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Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants

Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants: Career Profile

Service automobiles, buses, trucks, boats, and other automotive or marine vehicles with fuel, lubricants, and accessories. Collect payment for services and supplies. May lubricate vehicle, change motor oil, refill antifreeze, or replace lights or other accessories, such as windshield wiper blades or fan belts. May repair or replace tires.

The Daily Work of Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Perform?

The day-to-day responsibilities of automotive and watercraft service attendants cover:

  • Collect cash payments from customers, and make change or charge purchases to customers' credit cards, providing customers with receipts.
  • Check tire pressure and levels of fuel, motor oil, transmission, radiator, battery, or other fluids, adding air or fluids as required.
  • Perform minor repairs, such as adjusting brakes, replacing spark plugs, or changing engine oil or filters.
  • Clean parking areas, offices, restrooms, or equipment, and remove trash.
  • Order stock, and price and shelve incoming goods.
  • Sell and install accessories, such as batteries, windshield wiper blades, fan belts, bulbs, or headlamps.
  • Grease and lubricate vehicles or specified units, such as springs, universal joints, or steering knuckles, using grease guns or spray lubricants.
  • Rotate, test, and repair or replace tires.

Key Skills and Knowledge

Effective automotive and watercraft service attendants draw on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.

Top Skills

The competencies that matter most in this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:

Speaking  3.1 / 5
0
5
Service Orientation  3.1 / 5
0
5
Operation and Control  3.1 / 5
0
5
Active Listening  3.1 / 5
0
5
Time Management  3.1 / 5
0
5
Judgment and Decision Making  3.0 / 5
0
5

Core Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service  4.6 / 5
0
5
Mechanical  4.4 / 5
0
5
Sales and Marketing  4.0 / 5
0
5
Administration and Management  3.8 / 5
0
5
Mathematics  3.3 / 5
0
5
Administrative  3.0 / 5
0
5

This career also goes by job titles like:

  • Attendant
  • Auto Garage Attendant
  • Auto Self Service Station Attendant
  • Auto Service Station Attendant
  • Auto Servicer
  • Automobile Self-Serve Service Station Attendant
  • Automobile Service Station Attendant
  • Automobile Technician

Job Outlook

There are roughly 457,867 automotive and watercraft service attendants working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +1.8% over the projection horizon.

Forecasted number of jobs for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants

How Much Do Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Make?

Statistic Value
Annual median $54,064
Hourly median $25.99
10th percentile $35,376
25th percentile $44,720
75th percentile $63,408
90th percentile $72,752

Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.

Salary ranges for Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants

Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Salary by State

State Annual median salary
Hawaii $42,680
Rhode Island $41,600
California $39,580
Missouri $39,110
Washington $39,020
Colorado $38,420
Connecticut $38,380
New Hampshire $38,120
Vermont $37,960
Alaska $37,920
Montana $37,910
New York $37,830
Minnesota $37,330
North Dakota $37,070
Idaho $36,990
Massachusetts $36,560
Wisconsin $36,210
Nevada $36,080
Illinois $35,900
Maryland $35,680
Wyoming $35,510
District of Columbia $35,430
Delaware $35,250
Ohio $35,090
South Dakota $35,070
Arizona $34,740
Kansas $34,670
Oregon $34,660
Nebraska $34,560
Maine $34,520
New Jersey $34,390
Utah $34,350
Florida $33,600
Indiana $32,920
North Carolina $31,950
Arkansas $31,540
Oklahoma $31,200
Michigan $31,170
Virginia $31,070
Texas $30,770
Kentucky $30,650
Tennessee $30,590
South Carolina $30,330
Iowa $30,060
New Mexico $29,920
Georgia $29,280
Pennsylvania $28,830
Mississippi $28,720
Louisiana $28,700
Alabama $28,500
West Virginia $26,300
Virgin Islands $24,040
Puerto Rico $20,270

Where Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Earn the Most

Pay for automotive and watercraft service attendants differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:

Region Median annual wage Share of U.S. jobs Location quotient
Far Western US $37,894 19.4% 2.17
Rocky Mountains $37,050 6.1% 1.67
New England $37,012 3.6% 0.82
Plains States $35,606 4.8% 1.11
Middle Atlantic $34,742 15.8% 2.42
Great Lakes $34,242 14.2% 1.06
Southeast $31,014 23.8% 1.05
Southwest $30,983 12.3% 1.04

Top Metro Areas

Metro area State Median annual wage Employment
Urban Honolulu, HI HI $52,020 180
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA CA $45,370 480
San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA CA $44,210 1,020
New Haven, CT CT $42,930 90
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA WA $42,730 1,260
Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT CT $42,620 50
Sandusky, OH OH $41,510 130
Fairbanks-College, AK AK $41,150 40

Top Industries Employing Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants

The bulk of automotive and watercraft service attendants are found across these industries:

Industry Employment Median annual wage
Retail Trade 49,550 $34,980
Other Services (except Public Administration) 39,810 $34,450
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation 2,080 $36,830
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 1,760 $31,740
Transportation and Warehousing 1,280 $40,080
Wholesale Trade 940 $34,500
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services 920 $36,770
Construction 170 $53,810
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants sectors

Below are examples of industries where automotive and watercraft service attendants work:

Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants industries

Software Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Use

  • Internet browser software: Apple Safari (hot technology)
  • Internet browser software: Microsoft Edge (hot technology)
  • Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
  • Electronic mail software: Microsoft Outlook (hot technology)
  • Operating system software: Microsoft Windows (hot technology)
  • Internet browser software: Mozilla Firefox (hot technology)
  • Internet browser software: Web browser software (in demand)

Work Environment

Daily working conditions for automotive and watercraft service attendants reflects the following characteristics:

  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Telephone Conversations
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets
  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
  • Time Pressure

Getting Started in This Career

Most automotive and watercraft service attendants positions require a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education. This career aligns with Some Preparation Needed (Job Zone 2), reflecting the level of preparation typically expected.

Similar Occupations

References

Data on this page comes from the following authoritative sources:

  • U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
  • BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
  • O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.

SOC code: 53-6031.00 (Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants).

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