Mechanic job description: duties, skills and qualifications.

Core duties

16

O*NET task statements

Preparation

Job Zone 3 of 5

medium preparation

Typical entry education

Postsecondary nondegree award

BLS 2025–35

Median pay

$50,620

BLS May 2025

Data Government data groups this job as Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (O*NET-SOC 49-3023.00). Figures on this page are for that occupation.

1. 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. importance 4.5 of 5
2. Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications. importance 4.5 of 5
3. Perform routine and scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications, and tune-ups. importance 4.4 of 5
4. Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made. importance 4.4 of 5
5. Align wheels, axles, frames, torsion bars, and steering mechanisms of automobiles, using special alignment equipment and wheel-balancing machines. importance 4.4 of 5
6. Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes. importance 4.4 of 5
7. Repair, replace, or adjust defective fuel injectors, carburetor parts, and gasoline filters. importance 4.3 of 5
8. Align vehicles' front ends. importance 4.3 of 5
9. Repair and service air conditioning, heating, engine cooling, and electrical systems. importance 4.3 of 5
10. Review work orders and discuss work with supervisors. importance 4.3 of 5
11. Troubleshoot fuel, ignition, and emissions control systems, using electronic testing equipment. importance 4.3 of 5
12. Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computerized diagnostic devices. importance 4.3 of 5
13. Confer with customers to obtain descriptions of vehicle problems and to discuss work to be performed and future repair requirements. importance 4.2 of 5
14. Test electronic computer components in automobiles to ensure proper operation. importance 4.2 of 5
15. Maintain cleanliness of work area. importance 4.2 of 5
16. Overhaul or replace carburetors, blowers, generators, distributors, starters, and pumps. importance 4.2 of 5

Work activities O*NET rates most important here: Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Performing General Physical Activities and Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge.

Also part of the job

Supplemental tasks O*NET lists for this occupation: less central than the core duties above, and not done in every job.

• Estimate costs of vehicle repair.
• Conduct visual inspections of compressed natural gas fuel systems to identify cracks, gouges, abrasions, discoloration, broken fibers, loose brackets, damaged gaskets, or other problems.
• Repair or rebuild transmissions.
• Rebuild parts, such as crankshafts and cylinder blocks.

Knowledge areas: Mechanical, Engineering and Technology, Computers and Electronics, Customer and Personal Service and English Language.

Software O*NET lists for this occupation: Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Windows. These are examples O*NET records for the job, not a list of tools every employer uses or a checklist of what you must know.

• Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as the typical entry-level education.
• Experience: BLS lists no work experience in a related occupation as typical to enter.
• Training on the job: BLS lists short-term on-the-job training as typical once hired.
• Preparation: O*NET places the job in Job Zone 3 of 5 (medium preparation). Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
• Licenses and certifications: not listed here. A license is a legal requirement set by a state; a certification is a credential from a private or professional body. Rules vary by state and employer, and a missing entry on this page does not mean none is required: check with your state's licensing board and see how to become a mechanic.

The most common answer among mechanics surveyed by O*NET is a post-secondary certificate (32%).

Job title: Mechanic
[Company] · [City, State] · [Full-time or part-time] · [Pay range, where your state requires one]

About the role
[Company] is hiring a Mechanic to diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
[One sentence on your team and why this role matters.]

What you will do
- 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 and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
- 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.
- Align wheels, axles, frames, torsion bars, and steering mechanisms of automobiles, using special alignment equipment and wheel-balancing machines.
- Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes.
- Repair, replace, or adjust defective fuel injectors, carburetor parts, and gasoline filters.
- Align vehicles' front ends.

What we are looking for
- [Education: BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical for this occupation; set the level this role truly needs]
- [Experience: BLS lists no related work experience as typical to enter; set what this role needs]
- Strength in troubleshooting, repairing and equipment maintenance
- Working knowledge of Mechanical and Engineering and Technology
- [Software your team uses, e.g. Apple Safari or Microsoft Edge]
- [Any license or certification your state or company requires]

[Schedule, benefits and how to apply]

Illustrative: every name, employer, school, date and number in these samples is fictional or a bracketed placeholder. Replace each bracket with your own true details; never copy a result you did not achieve.

Not a real job posting. This template is TryHired's illustration built from government occupational data. It is not an opening at any employer, and no employer wrote it.

The median annual wage was $50,620 in May 2025. The median hourly wage was $24.34. BLS estimates about 704,640 jobs in this occupation in the U.S.

BLS projects employment of Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 66,200 openings a year over that period, including openings to replace workers who leave.

See the full mechanic salary breakdown by percentile, state and metro.

• Read a real mechanic posting next to the core duties above. Duties it repeats, such as “Follow checklists to ensure all important parts are examined…”, tell you what that employer weighs most; anything it adds is specific to that team.
• Tailor your resume to the posting, not to this page: describe only mechanic work you have actually done, with your own results.
• Prepare a story for each of the top-rated skills (troubleshooting and repairing); mechanic interview questions turns them into practice questions.