Automotive body and related repairers
SOC Code: 49-3021
Automotive body and related repairers carries a 21% AI exposure score (Medium automation risk), with a median annual wage of $51,680 and +1.6% projected employment growth from 2024 to 2034 (BLS), affecting approximately 172,600 workers. Full task breakdown, skills, and employer data are below.
Proportion of tasks susceptible to AI automation (O*NET analysis)
At 21% AI exposure, Automotive body and related repairers sits 16 points below the 37.2% average across 832 U.S. occupations - more exposed than 8% of them. It ranks among the more AI-resilient roles in the dataset.
Career outlook score
56/100
Automotive body and related repairers, weighted across 3 of 3 tracked dimensions
A weighted composite of median wage, projected growth, and AI-automation security (inverted exposure), each benchmarked against every other tracked occupation. It describes this occupation's standing across those three dimensions, not a guarantee of future outcomes.
- Median wage D $51,680
Annual median wage, percentile rank vs all tracked occupations
- Projected growth D +1.6%
Projected employment change, 2024-2034, BLS Employment Projections
- AI exposure (inverted) A+ 21% exposure
Lower O*NET task-automability scores lower risk; this dimension scores security, not exposure
Home health and personal care aides is #1 of 832 occupations by employment (4.3M, AI exposure rank #392 at 35%) vs. Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks #1 by AI task exposure (95%, employment rank #17 at 1.6M).
Automation-risk inventory
Exclusive cut of 832 occupations by PlainWorkforce automation-risk band. Orthogonal to the continuous AI-exposure distribution chart below and to this occupation's single risk badge, this is the corpus band mix, with Automotive body and related repairers in the Medium band.
Credential × growth standing
Open entry with non-declining BLS pace
Automotive body and related repairers keeps an HS / some college bar (333 of 832) and sits in Slow growth (245 of 832). Lower formal gates with a non-shrinking employment line - skill and AI desks matter more than credentials here.
Where Automotive body and related repairers sits among all occupations
AI-exposure score distribution across 832 U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis). This occupation is marked in rose.
Where Automotive body and related repairers sits by AI exposure
AI-exposure score distribution across U.S. occupations (O*NET task analysis)
21% Among the lowest lower than 92% of 832 occupations
Occupations, banded by AI-exposure score
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more occupations. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor) · BLS 2024–2034
Source: O*NET task data (U.S. Department of Labor); AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis. As of BLS 2024–2034.
Automotive body and related repairers vs. its occupational neighbors
AI exposure (horizontal) vs projected 2024–2034 growth (vertical) for occupations in the same SOC group. Automotive body and related repairers is marked in rose; the top-left corner is the most future-proof.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 (growth) and O*NET (AI-exposure analysis by PlainWorkforce).
Employment Projections
Where This Score Comes From
Automotive body and related repairers's Medium automation-risk tier is computed from O*NET Database 30.0 task-level analysis, where each documented task the occupation performs is evaluated against current generative AI, robotic process automation, and machine-learning capabilities. A score below 40% reflects tasks anchored in physical dexterity, unstructured environments, or high-touch human interaction that current AI cannot reliably replicate.
The employment, wage, and education figures above come from a second, separate federal source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034, matched to the O*NET task data by Standard Occupational Classification (SOC 49-3021) code, with the wage figure cross-validated against the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 survey. BLS figures are presented exactly as published, with no adjustment on our part; the SOC-code match is what lets Automotive body and related repairers be compared directly against every other tracked occupation on the same basis, not just roles that happen to share a job title.
For career planners, this profile should be read alongside the task, skill, and knowledge breakdowns below and the list of employers whose workforce composition includes Automotive body and related repairers. Adjacent occupations shown further down offer lateral moves that preserve industry knowledge while potentially reducing exposure.
Education & Entry Requirements
Top Tasks (O*NET)
- 1. File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
- 2. Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.
- 3. Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.
- 4. Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.
- 5. Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.
- 6. Sand body areas to be painted and cover bumpers, windows, and trim with masking tape or paper to protect them from the paint.
