Automotive Body and Related Repairers

AI & job outlook

What today's research says about this occupation's exposure to AI, how AI is actually being used in it, and where employment is headed. These are positions within published studies — measures of exposure and usage, not predictions that this job will disappear.

Exposure to current AI

Each study uses its own scale, so the raw scores are not comparable across rows — the percentile (this job's rank among all U.S. occupations with data) is the comparable figure, and sizes the bars.

OpenAI's exposure study scores tasks three ways: with a language model alone (α 0.0), with simple added tooling (β 0.0), and including AI-powered software (γ 0.1). Higher means more of the job's tasks could be done at least twice as fast — not that they will be automated away.

This job mostly cannot be done remotely (Dingel–Neiman) — its hands-on tasks sit outside what software-based AI reaches.

Mixed signals. Today's AI/LLM studies show relatively low exposure for this job, but the older (2013) Frey–Osborne work rated it higher for computerization and robotics. Different eras, different technologies — the AI measures above reflect the current state.

Job outlook

Independent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projection for 2024–2034 — a labor-market forecast, not an AI-impact forecast.

“Annual openings” counts new jobs plus replacements for workers who leave the occupation, so it can be large even when growth is modest.

Where this work sits on the global GenAI gradient

The ILO's 2025 global study scores generative-AI exposure on the international ISCO-08 occupation system, not US SOC. Bridged through the published (and approximate, many-to-many) IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 crosswalk, this US occupation corresponds to the international occupation below. Exposure here means how much of the work's tasks today's AI can attempt — task overlap, not automation, adoption, or jobs lost.

Read the whole six-band gradient on the GenAI exposure gradient page. The crosswalk is approximate: a US occupation can map to several international ones, and the ILO scores describe the international occupation, not this exact US role.

Tasks

All 25 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, ordered by importance. Each links to its own page with AI-exposure and observed-use detail.

• File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools. Core · importance 4.5
• Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling. Core · importance 4.5
• Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools. Core · importance 4.5
• Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders. Core · importance 4.4
• Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take. Core · importance 4.3
• Sand body areas to be painted and cover bumpers, windows, and trim with masking tape or paper to protect them from the paint. Core · importance 4.3
• Chain or clamp frames and sections to alignment machines that use hydraulic pressure to align damaged components. Core · importance 4.3
• Cut and tape plastic separating film to outside repair areas to avoid damaging surrounding surfaces during repair procedure and remove tape and wash surfaces after repairs are complete. Core · importance 4.2
• Position dolly blocks against surfaces of dented areas and beat opposite surfaces to remove dents, using hammers. Core · importance 4.2
• Fill small dents that cannot be worked out with plastic or solder. Core · importance 4.1
• Review damage reports, prepare or review repair cost estimates, and plan work to be performed. Core · importance 4.1
• Remove damaged sections of vehicles using metal-cutting guns, air grinders and wrenches, and install replacement parts using wrenches or welding equipment. Core · importance 4.1
• Remove small pits and dimples in body metal, using pick hammers and punches. Core · importance 4.1
• Remove upholstery, accessories, electrical window-and-seat-operating equipment, and trim to gain access to vehicle bodies and fenders. Core · importance 4.1
• Fit and secure windows, vinyl roofs, and metal trim to vehicle bodies, using caulking guns, adhesive brushes, and mallets. Core · importance 4.1
• Mix polyester resins and hardeners to be used in restoring damaged areas. Core · importance 4.1
• Adjust or align headlights, wheels, and brake systems. Core · importance 4.0
• Replace damaged glass on vehicles. Core · importance 3.9
• Remove damaged panels, and identify the family and properties of the plastic used on a vehicle. Core · importance 3.9
• Apply heat to plastic panels, using hot-air welding guns or immersion in hot water, and press the softened panels back into shape by hand. Core · importance 3.9
• Clean work areas, using air hoses, to remove damaged material and discarded fiberglass strips used in repair procedures. Core · importance 3.9
• Read specifications or confer with customers to determine the desired custom modifications for altering the appearance of vehicles. Supplemental · importance 3.7
• Soak fiberglass matting in resin mixtures and apply layers of matting over repair areas to specified thicknesses. Core · importance 3.6
• Cut openings in vehicle bodies for the installation of customized windows, using templates and power shears or chisels. Supplemental · importance 3.4
• Measure and mark vinyl material and cut material to size for roof installation, using rules, straightedges, and hand shears. Supplemental · importance 3.4

Work activities

• Inspect completed work to ensure proper functioning.
• Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment.
• Apply protective coverings to objects or surfaces near work areas.
• Receive information or instructions for performing work assignments.
• Install machine or equipment replacement parts.
• Disassemble equipment for maintenance or repair.
• Cut materials according to specifications or needs.
• Paint surfaces or equipment.
• Prepare compounds or solutions to be used for repairs.
• Mount materials or workpieces onto production equipment.
• Remove dents from equipment, materials, tools or structures.
• Install vehicle parts or accessories.
• Operate welding equipment.
• Remove parts or components from vehicles.
• Read work orders or descriptions of problems to determine repairs or modifications needed.
• Plan work procedures.
• Clean work areas.
• Adjust vehicle components according to specifications.
• Heat material or workpieces to prepare for or complete production.
• Confer with customers or users to assess problems.
• Replace vehicle glass.
• Measure distances or dimensions.

