Understanding The Auto Technician Shortage
Why There’s an Auto Technician Shortage
As someone involved in auto repair since the 60s, I see firsthand the problems created by the auto technician shortage. The auto repair industry in 2024 is short by 67,800 qualified auto technicians, 80,000 collision technicians, and 170,000 diesel technicians*. Yet, repair shops and dealerships nationwide and globally struggle to find qualified technicians. The reasons behind this shortage are complex and multifaceted, but addressing them is crucial to keeping our industry moving forward. Vehicles are becoming more sophisticated and packed with cutting-edge technology that demands highly skilled professionals to maintain and repair them. In this article, I’ll explore the many factors contributing to the shortage of skilled auto repair workers.
The Main Causes of The Auto Technician Shortage
1)Lack of Interest from Younger Generations
It’s a cold, hard fact that high school graduates in 2024 show far less interest in entering the blue-collar skilled trades than in the past. This phenomenon applies to all the blue-collar trades, but the statistics show it’s far worse for auto technicians. First, there’s the low prestige of becoming an auto tech. They’re generally held in low regard by the public and often considered crooks. In addition, the general perception is that the jobs are dirty, physically demanding, and don’t pay well.
Unfortunately, there’s truth to those perceptions. Auto technicians work in dirty environments. The job can be physically demanding, as mechanics must routinely bend over a hood or fender, work overhead, stoop, and lift heavy objects.
Rather than opting for a job as a mechanic, high school graduates are instead looking at cleaner, better-paying, and more prestigious jobs.
Construction manager $88,319 per year
Aircraft mechanic $82,476 per year
Cable technician $70,714 per year
Industrial mechanic $69,637 per year
Solar installer $69,422 per year
Real estate appraiser $64,075 per year
Electrician $62,739 per year
Wind turbine technician $58,005 per year 45%
2) The Aging Workforce
Fewer young people are deciding to become mechanics at a time when many baby boomers technicians are retiring. The average age of an automotive technician in the U.S. is over 40, with many in their 50s and 60s. As these experienced professionals leave, they take decades of knowledge with them, creating a void that’s difficult to fill.
3) Inadequate Training and Education Opportunities
I entered the trade as an apprentice and was lucky to have an incredible mentor. However, you’ll only find a few apprenticeship programs and only at the dealership level. Even then, the techs enrolled in those programs complain about the lack of classroom education, poor mentorship, and lack of advancement opportunities are rare.
In other words, dealers provide minimal training in these programs, just enough to get the new tech online and working, and leave them in low-skilled areas like oil and fluid changes, tire repair, and shop cleanup duties. As a result, many leave the industry, discouraged by the low pay, high tool costs, poor training, and lack of advancement.
On the flip side, I’ve seen too many apprentice technicians struggle once promoted to the next level because they lack the diagnostic skills and training to do the job right the first time. Sure, they make more per hour, but the increase goes toward new tool purchases.
While technical schools exist, they generally take 10 months to two years, with little to no on-the-job work opportunities while in school. Community college auto tech programs cost $6,000 -$20,00, with private auto tech programs costing as much as $40,000.
Worse yet, the auto tech curriculum doesn’t always align with the demands of the modern repair shop. For example, auto tech programs face the huge challenge of concentrating on older technologies or focusing more on the latest technologies. Since independent shops generally work on older cars that are out of warranty, they need techs with deep knowledge of older technology. Dealers, on the other hand, are looking for techs that can fix the latest models with the most advanced electronic technologies. So auto techs often graduate with a smattering of knowledge in both but a master of none.
4) Wage Discrepancies and Job Satisfaction
Many auto technicians feel underpaid and undervalued for all the skills and expertise required in this field. Entry-level wages don’t reflect the training and certifications required, with many shops starting their techs at a mere $12 – $16 per hour, less than they could make at a fast food restaurant. It’s pretty hard to justify the cost of schooling and the high investment in tools to begin a career making minimum wages.
This has led many talented individuals to seek better-paying opportunities in industrial maintenance and engineering industries. Additionally, the physically demanding nature of the job can lead to burnout, further pushing workers away from the industry.
5) High Tool and Equipment Costs
Another major hurdle is the cost of tools and
Professional grade toolbox for an auto technician. $5,399
equipment. Unlike other professions, auto technicians are required to purchase their own tools. Starting out as a lubrication, a tech must spend around $1,500 – $2,000 for hand and power tools, as well as a tool storage chest. Again, that’s a pretty hefty investment for someone making $12-$16 per hour.
Worse yet, as the tech advances into more complicated repairs, the tool costs rise exponentially. It’s not uncommon for next-level techs to spend $7,000 – $11,000 on tools. By the time a tech reaches their Master rating, they’ll have invested at least $25,000 in tools and tool chests.
6. Competition from Other Industries
The auto repair industry is facing competition from other industries that require similar skill sets but offer better pay and benefits. Fields such as aerospace, robotics, and renewable energy are drawing talent away from automotive repair, making it even harder to find qualified technicians.
7. Regional Disparities in Demand and Supply
In some parts of the country, the shortage is more severe than in others. Rural areas, in particular, struggle to attract qualified technicians due to a lack of training programs and fewer job opportunities compared to urban centers. Addressing this geographic imbalance is crucial to ensuring all areas have access to skilled professionals.
The Take Aways From This Article
The auto technician shortage isn’t going away overnight, but it’s a challenge we must tackle head-on. By addressing the aging workforce, changing perceptions, and improving training opportunities, we can attract new talent and secure the future of the automotive repair industry. It’s time for industry leaders, educators, and policymakers to step up and make this career path more accessible and appealing to the next generation.
©, 2025 Rick Muscoplat
Posted on by Rick Muscoplat