# Automotive Engineering Technicians

> 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.

- Edition: Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition
- Page: https://www.collegesref.com/careers/automotive-engineering-technicians
- SOC code: 17-3027.01
- Career family: Architecture and engineering
- Median annual pay: $74,510 (10th percentile $48,400, 90th percentile $106,050)
- Projected growth: Slower than average, +1.3%
- Openings a year: 3,100
- Typical entry education: Associate's degree
- Bright outlook: no
- Data years: BLS 2025 wages · 2025–35 projections
- Pay and outlook are for the broader BLS group "Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians".

## Interest profile (code RIC)

| Interest area | Score (0–100) |
| --- | ---: |
| Realistic (R) | 100 |
| Investigative (I) | 73 |
| Artistic (A) | 7 |
| Social (S) | 0 |
| Enterprising (E) | 4 |
| Conventional (C) | 58 |

## What you'd do

- Working with Computers (importance 87/100)
- Documenting/Recording Information (importance 81/100)
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates (importance 79/100)
- Getting Information (importance 76/100)
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems (importance 76/100)
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment (importance 75/100)
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials (importance 74/100)
- Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge (importance 72/100)
- Analyzing Data or Information (importance 70/100)
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings (importance 70/100)

## Skills

Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Speaking, Active Listening, Complex Problem Solving, Operations Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis, Writing, Judgment and Decision Making, Mathematics

## Knowledge

Engineering and Technology, Mechanical, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics, English Language, Physics, Transportation, Design, Customer and Personal Service, Education and Training

## Also called

Automotive Design Checker (Auto Design Checker), Automotive Engineering Technician, Automotive Technician (Auto Technician), Automotive Test Technician (Auto Test Technician), Durability Technician, Laboratory Technician (Lab Technician), Performance Technician, Research Technician, Transportation Engineering Technician

## Majors that lead here (NCES CIP–SOC crosswalk, 4-digit CIP)

- [Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1508) (CIP 1508, 319 colleges)
- [Engineering-Related Technologies/Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/programs/1511) (CIP 1511, 121 colleges)

## Colleges with strong outcomes (College Scorecard, 2025)

| College | Program | Earnings 1 yr | Earnings 4 yrs | Median debt |
| --- | --- | ---: | ---: | ---: |
| [California State University Maritime Academy](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-university-maritime-academy-363) | Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $97,197 | $126,209 | $26,935 |
| [University of Massachusetts-Lowell](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-massachusetts-lowell-2953) | Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | not reported | $120,219 | not reported |
| [Metropolitan State University of Denver](https://www.collegesref.com/college/metropolitan-state-university-of-denver-1667) | Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $73,430 | $98,267 | $23,407 |
| [Wayne State University-Michigan](https://www.collegesref.com/college/wayne-state-university-michigan-3181) | Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $70,466 | $97,257 | not reported |
| [Farmingdale State College](https://www.collegesref.com/college/farmingdale-state-college-941) | Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $62,701 | $91,941 | $15,000 |
| [University of Maine Main Campus](https://www.collegesref.com/college/university-of-maine-main-campus-2938) | Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $71,830 | $91,879 | $22,000 |
| [California State Polytechnic University-Pomona](https://www.collegesref.com/college/california-state-polytechnic-university-pomona-362) | Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $72,141 | $91,230 | $16,815 |
| [Central Connecticut State University](https://www.collegesref.com/college/central-connecticut-state-university-461) | Mechanical Engineering Related Technologies/Technicians | $77,570 | $90,472 | $25,500 |

## Related careers

- [Calibration Technologists and Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/calibration-technologists-and-technicians): $67,820 median pay
- [Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/aerospace-engineering-and-operations-technologists-and-technicians): $82,890 median pay
- [Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/mechanical-engineering-technologists-and-technicians): $74,510 median pay
- [Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/electrical-and-electronic-engineering-technologists-and-technicians): $78,190 median pay
- [Robotics Technicians](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/robotics-technicians): $73,900 median pay
- [Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics](https://www.collegesref.com/careers/automotive-service-technicians-and-mechanics): $50,620 median pay

## Sources

- [O*NET Database](https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html), version 31.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- [BLS Employment Projections](https://www.bls.gov/emp/tables.htm), version 2025-35, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics](https://www.bls.gov/oes/tables.htm), version 2025, data year 2025 (Public domain (U.S. government work))
- [NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cipcode/resources.aspx?y=56), version 2020, data year 2020 (Public domain (U.S. government work))

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. CollegesRef has modified all or some of this information.