Knowledge, skills & abilities

O*NET importance rating, from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important).

Knowledge

Abilities

Transferable skills

Essential skills

Skills in demand

Skills employers ask for in job postings for this occupation (Lightcast), with whether each is a common or specialized skill.

• Visualization Specialized Skill
• Information Ordering Specialized Skill
• Finger Dexterity Common Skill
• Speech Recognition Specialized Skill
• Time Management Common Skill
• Microsoft Word Common Skill
• Microsoft Windows Common Skill
• Microsoft Outlook Common Skill
• Microsoft Excel Common Skill
• Mathematics Common Skill
• Critical Thinking Common Skill
• Active Listening Common Skill
• English Language Common Skill
• Social Perceptiveness Common Skill
• Reading Comprehension Common Skill
• Inductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Deductive Reasoning Common Skill
• Complex Problem Solving Common Skill
• Active Learning Common Skill
• Equipment Selection Specialized Skill
• Depth Perception Common Skill
• Equipment Maintenance Specialized Skill
• Writing Common Skill
• Physics Specialized Skill
• Negotiation Common Skill
• Learning Strategies Specialized Skill
• Instructing Specialized Skill
• Systems Analysis Specialized Skill
• Chemistry Specialized Skill
• Microsoft OneNote Specialized Skill
• Installation Specialized Skill
• Psychology Specialized Skill
• Foreign Language Common Skill
• Telecommunications Specialized Skill
• Geography Specialized Skill
• Biology Specialized Skill
• Accounting Software Specialized Skill

Tools & technology

Work context

How characteristic each condition is of the job, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale (higher = more present in day-to-day work). Each condition links to how it varies across all occupations.

How to get in

Job zone

Zone 2 — Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed

Education

Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Typical entry-level education

High school diploma or equivalent · BLS, the typical path — not a requirement

Related experience

Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Preparation level

SVP (Below 6.0) — total schooling plus on-the-job experience.

What to study: Mechanic and Repair Technologies/Technicians . Fields of study crosswalked to this occupation (NCES CIP–SOC), not a requirement.

Education of current workers

Share of people in this occupation at each level of education.

Interests & work styles

The interests and personal qualities O*NET associates with people who do this work.

Career interests (Holland / RIASEC)

Interest areas

Work styles

Wages & employment

U.S. · annual wages (BLS OEWS)

Industries that employ this occupation

Where these workers are employed, by number of jobs (national, BLS OEWS). Pay shown is the occupation's national median, not industry-specific.

Where this work is most concentrated

Industries where this occupation is far more common than in the economy as a whole. The location quotient is how many times more concentrated it is here (a value of 5 means five times its economy-wide share).

Related occupations

Part of the Supply Chain & Transportation career cluster.

• Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics · 49-3023.00 Compare →
• Rail Car Repairers · 49-3043.00 Compare →
• Tire Builders · 51-9197.00 Compare →
• Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers · 51-2011.00 Compare →
• Electric Motor, Power Tool, and Related Repairers · 49-2092.00 Compare →
• Engine and Other Machine Assemblers · 51-2031.00 Compare →
• Grinding and Polishing Workers, Hand · 51-9022.00 Compare →
• Motorcycle Mechanics · 49-3052.00 Compare →
• Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers · 49-3022.00 Compare →
• Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists · 49-3031.00 Compare →
• Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders · 51-9124.00 Compare →
• Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters · 51-2041.00 Compare →

Side-by-side comparisons place two occupations’ pay, preparation, skills, and AI exposure on the same page — same data, same scale, no forecast.

What you can do with this

Options the data surfaces for Automotive Body and Related Repairers — not advice or a forecast. Each is a real cross-link you can follow into the evidence.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai Microsoft Research
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic
• AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans academic
• ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025 International Labour Organization
• IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022 Institute for Structural Research (IBS)
• Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation academic
• Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-role-49-3021-00,
  title  = {Automotive Body and Related Repairers},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) May 2024; BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034; Microsoft “Working with AI” working-with-ai; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130; AI Occupational Exposure (AIOE) Felten, Raj & Seamans; ILO / Gmyrek et al. GenAI exposure gradient 2025; IBS O*NET-SOC ↔ ISCO-08 occupation crosswalk 2022; Frey & Osborne (2013) frey-osborne-automation; Dingel & Neiman (2020) dingel-neiman-workathome. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/roles/role-49-3021-00}
}