaii | $42,680 |
| Rhode Island | $41,600 |
| California | $39,580 |
| Missouri | $39,110 |
| Washington | $39,020 |
| Colorado | $38,420 |
| Connecticut | $38,380 |
| New Hampshire | $38,120 |
| Vermont | $37,960 |
| Alaska | $37,920 |
| Montana | $37,910 |
| New York | $37,830 |
| Minnesota | $37,330 |
| North Dakota | $37,070 |
| Idaho | $36,990 |
| Massachusetts | $36,560 |
| Wisconsin | $36,210 |
| Nevada | $36,080 |
| Illinois | $35,900 |
| Maryland | $35,680 |
| Wyoming | $35,510 |
| District of Columbia | $35,430 |
| Delaware | $35,250 |
| Ohio | $35,090 |
| South Dakota | $35,070 |
| Arizona | $34,740 |
| Kansas | $34,670 |
| Oregon | $34,660 |
| Nebraska | $34,560 |
| Maine | $34,520 |
| New Jersey | $34,390 |
| Utah | $34,350 |
| Florida | $33,600 |
| Indiana | $32,920 |
| North Carolina | $31,950 |
| Arkansas | $31,540 |
| Oklahoma | $31,200 |
| Michigan | $31,170 |
| Virginia | $31,070 |
| Texas | $30,770 |
| Kentucky | $30,650 |
| Tennessee | $30,590 |
| South Carolina | $30,330 |
| Iowa | $30,060 |
| New Mexico | $29,920 |
| Georgia | $29,280 |
| Pennsylvania | $28,830 |
| Mississippi | $28,720 |
| Louisiana | $28,700 |
| Alabama | $28,500 |
| West Virginia | $26,300 |
| Virgin Islands | $24,040 |
| Puerto Rico | $20,270 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for automotive and watercraft service attendants vary by region. These regions lead on median pay:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $37,894 | 19.4% | 2.17 |
| Rocky Mountains | $37,050 | 6.1% | 1.67 |
| New England | $37,012 | 3.6% | 0.82 |
| Plains States | $35,606 | 4.8% | 1.11 |
| Middle Atlantic | $34,742 | 15.8% | 2.42 |
| Great Lakes | $34,242 | 14.2% | 1.06 |
| Southeast | $31,014 | 23.8% | 1.05 |
| Southwest | $30,983 | 12.3% | 1.04 |
Where the Jobs Cluster
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Honolulu, HI | HI | $52,020 | 180 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $45,370 | 480 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $44,210 | 1,020 |
| New Haven, CT | CT | $42,930 | 90 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $42,730 | 1,260 |
| Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT | CT | $42,620 | 50 |
| Sandusky, OH | OH | $41,510 | 130 |
| Fairbanks-College, AK | AK | $41,150 | 40 |
Industry Breakdown
The bulk of automotive and watercraft service attendants are found across these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Retail Trade | 49,550 | $34,980 |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 39,810 | $34,450 |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 2,080 | $36,830 |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1,760 | $31,740 |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 1,280 | $40,080 |
| Wholesale Trade | 940 | $34,500 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 920 | $36,770 |
| Construction | 170 | $53,810 |
The table below shows some of the most common industries where those employed in this career field work.
Software Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Use
- Internet browser software: Apple Safari (hot technology)
- Internet browser software: Microsoft Edge (hot technology)
- Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
- Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
- Internet browser software: Mozilla Firefox (hot technology)
- Internet browser software: Web browser software (in demand)
What the Workplace Is Like
The on-the-job environment of automotive and watercraft service attendants is shaped by the following characteristics:
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Telephone Conversations
- Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
- Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
- Time Pressure
Getting Started in This Career
Typical automotive and watercraft service attendants positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas (Supplemental)
- Roustabouts, Oil and Gas (Supplemental)
- Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers (Supplemental)
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (Primary-Short)
- Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines (Supplemental)
- Rail Car Repairers (Primary-Long)
- Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians (Supplemental)
Sources
Statistics shown above are sourced from the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 53-6031.00 (Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants).
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