Repair automobiles, trucks, buses, and other vehicles. Master mechanics repair virtually any part on the vehicle or specialize in the transmission system.
U.S. Workers
688,840
Median Salary
$49,670
10-Year Growth
+4.2%
Annual Openings
70,000
Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
24 of 24 tasks have some AI capability
Exposure Trend
This score reflects estimated AI technical capability for tasks in this occupation. It does not predict employment changes, and it does not account for company-specific constraints, regulation, or adoption barriers.
Plan work procedures, using charts, technical manuals, and experience.
AI: Fully automatable - AI can fully generate and optimize work procedures using charts, technical manuals, and historical data, producing actionable plans without requiring physical intervention.
Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices.
AI: Partial - Diagnostic testing with instruments can be largely automated, but physically test-driving vehicles still requires human oversight or advanced autonomy not generally available for repair-shop test drives in 2025.
Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
AI: Partial - Automated diagnostic tools can guide testing and adjustment to specs, but final verification and complex adjustments often require human judgment and manual intervention.
Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes.
AI: Partial - Brake servicing involves nuanced mechanical work, safety-critical verification, and variable vehicle conditions so AI can assist and partially automate steps but not fully replace technicians broadly by 2025.
Review work orders and discuss work with supervisors.
AI: Partial - AI can parse and summarize work orders and draft talking points for supervisors but cannot fully replicate the interpersonal negotiation and on-the-ground judgement humans provide.
Confer with customers to obtain descriptions of vehicle problems and to discuss work to be performed and future repair requirements.
AI: Partial - AI can conduct intake interviews, extract symptom descriptions, and explain repair options, but lacks full in-person empathy and nuanced customer relationship management for complete autonomous handling.
Examine vehicles to determine extent of damage or malfunctions.
AI: Partial - AI can analyze telematics, error codes, and images to identify likely faults, but cannot perform hands-on physical inspection without integrated sensor/robotic hardware.
Align vehicles' front ends.
AI: Partial - AI can compute alignment settings and drive automated alignment machines where integrated, but in most shops it cannot perform the physical alignment tasks independently without specialized hardware and human oversight.
Tear down, repair, and rebuild faulty assemblies, such as power systems, steering systems, and linkages.
AI: Partial - AI can provide diagnostic steps, manuals, and procedural guidance for teardown and rebuilds but cannot perform the complex manual disassembly and reassembly itself.
Perform routine and scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications, and tune-ups.
AI: Partial - AI can schedule, instruct, and optimize routine maintenance procedures, but the physical tasks like oil changes and lubrication still require human technicians or specialized robotics.
Follow checklists to ensure all important parts are examined, including belts, hoses, steering systems, spark plugs, brake and fuel systems, wheel bearings, and other potentially troublesome areas.
AI: Partial - AI can manage and enforce checklists, prompt inspections, and record confirmations, but it generally cannot physically examine parts without sensor/robot integration.
Maintain cleanliness of work area.
AI: Partial - AI can schedule, remind, and coordinate cleaning tasks or robotic cleaners, but maintaining physical cleanliness of a work area is typically a manual task.
Repair radiator leaks.
AI: Partial - AI can detect radiator leaks from diagnostics or images and recommend repair steps, but cannot perform the physical leak repair or part replacement itself in most settings.
Repair and service air conditioning, heating, engine cooling, and electrical systems.
AI: Partial - AI can diagnose HVAC faults, provide repair procedures and control some shop equipment, but cannot generally perform the full range of physical repairs across varied vehicles without humans or specialized robotics.
Disassemble units and inspect parts for wear, using micrometers, calipers, and gauges.
AI: Partial - AI vision and analysis can flag wear and guide measurements and inspection, and robots/CNC metrology can assist, but reliable, general-purpose disassembly and precise tactile measurement across models still require human skill and oversight in 2025.
Rebuild parts, such as crankshafts and cylinder blocks.
AI: Partial - AI can program machining operations and optimize rebuild processes for crankshafts and blocks, but the full multi‑step mechanical rebuild (inspection, manual machining adjustments, final assembly) still requires skilled human machinists and oversight.
Overhaul or replace carburetors, blowers, generators, distributors, starters, and pumps.
AI: Partial - AI can generate step‑by‑step overhaul procedures and control machining or tooling, yet fully performing complex rebuilds or replacements of diverse mechanical units autonomously remains limited and often needs human mechanics.
Repair or replace parts such as pistons, rods, gears, valves, and bearings.
AI: Partial - AI can diagnose part failures, recommend replacements, and support robotic tooling, but the nuanced manual work of removing and installing internal engine components is not fully automatable generally in 2025.
Rewire ignition systems, lights, and instrument panels.
AI: Partial - AI can design wiring schematics, detect electrical faults, and guide or program automated harness assembly, but reliably rewiring varied vehicle systems end‑to‑end without human technicians is not yet general-purpose feasible.
Repair manual and automatic transmissions.
AI: Partial - AI can assist with transmission diagnostics, test sequencing and control of repair machines, but the complex teardown, judgment calls and reassembly needed for many manual/automatic transmissions still require human expertise.
Repair or replace shock absorbers.
AI: Partial - Replacing shock absorbers is mechanically simple and can be semi‑automated or guided by AI, but full autonomous execution across vehicle types without human intervention is not broadly available in 2025.
Replace and adjust headlights.
AI: Partial - AI can guide and in some controlled settings automatically replace and aim headlights, yet universal, fully autonomous headlight replacement and adjustment across all vehicle designs is not standard practice.
Install and repair accessories, such as radios, heaters, mirrors, and windshield wipers.
AI: Partial - AI can install/configure many accessories via instructions, diagnostics, and control of standardized assembly tools, but the wide variability in parts and fitment means human installers remain necessary for many cases.
Repair damaged automobile bodies.
AI: Partial - AI can assist with damage detection, measurement, and planning and some robotic tooling exists, but full, varied body repair (shaping, welding, finishing) still requires skilled human dexterity and judgment.