State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
Automotive Body and Related Repairer Salary (2026): Data, Outlook & How to Become One
The median pay for Automotive Body and Related Repairers is $54,890 a year ($26.39/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 1.6% through 2034, with about 14,600 openings a year (BLS EP, 2024–2034). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
SOC 49-3021Installation, Maintenance, and RepairLast updated August 15, 2026
- Median pay
- $54,890
- Projected growth
- +1.6%
- Openings a year
- 14,600
- Typical education
- High school
BLS OEWS, May 2025
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
BLS EP, 2024–2034
Also advertised as: 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).
How much do Automotive Body and Related Repairers make?
10th percentile$36,910
Entry / lowest-paid tenth
25th percentile$45,750
Lower quartile
Median (50th)$54,890
Half earn more, half earn less
75th percentile$69,200
Upper quartile
90th percentile$87,940
Top-paid tenth
| Median annual wage | $54,890 |
|---|---|
| Median hourly wage | $26.39/hr |
| Mean annual wage | $59,690 |
| People employed | 149,310 |
Versus all US occupations
At $54,890, Automotive Body and Related Repairers earn 8% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $3,910 a year.
Versus installation, maintenance, and repair occupations
Inside the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair group, where the middle occupation pays $60,460, this is 9% below the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $87,940 or more while the bottom 10% earn $36,910, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 35% of the 923 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Rhode Island pays the most at $72,490, and still leads at $70,874 once local prices are taken into account.
Which states pay Automotive Body and Related Repairers the most?
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $72,490 | $70,874 | 800 |
| California | $66,860 | $60,387 | 14,050 |
| District of Columbia | $62,640 | $56,997 | 30 |
| New Jersey | $62,400 | $57,350 | 3,720 |
| Alaska | $61,680 | $60,259 | 270 |
| Minnesota | $60,970 | $61,823 | 2,910 |
| Hawaii | $60,540 | $55,061 | 450 |
| Missouri | $60,540 | $66,662 | 4,350 |
| Nevada | $60,520 | $60,533 | 1,020 |
| Oregon | $60,000 | $58,049 | 1,660 |
Is Automotive Body and Related Repairer a growing career?
Automotive Body and Related Repairers1.6%
All US occupations3.1%
+1.6% projected growth vs 3.1% for all occupations.
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Automotive Body and Related Repairers to change 1.6% over 2024–2034, against 3.1% projected for all occupations. That is 2,800 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 14,600 openings are projected each year, 8.5% of the 172,600 jobs that existed in 2024. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Overall employment of automotive body and glass repairers is projected to show little or no change from 2024 to 2034.
Despite limited employment growth, about 16,000 openings for automotive body and glass repairers are projected each year, on average, over the decade.
Most of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Increasingly, new vehicles have a number of safety features and systems that are designed to prevent collisions. An expected reduction in accidents may limit demand for automotive body and glass repairers. However, these workers will be needed to work around an increasing number of cameras and sensors as they repair windshields, windows, and body damage.
How to become an Automotive Body and Related Repairer
Most employers prefer to hire automotive body and glass repairers who have completed a training program in automotive body or glass repair. Still, many new body and glass repairers begin work without previous training. Industry certification is increasingly important.
| Typical entry-level education | High school diploma or equivalent |
|---|---|
| Preparation needed (O*NET job zone) | Little or no preparation |
| Work experience in a related occupation | None |
| Typical on-the-job training | Long-term on-the-job training |
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as automotive body and related repairers.
- High School Diploma42.0%
- Post-Secondary Certificate34.7%
- Less than a High School Diploma23.4%
What does an Automotive Body and Related Repairer do?
Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.
Automotive body and glass repairers restore, refinish, and replace vehicle bodies and frames, windshields, and window glass.
Day-to-day tasks
- Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.
- File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
- Sand body areas to be painted and cover bumpers, windows, and trim with masking tape or paper to protect them from the paint.
- Position dolly blocks against surfaces of dented areas and beat opposite surfaces to remove dents, using hammers.
- Remove upholstery, accessories, electrical window-and-seat-operating equipment, and trim to gain access to vehicle bodies and fenders.
- Mix polyester resins and hardeners to be used in restoring damaged areas.
- Remove small pits and dimples in body metal, using pick hammers and punches.
- Remove damaged sections of vehicles using metal-cutting guns, air grinders and wrenches, and install replacement parts using wrenches or welding equipment.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Where automotive body and related repairers work
| Automotive body, paint, interior, and glass repair | 57% |
|---|---|
| Automobile dealers | 16% |
| Self-employed workers | 10% |
| Automotive mechanical and electrical repair and maintenance | 6% |
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2024–2034 edition.
Core skills
- Active Listening3.0/5
- Speaking3.0/5
- Critical Thinking3.0/5
- Monitoring3.0/5
- Reading Comprehension2.9/5
- Active Learning2.9/5
- Writing2.4/5
- Learning Strategies2.3/5
Transferable skills
- Repairing3.3/5
- Troubleshooting3.1/5
- Operations Monitoring3.0/5
- Quality Control Analysis3.0/5
- Time Management3.0/5
- Social Perceptiveness2.9/5
- Coordination2.9/5
- Service Orientation2.9/5
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Operating system software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Accounting software
- Analytical or scientific software
- Calendar and scheduling software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Inventory management software
- Point of sale POS software
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
What personality type suits an Automotive Body and Related Repairer?
Interest profile: O*NET Occupational Interests, scored 1–7
Realisticprimary7.0
Investigative1.6
Artistic1.4
Social1.1
Enterprising1.4
Conventionalprimary3.3
Day to day this is work built around hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors, combined with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data.
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Automotive Body and Related Repairer: frequently asked questions
How much do Automotive Body and Related Repairers make?
Automotive Body and Related Repairers earn a median of $54,890 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 8% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $26.39/hr. The middle half earn between $45,750 and $69,200. The top 10% earn $87,940 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Automotive Body and Related Repairer?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Automotive Body and Related Repairers. BLS also lists long-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 42.0% hold high school diploma.
Is Automotive Body and Related Repairer a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 1.6% over 2024–2034 against 3.1% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2024–2034). BLS still projects about 14,600 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Automotive Body and Related Repairer do?
Automotive body and glass repairers restore, refinish, and replace vehicle bodies and frames, windshields, and window glass. A core O*NET task: follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Office suite software, Operating system software.
Which states pay Automotive Body and Related Repairers the most?
The highest state medians for Automotive Body and Related Repairers are Rhode Island ($72,490), California ($66,860), District of Columbia ($62,640) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Automotive Body and Related Repairer?
O*NET scores Automotive Body and Related Repairers highest on the Realistic and Conventional interest areas, so the work mixes hands-on, practical work with tools, machines or the outdoors with organising, following procedures and working precisely with data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 923 occupations in the bank.