Digital Auto Care Factbook 2019 - 5

Technician Employment and Wages
Maintenance and repair technicians keep the American fleet rolling and, in turn, directly impact nearly everyone in the auto care
industry. Automotive technician employment in 2017 totaled more than 896,500 men and women at general repair shops, vehicle
dealerships and gasoline service stations. This is up 0.9 percent from 888,500 in 2016.
Despite consolidation among service-providing businesses, the demand for technicians grew at a 9-year compounded annual
growth rate (CAGR) of 1.2 percent since 2008 while the supply grew at only a 0.8 percent CAGR during the same period which
supports the industry observation that there is an increasing shortage of professional technicians.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics
projects automotive technicians'
employment to grow six
percent annually through 2026
(*). The increased number of
vehicles in operation, reflecting
continued growth in the number
of multi-car families, will drive
this growth.

Technician's Wages
(Hourly Wage Progression and % Change from Previous Year
11%

$20
$17

Technicians' average hourly
wages were higher this year
than last, rising 3.1 percent from
$17.27 in 2016 to $17.81 in 2017.
(*) Source: Employment Projections

$15.70

$15.99

$16.16

$16.27

$16.13

$16.86

$17.27

$11

5%

$8

3%

$5

1%

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Hourly Tech Wage		

Title: Employment by industry, occupation,

2014

2015

H

%

9%
7%

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
and percent distribution, 2016 and

$16.62

$14

$2

program, U.S. Department of Labor,

$15.37

$16.13

$17.81

2016

2017

-1%

% Change from PY

Source: 	 Bureau of Labor Statistics
http://www.bls.gov/oes/2009/may/oes493023.htm	http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes493023.htm

projected 2026 49-3023 Automotive
service technicians and mechanics.

Technician Employment: Number of and Demand for Technicians

96

950

Number of Technicians
(Right Axis)

Number of Technicians

94

900

92

850

90
88

800

Demand for Technicians

86

750

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

84
1998

Demand
forTechs
Techs
1.2 percentNumber
CAGRof

1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Thousands of Technicians

98

82

Notes: 	
	

1,000

Demand for Technicians
(Left Axis)

1997

Index of Demand for Technicians

100

0.8 percent CAGR

700

Tech Demand index based on data for vehicle registrations, miles traveled, vehicle sales, average vehicle age and vehicle quality.
Tech Supply index is a roll-up of BLS data series including non-management service employment at new car dealers (NAICS 44111 factored by NADA
reported tech employment ratio); used car dealers (extrapolated from SIC 551 minus new car dearler techs from NAICS 44111 factored extract); gas stations
(NAICS 447 factored by OES estimated technician percent); and automotive repair shops (SIC 753 from CPS / filtered by OES production employment subset).
The Index of demand for technicians was re-based this year from 1980 with a new base year of 1997.

Sources:	 Auto Care Association & M-Visions Insights, LLC/ 2018
Acronyms:	 BLS= Bureau of Labor Statistics / CES=Current Employment Study / CPS=Current Population Survey /NADA=National Automobile Dealers Association /
OES=Occupational Employment Statistics

The 2019 Digital Factbook is Copyright © 2018 Auto Care Association and/or its licensor. 
All other rights reserved. Use of the 2019 Digital Factbook is subject to compliance with the Legal Terms and Conditions found on page 119 of this report.

5
http://www.bls.gov/oes/2009/may/oes493023.htm http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes493023.htm
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Digital Auto Care Factbook 2019
