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Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Major

Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician

537 Associates's Degrees Annually
1 Bachelor's Degrees Annually
#67 in Popularity (Associate's)
$46,460 Median Salary

Types of Degrees Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many autobody/collision & repair technology/technician graduations there were in 2021-2022 for each degree level.

Education Level Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate 2,619
Basic Certificate 1,553
Associate Degree 552
Bachelor’s Degree 1

What Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Majors Need to Know

In an O*NET survey, autobody/collision and repair technology/technician majors were asked to rate what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important in their occupations. These answers were weighted on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the most important.

Knowledge Areas for Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Majors

According to O*NET survey takers, a major in autobody/collision and repair technology/technician should prepare you for careers in which you will need to be knowledgeable in the following areas:

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  • Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
  • Production and Processing - Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.

Skills for Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Majors

autobody/collision and repair technology/technician majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

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  • Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Time Management - Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

Abilities for Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Majors

A major in autobody/collision and repair technology/technician will prepare for your careers in which the following abilities are important:

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  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.

What Can You Do With a Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with autobody/collision and repair technology/technician:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Automotive Body and Related Repairers 8.5% $42,730
Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers 6.6% $34,170
Painters, Transportation Equipment 6.5% $42,280

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician?

552 Associate's Degrees Annually
12% Percent Women
38% Percent Racial-Ethnic Minorities*
This major tends to be male dominated. About 88% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of autobody/collision and repair technology/technician majors is as follows:

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Race/Ethnicity Number of Grads
Asian 12
Black or African American 32
Hispanic or Latino 137
White 321
International Students 2
Other Races/Ethnicities 48

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician, too. About 0.4% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $36,370 to $46,460 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to autobody/collision and repair technology/technician. This range includes all degree levels, so you may expect those with a more advanced degree to make more while those with less advanced degrees will typically make less.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Median Salary for an Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Major  ( 36370 to 46460 )
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250K
Median Salary for a High School Graduate  ( 30000 to 57900 )
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250K
Median Salary for a Bachelor's Degree Holder  ( 45600 to 99000 )
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250K
Median Salary for an Advanced Degree Holder  ( 55600 to 125400 )
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250K

Some careers associated with autobody/collision and repair technology/technician require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much schooling do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to autobody/collision and repair technology/technician have obtained the following education levels.

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 10.5%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 49.8%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production) 28.3%
Some College Courses 7.7%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 3.8%
Bachelor’s Degree 0.4%

Online Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level Colleges Offering Programs Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year) 0 0
Certificate (1-2 years) 262 0
Certificate (2-4 Years) 29 0
Associate’s Degree 159 1
Bachelor’s Degree 0 0
Post-Baccalaureate 0 0
Master’s Degree 0 0
Post-Master’s 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Research) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice) 0 0
Doctor’s Degree (Other) 0 0

Is a Degree in Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician Worth It?

The median salary for a autobody/collision and repair technology/technician grad is $46,460 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 16% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $131,200 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to autobody/collision and repair technology/technician.

Major Number of Grads
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician 33,827
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician 8,686
Airframe Mechanics & Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician 7,143
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician 2,739
Medium/Heavy Vehicle & Truck Technology/Technician 2,101
Motorcycle Maintenance & Repair Technology/Technician 1,140
Marine Maintenance/Fitter & Ship Repair Technology/Technician 823
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician 724
High Performance & Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic 489
General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies 472
Small Engine Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician 213
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician 147
Engine Machinist 107
Other Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Technologies 97
Bicycle Mechanics & Repair Technology/Technician 11
Recreation Vehicle (RV) Service Technician 7

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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