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Boston Career Explorer

Transportation and Material Moving

Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants

Service automobiles, buses, trucks, boats, and other automotive or marine vehicles with fuel, lubricants, and accessories. Collect payment for services and supplies. May lubricate vehicle, change motor oil, refill antifreeze, or replace lights or other accessories, such as windshield wiper blades or fan belts. May repair or replace tires.

Also called: Attendant, Dock Attendant, Dock Hand, Fuel Attendant, Fuel Dock Attendant, Gas Attendant

Median pay in Greater Boston
$36,740
$17.66/hr
Jobs in Greater Boston
1,090
Massachusetts 2024–2034
+1.8%
280 openings a year
Typical U.S. entry requirement
No formal educational credential
plus Short-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
$35,440$35,600$36,740$44,030$48,880

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

What you’d do

  • Collect cash payments from customers, and make change or charge purchases to customers' credit cards, providing customers with receipts.
  • Check tire pressure and levels of fuel, motor oil, transmission, radiator, battery, or other fluids, adding air or fluids as required.
  • Perform minor repairs, such as adjusting brakes, replacing spark plugs, or changing engine oil or filters.
  • Clean parking areas, offices, restrooms, or equipment, and remove trash.
  • Order stock, and price and shelve incoming goods.
  • Sell and install accessories, such as batteries, windshield wiper blades, fan belts, bulbs, or headlamps.

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 exposure13 of 100

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

  • AIOE 9
  • Language-model AIOE 14
  • GPTs-are-GPTs 16

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

AI exposure for automotive and watercraft service attendants is lower, and observed AI use is little or none. AI tools may help with payments, receipts, and ordering or pricing stock. Checking fluids, doing minor repairs, and cleaning the site are hands-on tasks that stay with people.

Likely to change

  • Payments, receipts, and billing records
  • Ordering stock and pricing goods

Still relies on people

  • Checking tires and fluids by hand
  • Minor repairs and oil changes

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

    Checking fluids and doing minor repairs build toward diesel mechanic work. It pays $75,770 but needs long-term on-the-job training.

    Pay difference
    +$39,030 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +5.1%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers

    Your hands-on repair and testing experience fits a helper role. It is a step toward skilled repair work, with $45,760 median pay.

    Pay difference
    +$9,020 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +4.9%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

  • Automotive Body and Related Repairers

    Working with vehicles and tools carries over to auto body repair. It pays $59,630 and involves inspecting and smoothing repaired surfaces.

    Pay difference
    +$22,890 median
    AI exposure
    Lower
    MA growth
    +3.3%
    To get started
    High school diploma or equivalent

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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