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Automotive Engineering Technicians Career, Salary and Skills

Automotive Engineering Technicians have a BLS-reported national median annual wage of $74,510 based on the 2025 OEWS dataset, with reported national employment of 36,190. Wage data is published for 188 locations.

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Occupation description

Assist engineers in determining the practicality of proposed product design changes and plan and carry out tests on experimental test devices or equipment for performance, durability, or efficiency.

O*NET code

17-3027.01

Job zone

3

Typical education

Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree

Experience

Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years

National salary and employment

Median annual

$74,510

Hourly median

$35.82

Employment

36,190

Data year

2025

National salary distribution

$48,400
10th
$59,510
25th
$74,510
Median
$88,110
75th
$106,050
90th

Top skills

SkillImportanceLevel
Reading Comprehension3.624.00
Critical Thinking3.503.38
Speaking3.503.38
Writing3.253.25
Operations Monitoring3.253.00
Complex Problem Solving3.253.25
Quality Control Analysis3.253.25
Active Listening3.253.38
Mathematics3.123.38
Monitoring3.123.38
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Typical tasks

  • Set up mechanical, hydraulic, or electric test equipment in accordance with engineering specifications, standards, or test procedures.
  • Read and interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, or charts.
  • Inspect or test parts to determine nature or cause of defects or malfunctions.
  • Monitor computer-controlled test equipment, according to written or verbal instructions.
  • Analyze test data for automotive systems, subsystems, or component parts.
  • Install equipment, such as instrumentation, test equipment, engines, or aftermarket products, to ensure proper interfaces.
  • Perform or execute manual or automated tests of automotive system or component performance, efficiency, or durability.
  • Document test results, using cameras, spreadsheets, documents, or other tools.
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Technology

  • A&D Technology iTest
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Mechanical
  • Autodesk Inventor
  • Data acquisition software
  • IBM Notes
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Word
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • PTC Creo Parametric
  • SAP software
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Automotive Engineering Technicians salary by location

Areas with the highest reported employment for this occupation.

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Related careers

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Career and skills data: O*NET 31.0 (onetcenter.org). Salary and employment data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Figures are published survey estimates, not real-time market data.