- 7. Chain or clamp frames and sections to alignment machines that use hydraulic pressure to align damaged components.
- 8. Position dolly blocks against surfaces of dented areas and beat opposite surfaces to remove dents, using hammers.
- 9. Cut and tape plastic separating film to outside repair areas to avoid damaging surrounding surfaces during repair procedure and remove tape and wash surfaces after repairs are complete.
- 10. Review damage reports, prepare or review repair cost estimates, and plan work to be performed.
Key Skills Required
- Repairing
- Troubleshooting
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Monitoring
- Operations Monitoring
- Quality Control Analysis
- Time Management
- Reading Comprehension
Knowledge Areas
- Mechanical
- Customer and Personal Service
- Production and Processing
- Mathematics
- English Language
- Transportation
- Engineering and Technology
- Public Safety and Security
- Education and Training
- Administration and Management
Frequently Asked Questions
Will AI replace Automotive body and related repairers?
Automotive body and related repairers has an AI exposure score of 21%, indicating a medium level of automation risk. The majority of tasks in this role require human judgment, creativity, or physical presence that AI cannot easily replicate.
What is the job outlook for Automotive body and related repairers?
According to BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034, Automotive body and related repairers is projected to grow by 1.6% over the decade. Current employment stands at approximately 172,600 workers.
What skills are needed for Automotive body and related repairers?
Key skills for Automotive body and related repairers include Repairing, Troubleshooting, Active Listening, and others. Typical entry-level education is High school diploma or equivalent.
How much do Automotive body and related repairers earn?
The median annual wage for Automotive body and related repairers is $51,680, according to BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2024). Actual earnings vary by location, experience, industry, and employer. The BLS publishes detailed wage percentiles by region in its Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program.
What education is required for Automotive body and related repairers?
The typical entry-level education for Automotive body and related repairers is High school diploma or equivalent. Employers generally expect None of related work experience. On-the-job training typically involves Long-term on-the-job training. Requirements can vary by employer and specialization.
Which companies employ Automotive body and related repairers?
Automotive body and related repairers roles exist across many industries and employers. Workforce composition is estimated from BLS industry-occupation employment distributions matched to SEC-registered public companies.
AI Exposure Rating
Medium automation risk based on 10 analyzed tasks. Most tasks require human judgment and are resistant to automation.
Nationwide occupations with similar workforce profiles
Two data-derived peer sets for Automotive body and related repairers: AI-exposure neighbors and BLS 2034 growth neighbors (distinct comparison neighborhoods, cross-occupation).
Similar AI exposure score
Nearest O*NET task-automability scores nationwide (21% here).
- Athletes and sports competitors · AI exposure 21%
- Automotive glass installers and repairers · AI exposure 21%
- Boilermakers · AI exposure 21%
- Chemical equipment operators and tenders · AI exposure 21%
Similar projected growth (2024–2034)
Nearest BLS employment change rates nationwide (+1.6% here).
- First-line supervisors of protective service workers, all other · growth +1.6%
- Plant and system operators, all other · growth +1.6%
- Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators · growth +1.6%
- Special effects artists and animators · growth +1.6%
Peers are nearest-neighbor matches on published BLS + O*NET metrics among occupations with ≥10,000 workers in 2024; corpus ranks above sort the full tracked set.
Related Occupations
Showing 6 of 35 occupations with a comparable automation-risk profile.
What to do with this
Use Automotive body and related repairers' numbers above to compare, not just read in isolation.
- Compare Automotive body and related repairers side by side against another occupation on wage, growth, and AI exposure. Workforce comparison tool
- Understand how the AI exposure score above is actually calculated before treating it as a verdict. Reading AI exposure scores
- See the full ranked list of occupations with the lowest automation exposure nationwide. Safest occupations from AI
AI exposure scores estimate task automatability from O*NET data; they are not a certainty of job loss, and BLS growth projections are estimates, not guarantees.
Data sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024–2034 and O*NET Database 30.0. Employment figures are rounded. Wage data from BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES).