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Occupation AtlasAutomotive Engineering Technicians

O*NET · 17-3027.01

Automotive Engineering Technicians

Assist engineers in determining the practicality of proposed product design changes and plan and carry out tests on experimental test devices or equipment for performance, durability, or efficiency.

Also called Auto Design Checker · Auto Technician · Auto Test Technician · Automotive Design Checker (Auto Design Checker) · Automotive Engineering Technician · Automotive Technician (Auto Technician) · Automotive Test Technician (Auto Test Technician) · Durability Technician
5 more

Lab Technician · Laboratory Technician (Lab Technician) · Performance Technician · Research Technician · Transportation Engineering Technician

Job Zone 3 — Medium Preparation NeededHolland code RIC35 skills on file

Compare with another occupationCompare with Photonics Technicians

Job Zone

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5

Zone 3: Medium Preparation Needed

Medium preparation. Vocational training, related on-the-job experience, or an associate degree, with one to two years of training that combines experience and informal instruction.

Job Zone is O*NET's rating of how much education, experience and training an occupation typically needs — a property of the work, not of anyone doing it.

Occupational interest profile

RICRealistic · Investigative · Conventional — the three strongest interests, in order

  • R Realistic7.00
  • I Investigative5.37
  • C Conventional4.45
  • A Artistic1.41
  • E Enterprising1.25
  • S Social1.00

RIASEC (Holland) interests on O*NET's 0–7 scale: what the work draws on, not what any individual prefers. Hover a row for what each dimension means.

Education and experience

The education level respondents say the job requires, and the most common answer for experience and training.

  • High School Diploma or the equivalent4%
  • Post-Secondary Certificate15%
  • Some College Courses4%
  • Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree37%
  • Bachelor's Degree30%
  • Master's Degree11%
Related work experience
Over 1 year, up to and including 2 years (30%)
On-site or in-plant training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (26%)
On-the-job training
Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year (37%)

Typically associated skills

All 35 O*NET skills, most important first. Importance (1–5) says how much a skill matters here; level (0–7) says how much of it the work calls for, with O*NET's example of a nearby level. Neither is a proficiency rating of a person.

  • Reading Comprehensionbasic3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an email from management describing new personnel policies
  • Critical Thinkingbasic3.53.4Level 4 looks like: Evaluate customer complaints and determine appropriate responses
  • Speakingbasic3.53.4Level 4 looks like: Interview applicants to obtain personal and work history
  • Active Listeningbasic3.33.4Level 4 looks like: Answer inquiries regarding credit references
  • Complex Problem Solving3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Redesign a floor layout to take advantage of new manufacturing techniques
  • Quality Control Analysis3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Assess new parts for precision and accuracy to specifications
  • Writingbasic3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Write an email to staff outlining new directives
  • Operations Monitoring3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Monitor completion times while running a computer program
  • Mathematicsbasic3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Calculate the square footage of a new home under construction
  • Monitoringbasic3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Monitor a meeting and revise the agenda to ensure important topics are discussed
  • Judgment and Decision Making3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a loan application for degree of risk
  • Repairing3.13.1Level 4 looks like: Replace a faulty hydraulic valve
Show the other 23
  • Active Learningbasic3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Determine the impact of new menu changes on a restaurant's purchasing requirements
  • Troubleshooting3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Identify the circuit causing an electrical system to fail
  • Coordination3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Schedule appointments for a medical clinic
  • Equipment Maintenance3.03.0Level 2 looks like: Add oil to an engine as indicated by a warning light
  • Social Perceptiveness3.02.5Level 2 looks like: Notice that customers are angry because they have been waiting too long
  • Equipment Selection2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Select a tool to adjust a loose part on a bicycle
  • Operation and Control2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Navigate the settings on an office printer to print on both sides of the paper
  • Systems Evaluation2.92.9Level 2 looks like: Determine why estimates for the time to complete a task are overly optimistic
  • Time Management2.92.6Level 2 looks like: Keep a monthly calendar of appointments
  • Sciencebasic2.63.0Level 2 looks like: Conduct standard tests to determine soil quality
  • Systems Analysis2.62.9Level 2 looks like: Determine how loss of a team member will affect the completion of a job
  • Service Orientation2.52.1Level 2 looks like: Ask customers if they would like a cup of coffee
  • Instructing2.42.6Level 2 looks like: Instruct a new employee in the use of a timekeeping system
  • Learning Strategiesbasic2.42.6Level 2 looks like: Learn a different method of completing a task from a coworker
  • Persuasion2.42.6Level 2 looks like: Solicit donations for a charity
  • Installation2.42.4Level 2 looks like: Install a new air filter in an air conditioner
  • Management of Personnel Resources2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Encourage a coworker who is having difficulty finishing a project
  • Negotiation2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Present justification to a manager for altering a work schedule
  • Operations Analysis2.32.3Level 2 looks like: Select a printer for an office
  • Management of Material Resources2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Reserve a room for a management meeting
  • Programming2.11.9Level 2 looks like: Write a program to sort objects in a database
  • Technology Design2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Adjust exercise equipment for use by a customer
  • Management of Financial Resources1.81.5Level 2 looks like: Use available funds to buy office supplies and record the amount of the purchase

