Auto body repairers
Official title Automotive Body and Related Repairers (SOC 49-3021)
Also called Auto body tech, Collision repair technician, Body man, Collision tech, Auto body painter
In brief
In May 2025, BLS counted 149,310 US auto body repairers, with median pay of $54,890 a year. Of the BLS counts since 2003, the highest was 173,590, in May 2003. The earliest figure here is an estimate of 50,000 from 1929, not measured the same way as today's count. The last full technology era for auto body repairers: Advanced high-strength steel + aluminum repair protocols, 2010 to 2022.
What the sources say
Official outlook
BLS projects employment to grow 3.7% from 2025 to 2035.
AI exposure studies
- 4.3% of this job's tasks are exposed to large language models. Not a forecast of job losses. Eloundou and others, 2023
Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. BLS publishes these counts as yearly survey snapshots and cautions against reading them as a precise trend. In May 2021 BLS changed how it estimates these counts (a model-based method using three years of survey data) and moved fully to the 2018 occupation codes, so part of a change across 2021 can come from the method rather than the work.
Last updated .
Cite this page
Future History. (2026, October 11). Auto body repairers: jobs and pay since 1929 [Data set; data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35]. https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/49-3021
Future History. "Auto body repairers: jobs and pay since 1929." Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35. Last modified October 11, 2026. https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/49-3021.
@misc{futurehistory_49_3021, author = {{Future History}}, title = {Auto body repairers: jobs and pay since 1929}, year = {2026}, month = oct, howpublished = {\url{https://futurehistory.earth/timeline/49-3021}}, note = {Last updated 2026-10-11. Data as of BLS OEWS May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025-35}, }
The access date is today's date on your device.
≈ $53,483 in 2024 prices (derived by us, CPI-adjusted)
Henry Ford introduces the Model T on October 1, 1908, priced at $825 (falling to $260 by 1925 as the Highland Park assembly line scaled up). US automobile registrations climb from roughly 200,000 in 1908 to more than 23 million by 1929. The sheer volume of vehicles on roads that were never designed for them produces a wave of collisions, breakdowns, and weather damage that creates the commercial foundation for the auto body repair trade. Blacksmith shops in every American town begin retooling as the demand for horse-shoeing collapses and automobile repair rises.
DuPont's Duco nitrocellulose lacquer is introduced to the public at the December 1923 New York Automobile Show on seven 1924 Oakland Motor Cars. By 1924-1925 virtually every major automaker has switched from oil-based varnishes to Duco or competing nitrocellulose lacquers. Refinishing time drops from roughly 30 days to two hours. The spray gun becomes a standard body shop tool. DuPont establishes the Duco Color Advisory Service in 1925 to manage color selection for automakers. Within a few years, custom-shop painters adopt these products for refinishing work, and body repair and painting consolidate into a single trade.
I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair) is founded in 1979 by industry leaders responding to the growing technical complexity of collision repair as unibody vehicle construction spreads across the US market. The founding coalition includes collision repair businesses, insurance companies, and vehicle manufacturers -- an unusual coalition that reflects how the industry recognizes collision repair as a shared infrastructure problem. I-CAR becomes the industry's first structured, standardized training and certification system. By 2014 it celebrates 35 years; by 2024 it offers over 300 courses and has achieved accreditation with the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training.
By 1984, more than 80% of US vehicles use unibody construction -- a fundamental engineering change from the separate body-and-frame design that had characterized American cars for 70 years. A July 1984 Christian Science Monitor investigation finds that the collision repair industry is acutely short of technicians trained in the new procedures. Correctly repairing a unibody car requires restoring the vehicle's shell to within three millimeters of factory specifications using simultaneous multi-point pulls on a frame bench, plus MIG welding rather than oxyacetylene or spot welding. "There simply aren't enough qualified people to repair these cars," the Monitor reports. I-CAR's training programs absorb up to 40% attendees from the insurance industry, which has a direct financial stake in repair quality.
Ford introduces the 2015 F-150 with an all-aluminum body -- the first mass-market full-size pickup truck to abandon steel body panels. The F-150 is the best-selling vehicle in the United States, so the move forces virtually every collision repair shop to confront aluminum repair capability immediately. Aluminum requires dedicated rivet-bonding equipment, separate welding areas to prevent galvanic contamination, and entirely different repair procedures than steel. Ford certifies a network of aluminum-capable shops; non-certified shops must sublet structural aluminum repairs. The F-150 aluminum transition is the single largest skills disruption to hit the collision repair industry since the unibody shift of the 1980s.
