Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

Electric Vehicle Technician Salary (2026), outlook and how to become one

Diagnoses and repairs hybrid and battery-electric vehicles, including high-voltage batteries, electric motors, inverters and charging systems.

Median pay
$50,620
Growth to 2035
+5.0%
Openings a year
66,200
Typical entry
Certificate

Diagnoses and repairs hybrid and battery-electric vehicles, including high-voltage batteries, electric motors, inverters and charging systems. BLS does not publish separate figures for automotive service technicians and mechanics; it counts them within automotive service technician and mechanic (SOC 49-3023), whose median pay is $50,620 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Postsecondary nondegree award.

  • SOC 49-3023
  • Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
  • Last updated October 9, 2026

At a glance

Electric Vehicle Technician in four numbers

Median pay
$50,620a year, or $24.34/hr
Lowest 10% $35KTop 10% $82K

US median, all jobs: $50,980

BLS OEWS, May 2025
Projected growth
+5.0%Faster than average
This career
+5%
All jobs
+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035
ItemValue
This career+5%
All jobs+3.5%
BLS EP, 2025–2035
Openings a year
66,200825,800 jobs today
  • Jobs in 2025825.8K
  • Projected 2035866.7K
Employment, 2025–2035
ItemValue
Jobs in 2025825.8K
Projected 2035866.7K
BLS EP, 2025–2035
Typical education
Certificateneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET

Also advertised as: EV Technician, Hybrid Vehicle Technician, EV Service Technician, High-Voltage Technician, xEV Technician.

Pay

How much do Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics make?

Annual pay, lowest-paid to highest-paid

Every electric vehicle technician in the US, by percentile of annual wage

Median

$50,620

Middle half earn $38,900 to $70,430

10th
$34,660
25th
$38,900
75th
$70,430
90th
$81,790

All US occupations: $50,980

Electric Vehicle Technician annual wages
PercentileValue
10th$34,660
25th$38,900
Median$50,620
75th$70,430
90th$81,790
All US occupations$50,980

Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025

Median annual wage
$50,620
Median hourly wage
$24.34/hr
Mean annual wage
$56,420
People employed
704,640

Versus all US occupations

At $50,620, the median for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics sits in line with the $50,980 median across all US occupations.

Versus installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

Inside the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair group, where the middle occupation pays $61,150, this is 17% below the group median.

Pay range

The top 10% earn $81,790 or more while the bottom 10% earn $34,660, a gap of 2.4×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.

Rank in the bank

This median pays more than 23% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.

Cost of living

District of Columbia posts the highest raw median ($68,660), but once local prices are taken into account North Dakota leads at $64,479 in national-average dollars.

Pay by state

Which states pay Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics the most?

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.

Top 10 states by median annual wage for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
StateMedianCOL-adjustedEmployed
1District of Columbia$68,660$62,474310
2California$64,980$58,68965,420
3Colorado$61,280$59,46512,300
4Alaska$60,840$59,4381,420
5Massachusetts$60,760$57,45212,710
6Connecticut$60,220$58,1226,960
7Virginia$59,330$58,68217,880
8New Hampshire$59,020$56,6604,840
9Montana$58,740$62,0642,900
10Oregon$58,520$56,6176,990
See all 54 states, sortable, with cost-of-living adjustments

Job outlook

Is Electric Vehicle Technician a growing career?

Projected change in jobs

Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
+5%
All US occupations
+3.5%

Faster than average. +5.0% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.

Projected employment change, 2025–2035
ItemValue
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics+5%
All US occupations+3.5%

Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035

Faster than average

BLS projects employment of Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics to change 5.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 40,900 more jobs.

Annual openings

About 66,200 openings are projected each year, 8.0% of the 825,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.

Getting in

How to become an Electric Vehicle Technician

Most EV technicians start as automotive technicians, through a community college or technical school program or on-the-job training, and then add high-voltage training from manufacturers or schools. Manufacturer training programs are a common route into brand service centers.

The ASE Light Duty Hybrid/Electric Vehicle Specialist (L3) certification is the main industry credential. It requires first passing the A6 Electrical/Electronic Systems and A8 Engine Performance tests and having hands-on work experience. Employers also train technicians in high-voltage safety and the use of insulated tools and protective gear.

  1. 1

    Typical entry-level education

    Postsecondary nondegree award

  2. 2

    Work experience in a related occupation

    None

  3. 3

    Typical on-the-job training

    Short-term on-the-job training

  4. 4

    Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)

    Some preparation

BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.

The work

What does an Electric Vehicle Technician do?

Electric vehicle technicians service the systems that make hybrids and EVs different from gasoline cars: high-voltage battery packs, battery management systems, electric drive motors, inverters, DC-DC converters, onboard chargers and thermal management loops. They use scan tools, oscilloscopes and insulation testers to diagnose faults and follow strict procedures to safely de-energize high-voltage systems before working on them.

Technicians also perform software updates, replace battery modules, repair charging ports and handle routine work like brakes, suspension and tires, which wear differently on heavy EVs. Employers include dealerships, EV manufacturers' service centers, fleet operators, independent shops that specialize in hybrids, and mobile service teams.