Tasks

18 core

What people in this occupation do, as O*NET records it, core tasks first by importance (1–5).

  1. Document test results, using cameras, spreadsheets, documents, or other tools.4.3
  2. Set up mechanical, hydraulic, or electric test equipment in accordance with engineering specifications, standards, or test procedures.4.2
  3. Read and interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, or charts.4.2
  4. Inspect or test parts to determine nature or cause of defects or malfunctions.4.2
  5. Monitor computer-controlled test equipment, according to written or verbal instructions.4.1
  6. Analyze test data for automotive systems, subsystems, or component parts.4.1
  7. Install equipment, such as instrumentation, test equipment, engines, or aftermarket products, to ensure proper interfaces.4.0
  8. Perform or execute manual or automated tests of automotive system or component performance, efficiency, or durability.4.0
  9. Maintain test equipment in operational condition by performing routine maintenance or making minor repairs or adjustments as needed.3.9
  10. Analyze performance of vehicles or components that have been redesigned to increase fuel efficiency, such as camless or dual-clutch engines or alternative types of air-conditioning systems.3.8
  11. Improve fuel efficiency by testing vehicles or components that use lighter materials, such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, or plastic.3.6
  12. Order new test equipment, supplies, or replacement parts.3.5
Show the other 6
  1. Fabricate new or modify existing prototype components or fixtures.3.5
  2. Recommend product or component design improvements, based on test data or observations.3.5
  3. Build instrumentation or laboratory test equipment for special purposes.3.4
  4. Recommend tests or testing conditions in accordance with designs, customer requirements, or industry standards to ensure test validity.3.4
  5. Participate in research or testing of computerized automotive applications, such as telemetrics, intelligent transportation systems, artificial intelligence, or automatic control.3.4
  6. Test performance of vehicles that use alternative fuels, such as alcohol blends, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, biodiesel, nano diesel, or alternative power methods, such as solar energy or hydrogen fuel cells.3.4

Knowledge

Bodies of knowledge the work draws on.

