5 Stats You Need to Know About the Technician Shortage
Transportation industry technicians are essential to the light, medium and heavy duty aftermarket – for everything from cars, to diesel and collision.
There are over 292 million vehicles on U.S. roads that require service, maintenance and repair. Without this service, there are many risks:
- Americans not being able to commute to work
- The inability to complete vital deliveries like food transported by semi trucks
- Or emergency services such as fire, ambulance or police could be compromised
292 vehicles
on U.S. roads that require service, maintenance and repair
sourced from Auto Care Factbook
Our ecosystem is both complex and vital. Thanks to that, we’ve often been coined a “recession-proof” or “recession resilient” industry. How’s that for job stability?
As the majority of post-warranty work is performed in the aftermarket, we have a duty to educate and inform the industry of challenges surrounding the technician shortage and how together, we can overcome this challenge. Here are five new stats from our partners at TechForce and IMR Inc.
- Over 600,000 new entrant automotive techs are needed between 2022 and 2026. And as demand grows, wages are increasing too. Technicians’ average hourly wages recovered in 2021, increasing 6.3% and exceeding $20 per hour.
- More than 113,000 new entrant collision techs are also needed between 2022 and 2026. It’s not just replacing sheet metal. Collision technicians are experiencing a swell in demand thanks to the need for skilled recalibration of the technology systems in newer model cars – parking sensors, lane-assist sensors and ADAS components are all part of this field now. This demand will certainly be reflected in the wages of this technician, which we predict will be a highly-desired career as more technologically-driven vehicles are added to our roadways.
- Nearly 177,000 new entrant diesel techs are needed between 2022 and 2026. Big rigs need skilled techs too, now more than ever. For techs entering the diesel world, expect demand to be high. As inflation and supply chain woes continue, demand for freight transport continues to rise. It is more costly and inconvenient that ever to rely on ocean and air shipping to transport goods, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is increasing on our roadways. More demand can mean higher wages.
- 42.6% of households surveyed said they would be extremely likely to recommend the trades as a career path if their child or a family member were considering it. This is up from 2020 when only 39% said they would make that recommendation. We’re making strides in the right direction when it comes to hiring more techs, but we need to continue to increase awareness of these available career paths.
42 of households
agree income-earning opportunities for techs can be equal to, or greater than, other 4-yr degree careers
Source IMR Inc.
- When surveyed, 42% of households fully agreed that income-earning opportunities for automotive technicians can be equal to, or greater than, other careers that require a four-year college degree, with younger generations more likely to agree with this statement than older generations.
“Earn more than you could with a four-year college degree”
Sounds like a great campaign for shops looking to hire technicians. Not many career-seeking individuals are informed about the salary opportunities provided by vocations, but are surprised when they learn about the potential.
Being educated about the technician shortage is the first step in addressing the gap. For tools and resources that your company can use to address the gap, visit our Careers Toolkit.
Mike Chung
is director, market intelligence at Auto Care Association. With more than a dozen years of experience in market research, Chung provides the industry with timely information on key factors and trends influencing the health of the automotive aftermarket to help businesses throughout the supply chain make better business decisions. Chung has earned degrees in chemical engineering, environmental health, and business administration. He can be reached at michael.chung@autocare.org.
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Market Insights with Mike is a series presented by the Auto Care Association's Director of Market Intelligence, Mike Chung, that is dedicated to analyzing market-influencing trends as they happen and their potential effects on your business and the auto care industry.
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