Day-to-day tasks

  1. Diagnose faults in high-voltage batteries, motors and inverters
  2. De-energize and verify high-voltage systems before service
  3. Replace battery modules, cooling components and charging hardware
  4. Perform software updates and calibrations with manufacturer tools
  5. Test insulation resistance and high-voltage isolation
  6. Service brakes, suspension and tires on electric vehicles
  7. Document repairs and warranty claims

Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.

Working conditions and hours

EV technicians work in service bays at dealerships, service centers and fleet garages, or in mobile service vans. The work involves standing, lifting and working under vehicles, with added safety equipment such as rated gloves and insulated tools around high-voltage components. Shops are usually cleaner and quieter than traditional repair shops.

Where the work happens

  • Indoors, climate-controlled

    NeverEvery day
  • Outdoors in all weather

    NeverEvery day

Physical demands

  • Sitting

    NeverAlmost all the time
  • Standing

    NeverAlmost all the time

    On their feet more than half the working day.

  • Bending or twisting

    NeverAlmost all the time

    Regular bending or twisting.

Working with people

  • Contact with other people

    NoneConstant
  • Face-to-face discussions

    NeverEvery day

    Face-to-face discussions every day.

  • Dealing with the public

    Not importantExtremely important

Pressure and stakes

  • Strict deadlines

    NeverEvery day

    Meeting strict deadlines at least weekly.

  • Conflict situations

    NeverEvery day
  • Cost of a mistake

    Not seriousExtremely serious

Autonomy

  • Freedom to decide

    NoneA lot

    A lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.

Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.

Core skills

O*NET importance, 1 to 5

  • Critical Thinking3.5
  • Active Listening3.3
  • Monitoring3.1
  • Speaking3.0
  • Active Learning3.0
  • Reading Comprehension2.9
  • Writing2.6
  • Learning Strategies2.6
Core skills for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
ItemValue
Critical Thinking3.5
Active Listening3.3
Monitoring3.1
Speaking3.0
Active Learning3.0
Reading Comprehension2.9
Writing2.6
Learning Strategies2.6

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database

Transferable skills

O*NET importance, 1 to 5

  • Troubleshooting3.9
  • Repairing3.9
  • Equipment Maintenance3.8
  • Operations Monitoring3.4
  • Complex Problem Solving3.3
  • Installation3.3
  • Operation and Control3.3
  • Quality Control Analysis3.3
Transferable skills for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
ItemValue
Troubleshooting3.9
Repairing3.9
Equipment Maintenance3.8
Operations Monitoring3.4
Complex Problem Solving3.3
Installation3.3
Operation and Control3.3
Quality Control Analysis3.3

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database

Tools and software

  • Electronic mail software · in demand
  • Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
  • Internet browser software · in demand
  • Office suite software · in demand
  • Operating system software · in demand
  • Spreadsheet software · in demand
  • Word processing software · in demand
  • Analytical or scientific software
  • Billing and invoicing software
  • Calendar and scheduling software
  • Data base reporting software
  • Data base user interface and query software

“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.

Personality fit

What personality type suits an Electric Vehicle Technician?

Interest profile

NueCareer estimate (Holland code RIC) built on O*NET's Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic profile, scored 1 to 7

Electric Vehicle Technician · Realistic: 7Electric Vehicle Technician · Investigative: 4Electric Vehicle Technician · Artistic: 1Electric Vehicle Technician · Social: 1Electric Vehicle Technician · Enterprising: 2Electric Vehicle Technician · Conventional: 5
Electric Vehicle Technician interest profile
AxisElectric Vehicle Technician
Realistic7
Investigative4
Artistic1
Social1
Enterprising2
Conventional5

Source: O*NET 31.0 Database

What the work is built around

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.

  • Realistic7.0
  • Conventional4.8
  • Investigative4.4
  • Enterprising1.6
  • Social1.4
  • Artistic1.0

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.

Questions

Electric Vehicle Technician: frequently asked questions

How much do Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics make?

BLS does not publish a separate wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics. It counts them within automotive service technician and mechanic, whose median pay is $50,620 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $38,900 and $70,430, and the top 10% earn $81,790 or more.

Do you need a degree to become an Electric Vehicle Technician?

Not a degree, but you do need credentialed training: BLS lists a postsecondary non-degree award (a certificate or license program) as the typical entry route for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. BLS also lists short-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training.

Is Electric Vehicle Technician a growing career?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.0% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 66,200 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.

What does an Electric Vehicle Technician do?

Electric vehicle technicians service the systems that make hybrids and EVs different from gasoline cars: high-voltage battery packs, battery management systems, electric drive motors, inverters, DC-DC converters, onboard chargers and thermal management loops. A typical task: diagnose faults in high-voltage batteries, motors and inverters. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software, Internet browser software.

Which states pay Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics the most?

The highest state medians for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics are District of Columbia ($68,660), California ($64,980), Colorado ($61,280) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, North Dakota moves to the top at $64,479.

What personality type suits an Electric Vehicle Technician?

O*NET scores Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics highest on the Realistic, Conventional and Investigative 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 1,731 careers in the bank.

Research sources for this career