  • Engineering and Technology4.55.0Level 4 looks like: Design a custom office chair
  • Mechanical4.25.2Level 4 looks like: Replace a valve on a steam pipe
  • Computers and Electronics4.14.9Level 4 looks like: Use a computer to format a document
  • Mathematics3.94.6Level 4 looks like: Analyze data to determine areas with the highest sales
  • English Language3.84.1Level 4 looks like: Edit an article for a news website
  • Physics3.74.4Level 4 looks like: Calculate the speed of a falling object
  • Transportation3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Drive a semi-truck through a busy city
  • Design3.13.8Level 4 looks like: Design plans for remodeling a kitchen
Show all 33
  • Customer and Personal Service3.03.7Level 4 looks like: Be responsible for 10 children at daycare
  • Education and Training3.03.8Level 4 looks like: Lead a quality improvement seminar
  • Chemistry2.93.9Level 4 looks like: Use the proper concentration of chlorine to purify a water source
  • Production and Processing2.93.0Level 4 looks like: Supervise an appliance assembly line
  • Administrative2.83.4Level 4 looks like: Type 30 words per minute
  • Administration and Management2.63.3Level 4 looks like: Monitor progress of a project to ensure timely completion
  • Public Safety and Security2.42.6
  • Telecommunications2.42.4Level 1 looks like: Send an email
  • Communications and Media2.32.3Level 1 looks like: Write a thank you note
  • Law and Government2.32.7
  • Personnel and Human Resources2.32.7
  • Economics and Accounting2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Answer billing questions from credit card customers
  • Building and Construction2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Choose the proper type of wood for adding a deck onto a house
  • Foreign Language2.01.6Level 1 looks like: Say "please" and "thank you" in a foreign language
  • Psychology2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Monitor several children on a playground
  • Sales and Marketing2.02.1Level 1 looks like: Sell cakes at a bake sale
  • Geography1.92.0Level 1 looks like: Know the capital of the United States
  • Biology1.71.3Level 1 looks like: Feed domestic animals
  • Sociology and Anthropology1.60.9Level 1 looks like: Identify two cultures in a story as being different
  • Medicine and Dentistry1.30.4Level 1 looks like: Use a band-aid
  • Philosophy and Theology1.30.6Level 1 looks like: Watch a TV show on family values
  • Therapy and Counseling1.3—
  • History and Archeology1.2—
  • Fine Arts1.1—
  • Food Production1.1—

Abilities

Enduring capacities the work calls for.

