Tire Builders earn a median of $57,390 per year ($27.59/hr) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Employment is projected to grow 0.8% through 2035, with about 1,900 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: High school diploma or equivalent.
- SOC 51-9197
- Production
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Tire Builder in four numbers
- Median pay
- $57,390a year, or $27.59/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $40KTop 10% $75K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +0.8%Slower than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+0.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +0.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 1,90020,300 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 202520.3K
- Projected 203520.5K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 20.3K Projected 2035 20.5K - Typical education
- High schoolneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school26.1%
- High school66.5%
- Certificate6.9%
- Post-doctoral training0.5%
Highest education held by tire builders Segment Value Less than high school 26.1% High school 66.5% Certificate 6.9% Post-doctoral training 0.5%
Also advertised as: Buffer, Recapper, Retread Associate, Retread Technician, Retreader, Tire Assembler.
Pay
How much do Tire Builders make?
Every tire builder in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$57,390
Middle half earn $47,900 to $64,380
- 10th
- $40,150
- 25th
- $47,900
- 75th
- $64,380
- 90th
- $74,680
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $40,150 |
| 25th | $47,900 |
| Median | $57,390 |
| 75th | $64,380 |
| 90th | $74,680 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $57,390
- Median hourly wage
- $27.59/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $57,160
- People employed
- 20,770
Versus all US occupations
At $57,390, Tire Builders earn 13% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $6,410 a year.
Versus production occupations
Inside the Production group, where the middle occupation pays $48,030, this is 19% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $74,680 or more while the bottom 10% earn $40,150, a gap of 1.9×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 29% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
Tennessee pays the most at $74,100, and still leads at $80,657 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Tire Builders 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.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Tennessee | $74,100 | $80,657 | 1,360 |
| 2North Carolina | $63,950 | $67,797 | 3,750 |
| 3Illinois | $59,830 | $59,855 | N/A |
| 4Ohio | $56,370 | $60,761 | 780 |
| 5Texas | $54,880 | $56,544 | 610 |
| 6Mississippi | $53,050 | $61,010 | 710 |
| 7Indiana | $51,170 | $54,828 | 1,320 |
| 8Iowa | $50,600 | $57,656 | 510 |
| 9Connecticut | $48,630 | $46,936 | 90 |
| 10Oregon | $48,380 | $46,807 | 250 |
Job outlook
Is Tire Builder a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Slower than average. +0.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Tire Builders | +0.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Slower than average
BLS projects employment of Tire Builders to change 0.8% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 1,900 openings are projected each year, 9.4% of the 20,300 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Tire Builder
- 1
Typical entry-level education
High school diploma or equivalent
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
Moderate-term on-the-job training
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Little or no preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as tire builders.
- High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)66.5%
- Less than a High School Diploma26.1%
- Post-Secondary Certificate6.9%
- Post-Doctoral Training0.5%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) | 66.5% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 26.1% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 6.9% |
| Post-Doctoral Training | 0.5% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Tire Builder do?
Operate machines to build tires.
Day-to-day tasks
- Fill cuts and holes in tires, using hot rubber.
- Trim excess rubber and imperfections during retreading processes.
- Build semi-raw rubber treads onto buffed tire casings to prepare tires for vulcanization in recapping or retreading processes.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors in all weather
NeverEvery day
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeStanding
NeverAlmost all the timeOn their feet more than half the working day.
Bending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the timeRegular bending or twisting.
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayMeeting strict deadlines at least weekly.
Conflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lot
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
- Active Listening3.0
- Critical Thinking3.0
- Monitoring3.0
- Speaking2.6
- Reading Comprehension2.3
- Writing2.0
- Active Learning2.0
- Learning Strategies2.0
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Active Listening | 3.0 |
| Critical Thinking | 3.0 |
| Monitoring | 3.0 |
| Speaking | 2.6 |
| Reading Comprehension | 2.3 |
| Writing | 2.0 |
| Active Learning | 2.0 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.0 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Operation and Control3.3
- Operations Monitoring3.1
- Judgment and Decision Making2.8
- Time Management2.8
- Quality Control Analysis2.6
- Social Perceptiveness2.4
- Complex Problem Solving2.3
- Service Orientation2.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Operation and Control | 3.3 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 2.8 |
| Time Management | 2.8 |
| Quality Control Analysis | 2.6 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 2.4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 2.3 |
| Service Orientation | 2.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise resource planning ERP software · in demand
- Office suite software · in demand
- Presentation software · in demand
- Project management software · in demand
- Spreadsheet software · in demand
- Word processing software · in demand
- Industrial control software
- Internet browser 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 a Tire Builder?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Tire Builder |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 7 |
| Investigative | 2 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 1 |
| Enterprising | 1 |
| Conventional | 4 |
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
- Conventional3.8
- Investigative2.3
- Social1.1
- Artistic1.0
- Enterprising1.0
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.
Explore further
Careers related to Tire Builder
O*NET related occupations
- Installation, Maintenance, and Repair
- Production
Molder, Shaper, and Caster, Except Metal and Plastic
$46,170median a year
Most earn $36K to $62K
+5.8%High school - Production
Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setter, Operator, and Tender, Metal and Plastic
$44,350median a year
Most earn $34K to $62K
−3.4%High school - Production
- Production
- Production
More production careers
Median annual pay, with tire builders highlighted
- Power Plant Operator$102,040
- Tool and Die Maker$64,050
- Machinist$58,750
- Tire Builder$57,390
- Welder$53,750
- Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter$51,330
- Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator$50,690
- Butcher and Meat Cutter$40,140
- Baker$37,160
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Power Plant Operator | $102,040 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $64,050 |
| Machinist | $58,750 |
| Tire Builder | $57,390 |
| Welder | $53,750 |
| Structural Metal Fabricator and Fitter | $51,330 |
| Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operator | $50,690 |
| Butcher and Meat Cutter | $40,140 |
| Baker | $37,160 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Tire Builder appears on
Questions
Tire Builder: frequently asked questions
How much do Tire Builders make?
Tire Builders earn a median of $57,390 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), 13% above the $50,980 US median across all occupations. That works out at $27.59/hr. The middle half earn between $47,900 and $64,380. The top 10% earn $74,680 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Tire Builder?
No. A bachelor's degree is not the norm: BLS reports a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for Tire Builders. BLS also lists moderate-term on-the-job training as typical on-the-job training. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 66.5% hold high school diploma or the equivalent (such as a ged).
Is Tire Builder a growing career?
It is growing, but slowly: 0.8% over 2025–2035 against 3.5% for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 1,900 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Tire Builder do?
Operate machines to build tires. A core O*NET task: fill cuts and holes in tires, using hot rubber. Employers most often ask for Electronic mail software, Enterprise resource planning ERP software, Office suite software.
Which states pay Tire Builders the most?
The highest state medians for Tire Builders are Tennessee ($74,100), North Carolina ($63,950), Illinois ($59,830) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits a Tire Builder?
O*NET scores Tire Builders 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 1,731 careers in the bank.