compare.careers

Production

Tire builder

Operate machines to build tires.

Median pay

$57,390

Growth to 2035

+1%

little or no change

Openings a year

1,900

Time to qualify*

6 months

* From a bachelor's degree in an unrelated field.

Pay

Tire builder

$57,39010% earn under $40,150 · middle half $47,900–$64,380 · top 10% over $74,680
Bar: middle 50% of workers. Line: 10th to 90th percentile. Dot: median. BLS OEWS, May 2025, national.

Getting in

Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent
On-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
Prior experience
None

Calculate your switch to tire builder

What the work is like

Tire builder

Dealing with the public

Rarely
Constantly

Unpleasant or angry people

Rarely
Constantly

Time pressure

Rarely
Constantly

Cost of a mistake

Minor
Severe

Freedom to make decisions

Little
A lot

Repeating the same tasks

Rarely
Constantly

Time standing

Rarely
Constantly

Outdoors in all weather

Rarely
Constantly

Hazardous conditions

Rarely
Constantly

Tire builder: 22% usually work over 40 hours a week

Average worker ratings, 1 to 5. O*NET 31.0 work context survey.

Core tasks

Also called: Buffer · Recapper · Retread Associate · Retread Technician · Retreader · Tire Assembler · Tire Builder · Tire Retreader

Outlook and AI

Tire builders held 20,300 jobs in 2025. BLS projects 20,500 by 2035 (+1%, little or no change; all jobs: +3.5%).

Compare with