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General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair

Types of Degrees General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Majors Are Earning

Those studying General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	132
Associate’s Degree	27
Master’s Degree	372

What General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Majors Need to Know

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

Knowledge Areas

This major prepares you for careers needing General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — 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

The skill set built by a General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Abilities most relevant to General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

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

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.0 / 7
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

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

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Vehicle management software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
IBM Notes	Electronic mail software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Internet browser software	Internet browser software	—
Recordkeeping software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—

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

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates include:

• Spring Floor Service Worker
• Brake Drum Lathe Operator
• Make Ready Mechanic
• Car Mechanic
• Brake Reliner
• Clutch Rebuilder
• Automotive Fuel Systems Converter (Auto Fuel Systems Converter)
• ASE Master Mechanic (Automotive Service Excellence Master Mechanic)
• Transmission Specialist
• New Car Make Ready Mechanic
• Level Auto Tech (Level Automotive Technician)
• Spring Repairer
• Quick Service Technician (Quick Service Tech)
• Automotive Brake Technician (Auto Brake Tech)
• Safety Belt Installer

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General 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	47.3%
Postsecondary certificate	35.1%
Some college courses	10.3%
Bachelor’s degree	3.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.1%
Less than a high school diploma	1.2%
Doctoral degree	0.8%

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

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 85.1% of General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	94	14.9%
Men	536	85.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

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

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	322	51.1%
Asian	12	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	139	22.1%
Black or African American	126	20.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.3%
Two or More Races	9	1.4%
Race Unknown	17	2.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. These numbers tend to grow 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.}

Is a Degree in General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Worth It?

On the earnings side, the federal earnings tracker, General 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
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician, General	74,567
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician	41,728
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician	9,859
Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician	7,637
Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician	5,464
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician	3,372
Medium/Heavy Vehicle and Truck Technology/Technician	2,100
Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician	896
Marine Maintenance/Fitter and Ship Repair Technology/Technician	799
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician	719
High Performance and Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic	470
Mechanics and Repairers, General	433

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.