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Bureau of Labor Statistics > Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities > Publications > Snapshots

Automotive service technicians and mechanics, 2016-2020

Background

Automotive service technicians and mechanics diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.

As of May 2020, there were 620,110 people employed in this occupation. The average hourly wage was $22.48, and the average annual wage was $46,760.

Nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses

In private industry for automotive service technicians and mechanics, there were 9,940 nonfatal injury and illness cases involving days away from work in 2020. The incidence rate per 10,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers was 185.9.

View data

Table 1. Number of nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses involving days away from work by selected case characteristics, automotive service technicians and mechanics, private industry, 2020
Case characteristic^[1]	Number of cases
Nature of injury or illness
All other natures	2,720
Sprains, strains, tears	2,130
Soreness, pain	1,860
Bruises, contusions	1,190
Cuts, lacerations	1,100
Part of body affected
Hand	2,240
Back	1,120
Body systems	1,100
Knee	880
Shoulder	850
Source of injury or illness
Parts and materials	2,470
All other sources	1,720
Vehicles	1,570
Worker motion or position	1,290
Handtools	1,280
Event or exposure leading to injury or illness
Struck by object or equipment	2,190
Exposure to harmful substances or environments	1,250
Struck against object or equipment	920
Overexertion in lifting or lowering	860
Fall to lower level	550
^[1] Data shown correspond to Nature, Part, Source, and Event codes based on the Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System 2.01 developed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

Fatal occupational injuries

Fatal work injuries totaled 54 for automotive service technicians and mechanics during 2020, compared to 60 during 2019.

View data

Sources

Wage and employment estimates come from the Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program. Injury and illness information come from the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII) and Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). For more information on SOII program concepts, see the definitions page and the SOII Handbook of Methods. For more information on CFOI program concepts, see the definitions page and the CFOI Handbook of Methods.

Last Modified Date: February 11, 2022