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AI and jobs

Will AI Replace Auto Mechanics? (2026)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics places auto mechanics in its moderate AI exposure category, below the middle of the pack: some of the work overlaps with what AI can do, much of it does not. BLS projects employment to change by +5.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 66,200 openings a year.

Short answer

Unlikely. BLS rates the work's exposure to AI as moderate, below the middle of the pack, and still projects employment to grow faster than average.

BLS AI exposure
ModerateBLS EP supplemental table
AI-resilience score
59/100Higher than 83% of jobs · NueCareer
Projected change
+5.0%BLS EP 2025–2035; all jobs 3.5%
Openings a year
66,200BLS EP 2025–2035

The federal measure

How exposed auto mechanics are to AI

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes a relative AI exposure category for each occupation it projects, built from five public measures of where AI could be, or already is, used to assist with or complete the work. Auto Mechanics land in the moderate category: below the middle of the pack: some of the work overlaps with what AI can do, much of it does not.

Where this job sits on the BLS scale

786 occupations in the NueCareer bank, in BLS's four relative categories; width shows how many fall in each

  1. Low203 occupations · 26%
  2. Moderate · this job194 occupations · 25%
  3. High190 occupations · 24%
  4. Very high199 occupations · 25%

Source: BLS Employment Projections, AI exposure categories supplemental table.

  1. Exposure is relative. The categories rank occupations against each other; they are not a probability that a job is automated.
  2. BLS says exposure does not imply job loss, productivity gains, automation probability or wage effects. A highly exposed job can still grow if AI makes the people in it more productive.
  3. The classification reflects AI capabilities as the underlying studies measured them. Read the BLS method and limitations.

Inside the work

What AI can and cannot do in this job

O*NET rates how important each work activity is to an occupation and how often each working condition comes up. The ratings below are the ones that move the job's NueCareer AI-resilience score the most: the ones that pull it up, and the ones that pull it down. Only ratings clearly above the midpoint count.

What holds up

Physical, hands-on and person-to-person work

  • Repairing and maintaining mechanical equipment4.1/5
    O*NET work activity, importance
  • Performing general physical activities4.1/5
    O*NET work activity, importance
  • Face-to-face discussions4.6/5
    O*NET work context, frequency or level
  • Hands-on work with tools and objects4.6/5
    O*NET work context, frequency or level

What AI reaches first

Routine, repeatable and screen-based work

  • Repetitive motions4.2/5
    O*NET work context, frequency or level
  • Getting information4.0/5
    O*NET work activity, importance
  • Processing information3.4/5
    O*NET work activity, importance
  • Working with computers3.6/5
    O*NET work activity, importance

The tasks O*NET lists for auto mechanics

  • 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.
  • Test electronic computer components in automobiles to ensure proper operation.
  • Maintain cleanliness of work area.
  • Perform routine and scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications, and tune-ups.
  • Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made.
  • Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices.

O*NET 31.0 Database task statements, most important first.

The jobs

Will there still be jobs?

Exposure says where AI meets the work. The BLS projection says what the labor market is expected to do over 2025–2035. BLS projects +5.0% change in employment over the decade, against 3.5% across all occupations, and about 66,200 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted. About 704,640 people work in the job today, at a median of $50,620 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Full automotive service technician and mechanic profile: pay by state, entry route and skills

Options

Related careers less exposed to AI than auto mechanics

Careers O*NET lists as related to the work, or in the same field at similar pay, that BLS places in a lower exposure category.

  1. Motorcycle Mechanic

    Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

    Median pay
    $48,580median a year
    Growth
    +2.1%
    Openings / yr
    1,400
    Education
    Certificate
    Low
    BLS AI exposure
    66/100
    resilience

    Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, dirt bikes, or similar motorized vehicles.

  2. Motorboat Mechanic and Service Technician

    Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

    Median pay
    $57,550median a year
    Growth
    +4.9%
    Openings / yr
    2,600
    Education
    High school
    Low
    BLS AI exposure
    65/100
    resilience

    Repair and adjust electrical and mechanical equipment of inboard or inboard-outboard boat engines.

  3. Rail Car Repairer

    Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

    Median pay
    $67,530median a year
    Growth
    +2.6%
    Openings / yr
    1,600
    Education
    High school
    Low
    BLS AI exposure
    64/100
    resilience

    Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul railroad rolling stock, mine cars, or mass transit rail cars.

  4. Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist

    Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

    Median pay
    $61,770median a year
    Growth
    +3.6%
    Openings / yr
    24,400
    Education
    High school
    Low
    BLS AI exposure
    60/100
    resilience

    Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul buses and trucks, or maintain and repair any type of diesel engines.

Will AI replace diesel mechanics?

Questions

Will AI Replace Auto Mechanics? FAQ

Will AI replace auto mechanics?

Unlikely. BLS rates the work's exposure to AI as moderate, below the middle of the pack, and still projects employment to grow faster than average. 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 +5.0% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 66,200 openings a year.

How exposed are auto mechanics to AI?

BLS sorts 786 occupations into four relative categories: low, moderate, high and very high. Auto Mechanics are in the moderate category, alongside 193 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 service technician and mechanic's job can AI do?

In O*NET's description of the work, the parts that overlap most with what AI handles well are repetitive motions, getting information and processing information. The parts that hold up best are repairing and maintaining mechanical equipment, performing general physical activities and face-to-face discussions. 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 service technician and mechanic a safe career from AI?

On NueCareer's AI-resilience score, built from O*NET work activities, auto mechanics score 59 out of 100, higher than 83% of the occupations we score. The job pays a median of $50,620 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 mechanics are less exposed to AI?

Motorcycle Mechanic (low exposure, $48,580 median), Motorboat Mechanic and Service Technician (low exposure, $57,550 median), Rail Car Repairer (low exposure, $67,530 median), Bus and Truck Mechanic and Diesel Engine Specialist (low exposure, $61,770 median). Each is in a lower BLS exposure category than auto mechanics, and most are listed by O*NET as related to the work.

The AI exposure category is the Bureau of Labor Statistics'. The AI-resilience score and the activity breakdown are NueCareer's analysis of O*NET 31.0 Database data (method), not a federal figure. More: jobs most exposed to AI, jobs least exposed to AI, or check any job.