---
title: "Will AI Replace Auto Body Technicians? (2026)"
description: "BLS rates auto body technicians' exposure to AI as low. What that means, which parts of the work AI touches, and the 2025–2035 outlook (+3.7% projected)."
canonical: "https://nuecareer.com/careers/will-ai-replace-auto-body-technicians"
last-updated: "2026-10-15T08:19:32.066Z"
---

# Will AI Replace Auto Body Technicians? (2026)

**Short answer:** Very unlikely. BLS rates auto body technicians among the occupations least exposed to AI, and most of the work is the kind current AI tools cannot do.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics places auto body technicians in its low AI exposure category, among the occupations least exposed to current AI. BLS projects employment to change by +3.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 12,600 openings a year.

| Measure | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| BLS relative AI exposure | Low | BLS Employment Projections, AI exposure categories |
| NueCareer AI-resilience score | 58/100 | NueCareer analysis of O\*NET 31.0 Database |
| Projected employment change | +3.7% | BLS EP 2025–2035 |
| Openings a year | 12,600 | BLS EP 2025–2035 |
| Median annual wage | $54,890 | BLS OEWS May 2025 |

## Exposure categories

| BLS category | Occupations |
| --- | --- |
| Low (this job) | 203 |
| Moderate | 194 |
| High | 190 |
| Very high | 199 |

Exposure means AI could be or has been used to assist with or complete some of the work. BLS says it does not imply job loss, productivity gains, automation probability or wage effects. Method: https://www.bls.gov/emp/publications/ai-exposure-categories.htm

## What holds up

- Hands-on work with tools and objects: 5.0/5 (O\*NET work context)
- Face-to-face discussions: 4.4/5 (O\*NET work context)
- Operating vehicles, mechanized devices, or equipment: 3.9/5 (O\*NET work activity importance)
- Handling and moving objects: 3.7/5 (O\*NET work activity importance)

## What AI reaches first

- Processing information: 3.8/5 (O\*NET work activity importance)
- Repetitive motions: 4.0/5 (O\*NET work context)
- Getting information: 4.1/5 (O\*NET work activity importance)
- Evaluating information to determine compliance with standards: 3.8/5 (O\*NET work activity importance)

## O\*NET 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.

## Related careers that are also low-exposure

- [Grinding and Polishing Worker, Hand](https://nuecareer.com/careers/grinding-and-polishing-worker-hand): BLS exposure Low, median $42,660
- [Motorcycle Mechanic](https://nuecareer.com/careers/motorcycle-mechanic): BLS exposure Low, median $48,580
- [Rail Car Repairer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/rail-car-repairer): BLS exposure Low, median $67,530
- [Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist](https://nuecareer.com/careers/bus-and-truck-mechanic-and-diesel-engine-specialist): BLS exposure Low, median $61,770; [Will AI replace diesel mechanics?](https://nuecareer.com/careers/will-ai-replace-diesel-mechanics)
- [Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/electric-motor-power-tool-and-related-repairer): BLS exposure Low, median $56,210
- [Automotive Glass Installer and Repairer](https://nuecareer.com/careers/automotive-glass-installer-and-repairer): BLS exposure Low, median $47,630

## FAQ

**Will AI replace auto body technicians?**

Very unlikely. BLS rates auto body technicians among the occupations least exposed to AI, and most of the work is the kind current AI tools cannot do. BLS defines exposure as AI being able to assist with or complete some of the work, and says it does not imply job loss, productivity gains or wage effects. BLS projects employment to change by +3.7% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 12,600 openings a year.

**How exposed are auto body technicians to AI?**

BLS sorts 786 occupations into four relative categories: low, moderate, high and very high. Auto Body Technicians are in the low category, alongside 202 other occupations. The categories combine five public measures of where AI could be or already is used, and they compare occupations with each other rather than giving an absolute risk.

**What parts of an automotive body and related repairer's job can AI do?**

In O\*NET's description of the work, the parts that overlap most with what AI handles well are processing information, repetitive motions and getting information. The parts that hold up best are hands-on work with tools and objects, face-to-face discussions and operating vehicles, mechanized devices, or equipment. These come from O\*NET ratings of how important each activity is to the job, read through NueCareer's AI-resilience method.

**Is being an automotive body and related repairer a safe career from AI?**

On NueCareer's AI-resilience score, built from O\*NET work activities, auto body technicians score 58 out of 100, higher than 81% of the occupations we score. The job pays a median of $54,890 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). No job is fully safe from technological change, but the federal exposure category and the projected openings are the two numbers worth weighing.

**What careers similar to auto body technicians are less exposed to AI?**

Grinding and Polishing Worker, Hand (low exposure, $42,660 median), Motorcycle Mechanic (low exposure, $48,580 median), Rail Car Repairer (low exposure, $67,530 median), Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist (low exposure, $61,770 median). Each is also in the low category, and most are listed by O\*NET as related to the work.

Full profile: https://nuecareer.com/careers/automotive-body-and-related-repairer.

---

This bank includes information from the O\*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). O\*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. NueCareer has transformed the data by joining it to BLS wage and projection data and deriving facet, personality-fit and AI-resilience scores. BLS and BEA data are public domain (17 U.S.C. §105).

O\*NET content is used under [CC BY 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). How these figures are sourced and derived: https://nuecareer.com/careers/methodology