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General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair

Types of Degrees General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Majors Are Earning

People majoring in General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair may pursue degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	132
Associate’s Degree	27
Master’s Degree	372

What General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Majors Need to Know

Programs in General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair develop a specific mix of knowledge, skills, and abilities — derived from O*NET surveys of workers in occupations that General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates commonly enter.

Knowledge Areas

Coursework in General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair emphasizes the following knowledge areas:

• Mechanical — Importance 4.4 / 5; level 5.6 / 7.
• Customer and Personal Service — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Computers and Electronics — Importance 3.1 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• English Language — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.0 / 7.
• Administration and Management — Importance 3.0 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.

^{Importance is rated 1–5; level is 1–7. Source: ONET Online — weighted across related occupations.*}

Skills

Skills built by a General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair program reflects the day-to-day work of related occupations:

• Critical Thinking — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Monitoring — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Judgment and Decision Making — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.4 / 7.
• Operations Monitoring — Importance 3.5 / 5; level 3.3 / 7.
• Troubleshooting — Importance 3.4 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Abilities

Innate abilities most relevant to General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair careers — again drawn from O*NET surveys of related occupations:

• Deductive Reasoning — Importance 3.9 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.
• Inductive Reasoning — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Near Vision — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.6 / 7.
• Problem Sensitivity — Importance 3.8 / 5; level 3.7 / 7.
• Oral Comprehension — Importance 3.6 / 5; level 3.8 / 7.

Common Job Activities

Day-to-day, General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates report doing:

Activity	Frequency / Importance
Getting Information	4.4 / 7
Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment	4.3 / 7
Making Decisions and Solving Problems	4.2 / 7
Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge	4.1 / 7
Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials	4.0 / 7
Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment	4.0 / 7
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events	3.9 / 7
Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings	3.9 / 7
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards	3.8 / 7
Handling and Moving Objects	3.8 / 7

Technology Skills Used on the Job

Most frequently-cited tools used by General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair professionals:

Tool / Software	Category	In-Demand
Vehicle management software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Scheduling software	Calendar and scheduling software	—
Microsoft Windows	Operating system software	—
Microsoft Word	Word processing software	—
Microsoft Outlook	Electronic mail software	✓
Microsoft Excel	Spreadsheet software	✓
Microsoft Office software	Office suite software	✓
IBM Notes	Electronic mail software	—
Database software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Recordkeeping software	Data base user interface and query software	—
Internet browser software	Internet browser software	—
SAP software	Enterprise resource planning ERP software	—

^{Source: ONET Online technology skills, weighted across related occupations.*}

Sample Job Titles

Real job postings for General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates include:

• Rattle Repairer
• Clutch Specialist
• Automobile Radiator Mechanic (Auto Radiator Mechanic)
• Line Mechanic
• Framer
• Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment Technician
• Leak Repairer
• Automotive Accessories Installer (Auto Accessory Installer)
• Automobile Service Station Mechanic (Auto Service Station Mechanic)
• Instrument Repairer
• Wheel Aligner
• Muffler Installer
• Brake Repairer
• Auto Wheel Alignment Specialist (Automotive Wheel Alignment Specialist)
• Auto Headlight Mechanic (Automotive Headlight Mechanic)

Education Typically Required

Across the occupations open to General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates, the typical level of education actually held by current workers is distributed as:

Education Level	Share of Workers
High school diploma or equivalent	47.3%
Postsecondary certificate	35.1%
Some college courses	10.3%
Bachelor’s degree	3.1%
Associate’s degree (or other 2-year)	2.1%
Less than a high school diploma	1.2%
Doctoral degree	0.8%

^{Source: ONET Online education / training / experience requirements.*}

Who Is Earning a Degree in General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly male, with men earning 85.1% of General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	94	14.9%
Men	536	85.1%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	322	51.1%
Asian	12	1.9%
Hispanic or Latino	139	22.1%
Black or African American	126	20.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native	3	0.5%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	2	0.3%
Two or More Races	9	1.4%
Race Unknown	17	2.7%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,744
4 years	$43,612
5 years	$49,558

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $49,558 — roughly 31% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Is a Degree in General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Worth It?

Strictly by the federal earnings tracker, General Vehicle Maintenance & Repair graduates earn a median of $43,612 four years after completion — roughly 15% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician, General	47.06
Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician	47.0608
Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician	47.0607
Alternative Fuel Vehicle Technology/Technician	47.0614
Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician	47.0603
Automobile/Automotive Mechanics Technology/Technician	47.0604
Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician	47.0609
Bicycle Mechanics and Repair Technology/Technician	47.0610
Diesel Mechanics Technology/Technician	47.0605
Engine Machinist	47.0615
High Performance and Custom Engine Technician/Mechanic	47.0617
Marine Maintenance/Fitter and Ship Repair Technology/Technician	47.0616

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.