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Vehicle Emissions Inspection Major

Vehicle Emissions Inspection

$43,730 Median Salary

What Vehicle Emissions Inspection Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance technology/technician were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors

Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Technology/Technician majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

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  • Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
  • 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.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • 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.

Skills for Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors

A major in vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance technology/technician prepares you for careers in which the following skill-sets are crucial:

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  • Repairing - Repairing machines or systems using the needed tools.
  • Troubleshooting - Determining causes of operating errors and deciding what to do about it.
  • Operation and Control - Controlling operations of equipment or systems.
  • Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • Operation Monitoring - Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

Abilities for Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Technology/Technician Majors

As you progress with your vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance technology/technician degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

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  • Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
  • 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.
  • Control Precision - The ability to quickly and repeatedly adjust the controls of a machine or a vehicle to exact positions.
  • Finger Dexterity - The ability to make precisely coordinated movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects.
  • Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

What Can You Do With a Vehicle Emissions Inspection Major?

People with a vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance technology/technician degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title Job Growth Rate Median Salary
Automotive Specialty Technicians 6.1% $40,710

How Much Do Vehicle Emissions Inspection Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Technology/Technician majors often go into careers with median salaries of $43,730. This median refers to 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 a Vehicle Emissions Inspection Major  43,730
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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 vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance technology/technician require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

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

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Education Level Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma 14.0%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED) 28.4%
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) 48.0%
Some College Courses 2.2%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree) 5.9%

Is a Degree in Vehicle Emissions Inspection Worth It?

The median salary for a vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance technology/technician grad is $43,730 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 10% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $76,600 after 20 years!

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You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to vehicle emissions inspection and maintenance 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
Autobody/Collision & Repair Technology/Technician 4,725
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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