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Vehicle Maintenance & Repair

Types of Degrees Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Majors Are Earning

People majoring in Vehicle Maintenance & Repair may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	29,566
Associate’s Degree	16,766
Bachelor’s Degree	167
Master’s Degree	24,915

What Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Majors Need to Know

Studies in Vehicle Maintenance & Repair emphasize a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in Vehicle Maintenance & Repair emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.1 / 5; level 5.0 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.2 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Mathematics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.1 / 7.
• Education and Training — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a Vehicle Maintenance & Repair program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Repairing — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Equipment Maintenance — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.
• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.3 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

Abilities

The cognitive and physical abilities most relevant to Vehicle Maintenance & Repair careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Near Vision — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.7 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Manual Dexterity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Finger Dexterity — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.2 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.0 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.0 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.0 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.9 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.8 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.8 / 7
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates	3.7 / 7
Controlling Machines and Processes	3.7 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.6 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by Vehicle Maintenance & Repair professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Word processing software	Word processing software	—
Spreadsheet software	Spreadsheet software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft PowerPoint	Presentation software	✓
Enterprise resource planning ERP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—
Computer aided design CAD software	Computer aided design CAD software	—
Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	Computer aided manufacturing CAM software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates include:

• Aircraft Sheet Metal Mechanic
• Structures Mechanic
• Body Worker
• Manufacturing Assembler
• Product Assembler
• Assembler
• Aerospace Assembler
• Installer
• Aircraft Structures and Surfaces Assembler
• Auxiliary Powerplant Operator
• Precision Aircraft Systems Assembler
• Cable Assembler and Swager
• Manifold Builder
• Experimental Assembler
• Metal Bonder

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	41.4%
Postsecondary certificate	31.7%
Less than a high school diploma	9.1%
Some college courses	6.3%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	6.3%
Bachelor’s degree	4.5%
Master’s degree	0.3%
Post-baccalaureate certificate	0.3%
Doctoral degree	0.1%
First professional degree	0.1%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in Vehicle Maintenance & Repair?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 91.5% of Vehicle Maintenance & Repair degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,326	8.5%
Men	68,241	91.5%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	33,014	44.3%
Asian	2,587	3.5%
Hispanic or Latino	24,180	32.4%
Black or African American	6,748	9.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	920	1.2%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	274	0.4%
Two or More Races	3,046	4.1%
Race Unknown	3,392	4.5%
International Students	406	0.5%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Graduates Earn?

The U.S. Department of Education tracks median earnings of Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Earnings tend to climb steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,744
4 years	$43,612
5 years	$49,558

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $49,558 — roughly 31% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Programs

Distance learning are documented by IPEDS for Vehicle Maintenance & Repair. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	4	35
Bachelor’s	3	1
Master’s	1	0

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates earn a median of $43,612 four years after completion — roughly 15% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	Annual Degrees Awarded
Mechanical Repair Technologies	121,176
Heating, Air Conditioning, Ventilation and Refrigeration Maintenance Technology/Technician (HAC, HACR, HVAC, HVACR)	23,253
Electrical/Electronics Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians	9,559
Heavy/Industrial Equipment Maintenance Technologies/Technicians	8,925
Precision Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians	2,926
Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians, Other	1,335
Mechanics and Repairers, General	433
Energy Systems Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians	178

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.