  • Deductive Reasoning3.93.8
  • Written Comprehension3.94.0Level 4 looks like: Understand an apartment lease
  • Inductive Reasoning3.83.5Level 4 looks like: Determine the prime suspect based on crime scene evidence
  • Near Vision3.83.5Level 2 looks like: Read indicators on the dashboard of a car
  • Problem Sensitivity3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Notice from a subtle difference in a client's mood that something is bothering them
  • Oral Comprehension3.64.0Level 4 looks like: Understand a coach's oral instructions for a sport
  • Information Ordering3.53.5Level 2 looks like: Follow the correct steps to make change
  • Oral Expression3.53.8Level 4 looks like: Give instructions to a lost motorist
Show all 52
  • Category Flexibility3.43.5Level 3 looks like: Classify flowers according to size, color, and smell
  • Finger Dexterity3.43.1Level 4 looks like: Attach small dials to audio equipment on an assembly line
  • Speech Clarity3.43.1Level 4 looks like: Make stadium-wide announcements during a sporting event
  • Speech Recognition3.43.0Level 2 looks like: Recognize the voice of a coworker
  • Written Expression3.43.4Level 4 looks like: Write a job recommendation for a subordinate
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness3.33.0Level 2 looks like: Light a candle
  • Selective Attention3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Watch security monitors for intruders throughout the night shift
  • Far Vision3.13.0Level 2 looks like: Read a roadside billboard
  • Flexibility of Closure3.13.4Level 4 looks like: Look for a golf ball in tall grass
  • Manual Dexterity3.12.6
  • Perceptual Speed3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Read five pressure indicators in 10 seconds to make sure each is within safe limits
  • Visualization3.13.3Level 4 looks like: Follow a diagram to assemble a metal storage cabinet
  • Control Precision3.03.1Level 4 looks like: Adjust farm tractor controls
  • Fluency of Ideas3.03.5Level 4 looks like: Think of as many ideas as possible for the name of a new company
  • Mathematical Reasoning3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Decide how to calculate profits to determine the amounts of yearly bonuses
  • Originality3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Redesign job tasks to be interesting for employees
  • Multilimb Coordination2.83.0Level 2 looks like: Row a boat
  • Number Facility2.82.6Level 3 looks like: Calculate a discounted price
  • Reaction Time2.62.6Level 2 looks like: Start to slow down the car when a traffic light turns yellow
  • Speed of Closure2.62.8Level 3 looks like: Recognize a song after hearing only the first few notes
  • Time Sharing2.62.8Level 3 looks like: Watch street signs while driving at 30 miles an hour
  • Visual Color Discrimination2.62.9
  • Auditory Attention2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Listen to a lecture while people nearby are talking
  • Depth Perception2.52.4Level 2 looks like: Merge a car into traffic on a city street
  • Extent Flexibility2.52.6Level 2 looks like: Reach to adjust the radio in a car
  • Hearing Sensitivity2.52.5Level 2 looks like: Notice a doorbell ringing
  • Memorization2.52.4Level 1 looks like: Remember the number on your bus to be sure you get back on the right one
  • Response Orientation2.52.6Level 2 looks like: When a doorbell and phone ring at the same time, quickly select which to answer first
  • Static Strength2.42.1Level 1 looks like: Push an empty shopping cart
  • Trunk Strength2.42.5Level 2 looks like: Sit up in an office chair
  • Wrist-Finger Speed2.42.3Level 2 looks like: Use a screwdriver to twist in a screw
  • Rate Control2.32.0Level 1 looks like: Ride a bicycle alongside a jogger
  • Sound Localization2.31.9Level 2 looks like: Listen to a sound system to determine which speaker is working
  • Spatial Orientation2.32.1Level 2 looks like: Use the floor plan to locate a store in a mall
  • Explosive Strength2.12.0Level 2 looks like: Hit a nail with a hammer
  • Peripheral Vision2.11.8Level 2 looks like: Keep in step while marching in a band
  • Glare Sensitivity2.01.6Level 2 looks like: Drive on a familiar road on a cloudy day
  • Gross Body Coordination2.01.8Level 2 looks like: Get in and out of a truck
  • Stamina2.01.3Level 1 looks like: Walk 1/4 mile
  • Dynamic Strength1.91.5Level 2 looks like: Use pruning shears to trim a bush
  • Gross Body Equilibrium1.91.3Level 2 looks like: Stand on a ladder
  • Night Vision1.91.6Level 2 looks like: Read street signs at dusk (just after sunset)
  • Dynamic Flexibility1.0—
  • Speed of Limb Movement1.0—

Work activities

Kinds of activity the work is made of.