EVs reach 2.4% of all repairable collision claims in the first half of 2024, up from 1.6% in the same period in 2023. EV repairs cost an average of $1,030 more than equivalent internal-combustion vehicle repairs and require roughly four additional labor hours per claim. Battery assessment and high-voltage safety protocols are now required for any technician who works on a collision-damaged EV. The collision repair sector is visibly lagging behind EV uptake: a 2025 survey finds fewer than 25% of shops have the training and equipment needed to confidently repair EVs. As the installed base of EVs grows, this training gap is becoming a material business risk for shops that cannot handle them.
Will AI replace auto body repairers? What the research says
Each figure is stated by the named source; we publish no forecasts of our own. Where sources disagree, we show the disagreement rather than an average.
Each figure is stated by the named source; we publish no forecasts of our own. Where sources disagree, the spread is the honest signal.
What's changing day to day for auto body repairers
Three parts of your work where AI is already doing real lifting, and what stays yours.
AI is sitting alongside you herePhotograph vehicle damage on intake, upload images to AI triage platform, and use the AI severity assessment to route the vehicle correctly (cosmetic repair lane, structural repair lane, or total-loss referral) before scheduling technician labor.
Photograph vehicle damage on intake, upload images to AI triage platform, and use the AI severity assessment to route the vehicle correctly (cosmetic repair lane, structural repair lane, or total-loss referral) before scheduling technician labor.[5],[4]
Learn the confidence thresholds these platforms publish so you can override mis-categorizations involving hidden structural damage behind cosmetic panels.
AI is sitting alongside you hereReview AI-assisted preliminary damage estimates from CCC ONE or Mitchell, verify line items against physical inspection, add supplement lines for hidden structural damage, and submit finalized estimate to insurer.
Review AI-assisted preliminary damage estimates from CCC ONE or Mitchell, verify line items against physical inspection, add supplement lines for hidden structural damage, and submit finalized estimate to insurer.[4],[6]
Train on reading AI-generated estimate accuracy patterns so you can quickly identify the sizeable share of lines that require manual correction or supplement.
AI is sitting alongside you hereUse a spectrophotometer and AI color-matching software (Axalta Irus or PPG LINQ) to scan a vehicle panel, select the correct shade from millions of active color variants, and set up automated paint mixing before applying refinish coats.
Use a spectrophotometer and AI color-matching software (Axalta Irus or PPG LINQ) to scan a vehicle panel, select the correct shade from millions of active color variants, and set up automated paint mixing before applying refinish coats.[7],[8]
Learn to read spectrophotometer output and override AI shade selections when metallic flake patterns or weathering require a blend adjustment.
Where auto body repairers go next
Natural next steps for someone with your foundation: not exits, evolutions.
- Insurance Appraisers, Auto DamageNo timeline for this role yet
- First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
- US median pay
- $79,860 (May 2025)
- BLS outlook 2025-35
- +4.1%
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
- US median pay
- $50,620 (May 2025)
- BLS outlook 2025-35
- +5%
What each move takes
Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage
Body repair experience transfers directly to insurance damage appraisal, where the job is evaluating vehicle damage, approving or disputing AI-generated estimates, and determining repair vs. total-loss thresholds. Appraisers who can work alongside CCC and Mitchell AI platforms are increasingly in demand as insurers integrate AI into claims pipelines.
- · Insurance claim procedures and state adjuster licensing requirements
- · CCC ONE and Mitchell estimate review and supplement-writing workflows
- · Total-loss valuation methods (ACV, comparable sales)
- · Xactimate or Audatex claim software
How has the work of auto body repairers changed since 1908?
The tools that defined the work, one line per era. Select an era to see how it reshaped the work.
Hammer and dolly / coachbuilder tools (pre-spray-paint era)
The first auto body repairers worked almost entirely with hand tools inherited from coachbuilding and blacksmithing: ball-peen hammers, body spoons, dollies, and picks used to reshape steel panels from the back side. Paint was brush-applied varnish or enamel that required weeks to dry fully, making refinishing a separate multi-week step. The trade was genuinely artisanal: a skilled body man could judge panel shape by sight and feel, working the metal back toward its original contour through patient hand-hammering against a dolly. No two repairs were identical, and the quality ceiling depended entirely on individual craft.
Duco nitrocellulose lacquer + spray gun (DuPont, 1924)
In 1924, DuPont introduced Duco nitrocellulose lacquer, the first sprayable automotive finish, and the Oakland Motor Car Company used it on the 1924 model-year cars. The lacquer dried in two hours via solvent evaporation. By 1924-1925, nearly all major automakers had switched to Duco or competing nitrocellulose lacquers. For the body shop, this was a transformational productivity breakthrough: refinishing time dropped from weeks to hours, paint booths became standard shop equipment, and the spray gun became the primary refinish tool. DeVilbiss and Binks led the spray gun market. The body repairer's core workflow now ended with a spray application rather than a brush. DuPont also established the Duco Color Advisory Service in 1925, bringing structured color management to the trade.
