Installation, maintenance and repair
Automotive body and related repairers
Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.
Median pay
$54,890
Growth to 2035
+4%
about as fast as average
Openings a year
12,600
Time to qualify*
12 months
* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.
Pay
Automotive body and related repairers
Getting in
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
- Prior experience
- None
Calculate your switch to automotive body and related repairers
What the work is like
Dealing with the public
Unpleasant or angry people
Time pressure
Cost of a mistake
Freedom to make decisions
Repeating the same tasks
Time sitting
Time standing
Outdoors in all weather
Hazardous conditions
Automotive body and related repairers: 66% usually work over 40 hours a week
Core tasks
- File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
- Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.
- Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.
- Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.
- Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.
- Sand body areas to be painted and cover bumpers, windows, and trim with masking tape or paper to protect them from the paint.
- Chain or clamp frames and sections to alignment machines that use hydraulic pressure to align damaged components.
- Position dolly blocks against surfaces of dented areas and beat opposite surfaces to remove dents, using hammers.
Also called: Auto Body Man · Auto Body Repair Technician (Auto Body Repair Tech) · Auto Body Repairman · Automotive Body Technician (Auto Body Tech) · Body Man · Body Technician (Body Tech) · Collision Repair Technician (Collision Repair Tech) · Collision Technician (Collision Tech)
Outlook and AI
Automotive body and related repairers held 163,200 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 169,300 by 2035 (+4%, about as fast as average; all jobs: +3.5%).
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