As we progress into 1999 how does the employment side of the automotive repair industry look from a national perspective? According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), hourly earnings of auto repair, service and parking persons average $11.24 per hour. This increases the more specialized the technician. Automotive mechanical technicians average $12.47 per hour and automotive body technicians average $13.35 per hour. On a positive note, these figures continuously show a steady increase for all automotive repair technician segments. For instance, a decade ago, automotive mechanical technicians averaged $9.09 per hour and automotive body technicians averaged $9.63.

Average hourly pay for individuals on the manufacturing end of the automotive industry is approximately $8 to $10 more per hour. Those production workers involved in manufacturing motor vehicles and car bodies average $21.03 per hour. This includes manufacturing or assembly of passenger automobiles, trucks, commercial cars and buses, and special purpose vehicles. The average hourly earnings of production workers producing motor vehicle parts and accessories is a bit closer to service technicians' at $16.62 per hour.

Wholesalers of motor vehicle parts and supplies average $13.18 per hour while retailers of automotive and home supply stores average $10.14 per hour.

New and used car dealers aren't rolling in the dough. The latest wage numbers from the U.S. BLS show an average hourly earning of $15.42 per hour. Rounding out the very bottom of the ranks are those individuals working at gasoline service stations. At $7.95 per hour, their earnings are only slightly above minimum wage.

On a negative note, automotive body technicians exceed the national average for production nonfarm workers of $12.98 by only a few cents and automotive mechanical technicians fall short by 51 cents.

Stat Corner is written by Denise Caspersen, ASA's research management specialist. She can be reached at (800) 272-7467, ext. 236.

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