  • Working with Computers4.54.2Level 4 looks like: Write software for keeping track of parts in inventory
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates4.24.2Level 4 looks like: Report the results of a sales meeting to a supervisor
  • Documenting/Recording Information4.24.3Level 4 looks like: Document the results of a crime scene investigation
  • Getting Information4.03.6Level 4 looks like: Review a budget
  • Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.03.5Level 4 looks like: Inspect equipment in a chemical processing plant
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.04.2Level 4 looks like: Select the location for a major retail store
  • Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment4.03.4Level 4 looks like: Drive an 18-wheel tractor-trailer
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge3.95.2Level 4 looks like: Keep current on changes in maintenance procedures for repairing sports cars
Show all 41
  • Analyzing Data or Information3.83.8Level 4 looks like: Determine the interest cost to finance a new building
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings3.84.5Level 4 looks like: Test electrical circuits
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards3.73.5Level 4 looks like: Evaluate a complicated insurance claim for compliance with policy terms
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events3.73.2Level 4 looks like: Judge the suitability of food products for an event
  • Processing Information3.74.3Level 4 looks like: Calculate the adjustments for insurance claims
  • Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment3.74.9Level 4 looks like: Make repairs by removing and replacing circuit boards
  • Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment3.74.5Level 4 looks like: Change the oil on a tractor
  • Handling and Moving Objects3.65.1Level 4 looks like: Arrange books in a library
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work3.54.4Level 4 looks like: Plan and adjust a personal to-do list according to changing demands
  • Thinking Creatively3.53.9Level 4 looks like: Adapt popular music for a high school marching band
  • Controlling Machines and Processes3.44.6Level 4 looks like: Operate a drilling rig
  • Training and Teaching Others3.43.5Level 4 looks like: Teach a social sciences course to high school students
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others3.33.3Level 4 looks like: Interpret how foreign tax laws apply to U.S. exports
  • Performing General Physical Activities3.33.9Level 4 looks like: Paint the outside of a house
  • Scheduling Work and Activities3.33.7Level 4 looks like: Prepare the work schedule for salesclerks in a large retail store
  • Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment3.23.5Level 4 looks like: Specify the furniture and equipment for a new school
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships3.24.4Level 4 looks like: Maintain good working relationships with almost all coworkers and clients
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization3.03.0Level 4 looks like: Present information to potential clients about available services
  • Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others3.03.6Level 4 looks like: Organize the cleanup crew after a major sporting event
  • Developing and Building Teams3.03.4Level 4 looks like: Lead an assembly team in an automobile plant
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or Information3.02.9
  • Judging the Qualities of Objects, Services, or People3.03.3Level 4 looks like: Determine the value of property lost in a fire
  • Coaching and Developing Others2.83.5Level 4 looks like: Provide on-the-job training for administrative workers
  • Guiding, Directing, and Motivating Subordinates2.82.9
  • Performing Administrative Activities2.82.7
  • Developing Objectives and Strategies2.72.7
  • Providing Consultation and Advice to Others2.73.4Level 4 looks like: Recommend a new software package to increase operational efficiency
  • Monitoring and Controlling Resources2.63.1Level 4 looks like: Work as a chef responsible for ordering food for the menu
  • Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others2.53.3Level 4 looks like: Get two subordinates to agree about vacation schedules
  • Assisting and Caring for Others2.11.9Level 1 looks like: Help a coworker complete an assignment
  • Staffing Organizational Units2.12.0Level 1 looks like: Work in a position that has minimal staffing requirements
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public2.01.7Level 1 looks like: Check tickets at a concert
  • Selling or Influencing Others2.01.8Level 1 looks like: Convince a coworker to assist with an assignment

Work context

The conditions most characteristic of the work, on O*NET's 1–5 context scale.

  • E-Mail5.0
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams4.9
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled4.8
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.7
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate4.4
  • Telephone Conversations4.4
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team4.3
  • Contact With Others4.2
  • Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable3.9
  • Health and Safety of Other Workers3.9

Technology

11 tools

Software used in this work. In demand: among the tools job postings for this occupation name most. Hot: often named in job postings across the economy.

Hot (4)

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Word
  • SAP software
Other tools (7)
  • A&D Technology iTest
  • Autodesk AutoCAD Mechanical
  • Autodesk Inventor
  • Data acquisition software
  • IBM Notes
  • National Instruments LabVIEW
  • PTC Creo Parametric

Related occupations

O*NET's own list of the occupations most related to this one, closest first.

  1. Calibration Technologists and Technicians
  2. Aerospace Engineering and Operations Technologists and Technicians
  3. Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians
  4. Electrical and Electronic Engineering Technologists and Technicians
  5. Robotics Technicians
  6. Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
  7. Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment
  8. Industrial Engineering Technologists and Technicians
  9. Avionics Technicians
  10. Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians

ESCO equivalents

From the official ESCO–O*NET crosswalk, strongest match first. A broader occupation takes in this one; a narrower one is a part of it.

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This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. ESCO occupations and skills are from the European Commission's ESCO classification, and the occupation crosswalk is the official ESCO–O*NET mapping by the ESCO Secretariat with USDOL/ETA. This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission. BlissPoint Analytics has modified all or some of this information: skill, task and descriptor ratings are rounded to one decimal, and ESCO occupations show Job Zone and interests copied from a crosswalked O*NET occupation. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.