Effect on the workThe spray gun dramatically compressed refinish labor hours and enabled smaller shops to offer same-day or next-day paint work. It consolidated body repair and refinishing into a single trade, rather than two separate specialty crafts.
MIG/MAG welding + body filler (replacing gas torch and lead filler)
By the late 1950s and early 1960s, short-circuit MIG (Metal Inert Gas) welding was perfected for thin-sheet automotive steel, and it rapidly replaced oxyacetylene torch welding in body shops. MIG welding was faster, produced less heat distortion, and required less cleanup than the gas torch. Simultaneously, polyester body filler (Bondo introduced the modern two-part polyester filler formula in the 1950s) replaced the traditional lead-and-tin filler that had required specialized heating and molding skills. These two transitions lowered the skill barrier for basic metal repair while raising the ceiling for structural work. The combination of MIG welding and polyester filler is the toolkit that defined body repair from the 1960s through the early 2000s.
Frame/unibody measuring systems (Car-O-Liner 1973; computerized measuring 1980s)
Car-O-Liner launched the first universal alignment bench and mechanical measuring system in 1973, enabling shops to verify structural repairs against manufacturer specifications rather than relying on trained eye-judgment alone. The early 1980s brought a far more disruptive change: the widespread adoption of unibody (unitized) vehicle construction, driven by the 1970s fuel crisis, reached over 80% of US vehicles by 1984. Repairing a unibody car required simultaneous pulls at multiple points within three millimeters of OEM specifications, rather than the frame rail sectioning that body-on-frame repair allowed. The Christian Science Monitor reported in 1984 that there were simply "not enough qualified people to repair these cars." I-CAR (Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair) was founded in 1979 specifically to respond to this skill gap, becoming the industry's first structured training and certification body.
Effect on the workThe unibody transition increased the technical floor required to perform safe structural repairs, drove adoption of expensive frame benches and computerized measuring equipment, and triggered the first wave of shop consolidation as undercapitalized independent shops could not afford the new tooling.
Computerized estimating + digital paint matching (CCC, Mitchell; spectrophotometer)
The 1990s brought computerization to the administrative and color-matching sides of the trade. CCC Information Services and Mitchell International developed software platforms that allowed adjusters and body shops to generate standardized repair estimates from a database of labor times and parts prices, replacing handwritten or typewritten estimate sheets. Simultaneously, spectrophotometers and computerized paint-mixing systems (PPG PaintManager, Sikkens computerized mixing) gave refinish technicians the ability to match virtually any factory color from a database of hundreds of thousands of variants, rather than relying entirely on manual chip-matching and hand-adjustment. The 1980s basecoat/clearcoat enamel system (introduced by automakers for durability and VOC compliance) also required body shops to adapt their spray technique to a two-stage application. Together these tools shifted a portion of the body tech's decision-making from craft judgment to software-assisted selection.
Effect on the workComputerized estimating accelerated the integration of insurance companies into body shop workflows, reducing the shop's pricing discretion. Digital paint matching reduced the refinish skill barrier for color selection while simultaneously raising expectations for color accuracy on complex metallic and pearl finishes.
Advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) + aluminum repair protocols
Automakers responded to federal CAFE fuel-economy mandates and safety standards by introducing advanced high-strength steels (AHSS), ultra-high-strength steel (UHSS), and, beginning with the 2015 Ford F-150, large-scale aluminum body panels. AHSS cannot be heat-formed like mild steel; many grades must be cold-worked or simply replaced rather than repaired, as welding alters their molecular structure and eliminates their crash-energy-absorbing properties. Aluminum requires entirely separate tools, welding equipment, and even dedicated work areas (aluminum filings contaminate steel panels and cause galvanic corrosion). I-CAR and automakers developed specific repair certification programs. The consequence was a sharp rise in total-loss rates for newer vehicles with heavily AHSS/UHSS construction, because the cost to correctly repair structural components often exceeded the vehicle's actual cash value.
Effect on the workAHSS and aluminum requirements drove a third wave of shop consolidation: shops without the capital for dedicated aluminum equipment, OEM-certified training, and multi-material welding systems could no longer legally or safely repair a growing share of vehicles on the road.
