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Boston Career Explorer

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

Automotive Body and Related Repairers

Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.

Also called: Auto Body Man, Auto Body Repair Technician (Auto Body Repair Tech), Auto Body Repairman, Automotive Body Technician (Auto Body Tech), Body Man, Body Technician (Body Tech)

Compare with my current job (Grinding, Lapping, Polishing, and Buffing Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic)
Median pay in Greater Boston
$59,630
$28.67/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
2,230
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+3.3%
260 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
High school diploma or equivalent
plus Long-term on-the-job training

Greater Boston: Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, May 2025. Growth and openings: Massachusetts statewide projection.

Pay range in Greater Boston

Yearly pay in Greater Boston by percentile
10th25thMedian75th90th
$45,850$47,500$59,630$73,670$78,180

10% of workers earn less than the first figure and 10% earn more than the last.

What you’d do

  • File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.
  • Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.
  • Sand body areas to be painted and cover bumpers, windows, and trim with masking tape or paper to protect them from the paint.

AI and this job

AI exposure: how much of this job’s work AI tools can do or help with, based on national research. It is not a forecast of job loss.

Lower exposure11 of 100

The index averages three national research measures, each shown as a percentile of all jobs:

  • AIOE 10
  • Language-model AIOE 10
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 12

Observed AI use today: Little or none (Anthropic Economic Index)

AI exposure for this job is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools may help with planning repair steps or estimating time. Welding, sanding, painting, and test-driving a repaired vehicle are physical, hands-on tasks that AI tools do not do.

Likely to change

  • Planning repair steps and time estimates
  • Checking repair instructions and specifications

Still relies on people

  • Welding and fitting replacement parts
  • Sanding, painting, and test-driving vehicles

Written with AI from the data on this page. Check with a career coach before making a decision.

Next steps from here

Related jobs that build on what you already do.

  • Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists

    You already use power tools, welding gear, and inspection skills on vehicles. This job pays a $75,770 Boston median.

    Pay difference
    +$16,140 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

    Your welding and grinding skills carry over directly. Welders also examine pieces for defects, with a $63,770 Boston median.

    Pay difference
    +$4,140 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.2%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles

    Cutting, trimming, and smoothing materials is work you already know. It pays a $98,290 Boston median and has 11.3% projected growth.

    Pay difference
    +$38,660 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +11.3%
    To get started
    No formal educational credential

Training near Boston

College and school programs in the Boston metro area that lead to this job, with 2023-24 completions (IPEDS).

No college programs near Boston map to this job. Many people enter through on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Talk to a career coach at the Office of Workforce Development about apprenticeships and City partner programs.

Related occupations

Talk to a career coach

A coach at the Office of Workforce Development can help you plan your next step, and connect you with training, apprenticeships and City partner programs that are not listed here.

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