People seeking stable careers not requiring four-year degrees may consider car collision repair jobs. This is a growing career field with demand for new workers with technical skills. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 17 percent growth in this field between 2010 and 2020. Demand for workers is expected to remain strong as growing numbers of Americans take to the road. Even with new innovations in safety and performance, car accidents will continue to occur, requiring the services of car collision repair technicians to fix the damage.

Car Collision Repair Education And Classes

Although some may view car collision repair jobs as entry level jobs, many employers prefer to hire automobile service technicians who have completed formal training at a postsecondary institution. Such training can be obtained at community colleges and vocational schools across the country.

Postsecondary institutions may offer many different courses, providing some degree of flexibility to students. However, students typically must take a specific number of core classes to graduate. Courses may include non-structural repair, welding, refinishing, collision repair estimating, automotive service, automotive electrical theory and vehicle steering and suspension. Students may also study automobile air conditioning and heating systems, tune-ups and automotive computers. Schools may also require students to demonstrate basic writing, language and math skills.

Car Repair Job Duties

Car collision repair technicians perform various duties at work. They may estimate costs for repair jobs, straighten bent frames, grind or sand repaired surfaces and pound out smaller dents with hand tools. Some repair jobs require the technicians to remove parts of the vehicle to gain access to sections of a car needing repair. They typically work in garages. Because most car collisions involve an insured driver, car collision repair technicians frequently supply estimates to insurance adjusters before starting repairs to ensure the insurance company will pay the bill once work is completed.

Car collision repair workers generally enjoy stable careers because of the demand for their services. They typically work in well-lit and well-ventilated garages and may use computers for many repair and diagnostic tasks. However, their technical skills are still needed on a daily basis. Many tasks require use of hand tools and manipulating dirty or greasy vehicle parts. In 2010, car collision repair technicians earned median wages of $35,790. Those in entry level jobs earned less. For people who love vehicles and working with their hands, car collision repair jobs can provide job stability and respectable pay.