ADAS calibration + AI-assisted estimating (CCC ONE, Mitchell, Tractable; asTech)
By 2018, ADAS features (forward collision warning, lane-keeping, adaptive cruise) had spread from luxury vehicles to mass-market cars, and by the early 2020s virtually all new US light vehicles were being sold with front crash prevention as standard equipment following commitments by automakers representing 99% of US light vehicle sales. Any collision repair that affects a sensor, camera, or radar mounting surface now requires a post-repair ADAS calibration before the vehicle is safe to return to the customer. As ADAS-equipped vehicles have become the majority of the on-road fleet, a growing proportion of all collision repairs require some form of calibration. Simultaneously, AI-powered estimating platforms (CCC ONE Mobile Jumpstart, Tractable) began generating preliminary photo-based damage assessments, pre-populating most estimate line items automatically. For the body technician, ADAS calibration added a new post-repair diagnostic step requiring scan tools, static calibration targets, and OEM-specific procedures. AI estimating tools shifted some of the administrative load but did not replace the physical inspection step for hidden structural damage. ASE announced development of a new ADAS Calibration Technician credential in 2025.
Effect on the workADAS calibration requirements have increased average repair time per vehicle, raising per-technician revenue but also shop equipment investment. The shops most capable of performing calibrations in-house are gaining a competitive advantage over those that must sublet the work to dealers or specialty calibration providers.
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Browse all rolesAutomotive Body and Related Repairers employment and pay by year
In other countries
The latest figure each country's statistics agency publishes for this job. Each uses its own occupation definition, survey basis and currency, so the numbers are not directly comparable with each other or with the US figures.
Canada (NOC 72411)
- Employment, 2020
- 28,690, Statistics Canada Census 2021 Official statistic Report an errorStatistics Canada Census of Population 2021: number of persons with employment income in NOC 72411 Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators, Canada, reference year 2020. A recipients basis (anyone with employment income during the year), slightly broader than a point-in-time employed count. Statistics Canada Open Licence.
- Median pay, 2020
- C$53,600, Statistics Canada Census 2021 Official statistic Report an errorStatistics Canada Census of Population 2021 (Table 98-10-0586): median employment income for NOC 72411 Auto body collision, refinishing and glass technicians and damage repair estimators, Canada, reference year 2020, full-year full-time workers (the basis comparable to the US OEWS full-time median). Statistics Canada Open Licence.
View all 28 years of cited US data, each linked to its source
| Year | US employment | Annual pay (median unless marked) | Source | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | 50,000 | n/a | Est., Shopmonkey Researched context | Report |
| 1950 | 100,000 | n/a | Est., IPUMS USA Researched context | Report |
| 1970 | n/a | $7,800 | Est., University of Missouri Libraries Researched context | Report |
| 1984 | 177,000 | n/a | Est., Christian Science Monitor Researched context | Report |
| 2000 | 168,170 | $31,190 | BLS OEWS 2000 Official statistic | Report |
| 2003 | 173,590 | $33,140 | BLS OEWS May 2003 Official statistic | Report |
| 2004 | 162,820 | $34,690 | BLS OEWS May 2004 Official statistic | Report |
| 2005 | 158,160 | $34,810 | BLS OEWS May 2005 Official statistic | Report |
| 2006 | 155,500 | $35,180 | BLS OEWS May 2006 Official statistic | Report |
| 2007 | 152,790 | $35,690 | BLS OEWS May 2007 Official statistic | Report |
| 2008 | 147,200 | $37,040 | BLS OEWS May 2008 Official statistic | Report |
| 2009 | 133,290 | $37,980 | BLS OEWS May 2009 Official statistic | Report |
| 2010 | 129,730 | $38,130 | BLS OEWS May 2010 Official statistic | Report |
| 2011 | 131,040 | $38,180 | BLS OEWS May 2011 Official statistic | Report |
| 2012 | 135,610 | $38,380 | BLS OEWS May 2012 Official statistic | Report |
| 2013 | 134,650 | $38,850 | BLS OEWS May 2013 Official statistic | Report |
| 2014 | 137,140 | $40,320 | BLS OEWS May 2014 Official statistic | Report |
| 2015 | 143,040 | $40,970 | BLS OEWS May 2015 Official statistic | Report |
| 2016 | 143,940 | $41,540 | BLS OEWS May 2016 Official statistic | Report |
| 2017 | 144,320 | $41,970 | BLS OEWS May 2017 Official statistic | Report |
| 2018 | 142,060 | $42,730 | BLS OEWS May 2018 Official statistic | Report |
| 2019 | 144,180 | $43,580 | BLS OEWS May 2019 Official statistic | Report |
| 2020 | 137,120 | $45,350 | BLS OEWS May 2020 Official statistic | Report |
| 2021 | 137,300 | $47,270 | BLS OEWS May 2021 Official statistic | Report |
| 2022 | 138,760 | $47,670 | BLS OEWS May 2022 Official statistic | Report |
| 2023 | 151,910 | $48,740 | BLS OEWS May 2023 Official statistic | Report |
| 2024 | 155,220 | $51,680 | BLS OEWS May 2024 Official statistic | Report |
| 2025 | 149,310 | $54,890 | BLS OEWS May 2025 Official statistic | Report |
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