Career Colleges » California » Trades and Careers » Auto Mechanic
Looking for accredited career colleges, technical schools, and universities in California offering Auto Mechanic degrees. Auto repair technicians and auto mechanics take their hobby and make it an enjoyable full-time profession in car repair.
Attending a California college should be an easy decision. After all, the Golden State has something for everyone. The educational quality is some of the highest in the nation, if not the world, and the after-college activities are endless. Within a four-hour drive in any direction you can be hiking some of the highest peaks in North America, driving through the furnace-like heat of Death Valley, losing your heart in immortally beautiful San Franciso, wandering dreamily through ferny forests crowned with 300-foot redwoods, rubbing shoulders with celebrities in L.A., or diving into the wild and welcoming surf of the great Pacific ocean.Job opportunities in this occupation are expected to be very good for persons who complete automotive training programs in high school, vocational and technical schools, or community colleges. Persons with good diagnostic and problem-solving skills, and whose training includes basic electronics skills, should have the best opportunities. For well-prepared people with a technical background, automotive service technician careers offer an excellent opportunity for good pay and the satisfaction of highly skilled work with vehicles incorporating the latest in high technology. However, persons without formal automotive training are likely to face competition for entry-level jobs.
Automotive service technicians and mechanics held about 818,000 jobs in 2002. The majority worked for automotive repair and maintenance shops, automobile dealers, and retailers and wholesalers of automotive parts, accessories, and supplies. Others found employment in gasoline stations; home and auto supply stores; automotive equipment rental and leasing companies; Federal, State, and local governments; and other organizations. About 16 percent of service technicians were self-employed, more than twice the proportion for all installation, maintenance, and repair occupations.
Median hourly earnings of automotive service technicians and mechanics, including commission, were $14.71 in 2002. The middle 50 percent earned between $10.61 and $19.84. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $8.14, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $25.21.