Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Major

Vehicle maintenance and repair is a major that typically falls into the Mechanic & Repair Technologies category.

There are 1,100 programs available throughout the country that offer an associate’s degree in vehicle repair, 31 that offer a bachelor’s degree, and 1 that offer a master’s degree.

Who Is Getting a Vehicle Repair Degree?

Vehicle maintenance and repair is one of the least chosen majors in the country, ranked #239 in popularity. About 300 students graduated with a bachelor’s degree in the field in 2017. This major tends to be male dominated. About 95.4% of recent graduates are men.

Racial Distribution

At the countrywide level, the racial distribution of vehicle repair majors is as follows:

• Asian: 2.8%
• Black or African American: 5.2%
• Hispanic or Latino: 6.2%
• White: 67.7%
• Non-Resident Alien: 4%
• Other Races: 14.2%

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in vehicle repair. About 4% of those graduating in 2017 were international students. The most popular countries sending vehicle repair majors to the U.S. are China, South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

What Will You Learn as a Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Major?

An O*NET survey asked people with careers related to vehicle repair to rate how important certain subject areas were to their job. The following are some of the results of that survey. Importance was rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Vehicle Repair Majors

Vehicle repair majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

Skills for Vehicle Repair Majors

The following list of skills has been highlighted as some of the most essential for careers related to vehicle repair:

Abilities for Vehicle Repair Majors

As you progress with your vehicle repair degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

What Can You Do With a Vehicle Repair Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with vehicle repair:

Careers Related to Vehicle Maintenance & Repair

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Avionics Technicians	6.3%	$64,140
Engine and Other Machine Assemblers	-17.1%	$44,380
Automotive Master Mechanics	6.1%	$40,710
Bicycle Repairers	29.8%	$28,960
Motorcycle Mechanics	0.5%	$36,790
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians	4.9%	$62,920
Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment	2.9%	$60,340
Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists	9.3%	$47,350
Automotive Body and Related Repairers	8.5%	$42,730
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics	10.4%	$35,400

Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Major Salary

Vehicle repair majors often go into careers where salaries can range from $39,000 to $61,000. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, the typical high school graduate makes between $29,000 and $57,000 a year. The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $44,000 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,000 and $120,000.

The area of the country you choose to work in will also affect your career and salary prospects. Getting a graduate degree may open up more options with higher salary potential.

Amount of Education Required for Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Major Jobs

Some careers associated with vehicle repair may require an advanced degree, while others may not even require a bachelor’s in the field. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

How much education do you really need to compete in today’s job market? People currently working in careers related to vehicle repair have obtained the following education levels.

Education Levels for Careers Associated With Vehicle Maintenance & Repair

Level of Education	Percentage of Workers
Less Than a High School Diploma	8.2%
High School Diploma or Equivalent	37.6%
Post-Secondary Certificate	36.6%
Some College Courses	7.4%
Associate's Degree or Equivalent	7.1%
Bachelor's Degree	2.6%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate	0.5%
Master's Degree	0.5%
Post-Master's Certificate	0%
First Professional Degree	0%
Doctoral Degree	0%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.1%

Online Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Programs

There are 31 colleges that offer a bachelor’s degree in vehicle maintenance and repair, with 4 of them offering at least some courses online.

Online learners must listen or watch video lectures, participate in group chats or forums, submit papers and assignments electronically, take tests, and meet deadlines.

Many learners are drawn to online programs due to the ease of use and flexibility. Students should be warned that those who enroll in online programs can take longer to graduate than average and are more likely to drop out.

Is a Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Major Worth It?

The median salary for a vehicle repair grad is $45,000 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 17% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $128,600 after 20 years!

Related Majors

• Mechanics & Repairers
• Electronics Maintenance & Repair
• Heating, Ventilation, Air & Cooling
• Heavy Equipment Maintenance
• Precision Systems Maintenance
• Vehicle Maintenance & Repair
• Other Mechanic Technologies

References

Bureau of Labor Statistics
National Center for Education Statistics
O*NET Online
Image Credit: Airman 1st Class Nigel Sandridge via License