WorkSmart - Job Titles - Construction and Repair


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	Job Titles in Construction and Repair -- Automotive Body Repairers


	Wages Job Openings Job Requirements Training Career Paths
	Automotive Body Repairers

	Page Down		Job Description: Automotive Body Repairers are skilled workers who repair, repaint, and refinish auto vehicle bodies; straighten vehicle frames; and replace damaged vehicle glass. Most work on automobiles and trucks, but some specialize in repairing other types of vehicles such as buses or truck trailers. Automotive Body Repairers do many different things. They remove dents in vehicle bodies by hammering them out with special metal-working tools and then smoothing the hammered area by filing, grinding or sanding. They use plastic or solder to fill dents that cannot be worked out of the metal. When necessary, they align bodies, straighten frames, install window glass and windshields and remove and install body parts. They weld breaks in body metal and file them smooth to blend them in with the rest of the body. Badly damaged body areas may be removed with a cutting torch and a new panel fitted and welded into place. The welds are then ground down so they don't show, using power grinders and other tools; the new panel is then matched to nearby surfaces. Automotive Body Repairers also fix fiberglass body parts, install new upholstery and may sand and mask (tape and cover) on and around body areas to be painted.

Wages - Statewide:

To give you an idea of how much you might earn, we have given you the average hourly wages and average yearly wages for this career throughout California. Wages can vary greatly in different parts of the State.


		Hourly Average Wages:		$	42,618

		Yearly Average Wages:		$	42,618
	Source: California Occupational Employment and Wage Data, 2008

Job Openings:

An average of 540 job openings will be available statewide per year. The number of openings includes both new jobs and replacement openings as workers leave the occupation.

Source: California Occupational Employment Projections 2004 - 2014

	Basic Job Requirements: On-the-job-training or apprentice program Detail oriented, accurate, and trustworthy Basic math ability High school metal shop and auto repair classes recommended Page Down

	Where to get training locally: Many training programs are offered through community colleges. A formal four-year apprenticeship program consisting of on-the-job training and related classroom instruction is offered by the union. Information on the apprenticeship program can be obtained from a local office of the California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Apprenticeship Standards. To find training programs in your area you can check the LaborMarketInfo Web site at www.labormarketinfo.edd.ca.gov/cgi/databrowsing/traProvidersSelection.asp?menuChoice=traProviders. Or, you can go to a One-Stop Career Center for assistance. (See "One-Stop Career Centers" in the "How to Find a Job" section.)


	Possible Job Paths: Return to Construction and Repair Job List

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