jobfacts

Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians

SOC 2020 5231

Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians diagnose, maintain, repair and test mechanical, electrical and electronic systems in light vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches, motorcycles and specialist vehicles.

Also calledAuto electricianMechanical and electrical trim technician (MET)Motor mechanicLight vehicle technicianHybrid and electric vehicle technicianMotorcycle mechanicand 142 more titles
Typical full-time pay£37,5002025 Provisional
People in the job166,000across the UK
Demand for workersElevated
New adverts a month8,000↑ 0.5%on last year · 17th of 412

Pay

ONS · ASHE 2025

Half of full-time vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians earn between £30,000 and £44,600 a year.

What full-time vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians earn, 2025
£37,500 typical£24,700lowest 10%£30,00025%£44,60075%£52,700top 10%
Middle half (£30,000–£44,600)
Show as table
Lowest 10% earn less than£24,700
Lowest 20% earn less than£28,100
25%£30,000
Median£37,500
75%£44,600
Top 20% earn more than£46,700
Top 10% earn more than£52,700
Typical pay by regionUK median £37,500
London!£45,100
South East£39,300
East of England£38,100
West Midlands£38,000
North East!£37,800
Scotland£37,500
South West£37,100
North West£36,200
East Midlands£34,700
Yorkshire and The Humber£34,300
Wales!£33,600
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
UK median, £37,500
London£45,100 (small sample)
South East£39,300
East of England£38,100
West Midlands£38,000
North East£37,800 (small sample)
Scotland£37,500
South West£37,100
North West£36,200
East Midlands£34,700
Yorkshire and The Humber£34,300
Wales£33,600 (small sample)
Typical pay over 3 years
  • 2023 £32,300
  • 2024 £35,500
  • 2025 Provisional£37,500
↑ 16% since 2023Provisional figures are revised when ONS publishes the next year’s survey.

Jobs and demand

ONS · Textkernel adverts · DfE

About 8,000 jobs for vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians are advertised each month. The Department for Education rates demand for workers as elevated.

New job adverts a month, Jan 2017 to Aug 2026
New advertsMonth not published by ONS (3 in all)
Show as table
Aug 20268,469
Jul 20268,281
Jun 20268,068
May 20267,158
Apr 20268,808
Mar 2026Not published
Feb 20267,999
Jan 20268,892
Dec 20254,946
Nov 20258,251
Oct 20258,611
Sept 20258,284
Aug 20259,003
Jul 2025Not published
Jun 2025Not published
May 20259,344
Apr 20257,915
Mar 20258,664
Feb 20259,297
Jan 20258,166
Dec 20244,762
Nov 20246,616
Oct 20247,910
Sept 20248,053
Aug 20248,482
Jul 20248,528
Jun 20247,915
May 20249,016
Apr 20248,894
Mar 20247,292
Feb 20247,862
Jan 20249,467
Dec 20236,342
Nov 20237,252
Oct 20236,429
Sept 20236,040
Aug 20237,453
Jul 20237,447
Jun 20239,925
May 20239,421
Apr 20238,179
Mar 20239,293
Feb 20239,293
Jan 202310,455
Dec 20228,332
Nov 20229,704
Oct 202210,511
Sept 20229,495
Aug 20229,683
Jul 20229,484
Jun 20228,859
May 20229,798
Apr 20227,861
Mar 20229,082
Feb 20228,272
Jan 202210,168
Dec 20217,513
Nov 20218,189
Oct 20218,397
Sept 20217,815
Aug 20217,499
Jul 20218,863
Jun 20218,117
May 20218,422
Apr 20218,695
Mar 202110,021
Feb 20215,989
Jan 20216,658
Dec 20205,188
Nov 20205,711
Oct 20207,210
Sept 20206,345
Aug 20205,282
Jul 20204,118
Jun 20203,283
May 20202,502
Apr 20203,147
Mar 20206,044
Feb 20208,074
Jan 20207,419
Dec 20195,795
Nov 20197,573
Oct 20197,749
Sept 20197,541
Aug 20197,182
Jul 20198,109
Jun 20197,610
May 20198,044
Apr 20196,174
Mar 20197,244
Feb 20196,763
Jan 20197,764
Dec 20184,744
Nov 20187,790
Oct 20188,201
Sept 20187,482
Aug 20186,742
Jul 20186,482
Jun 20186,851
May 20186,282
Apr 20185,882
Mar 20186,240
Feb 20185,472
Jan 20186,867
Dec 20175,689
Nov 20176,191
Oct 20176,935
Sept 20176,651
Aug 20176,324
Jul 20177,010
Jun 20178,011
May 20178,115
Apr 20177,839
Mar 20179,429
Feb 20176,765
Jan 20177,867
Is there a shortage of vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians?
Elevated

The Department for Education rates demand as not high, elevated or critical, using five indicators. This is its 2025 assessment.

  • Visas grantedAbove usual
  • Online job advertsWell above usual
  • Wage growthAbove usual
  • Pay against similar jobsUsual
  • Hours workedUsual
Vacancies hard to fill because of skills
40%against 27% for all jobs
DfE Employer Skills Survey 2024.
Where the most jobs are advertisedadverts a quarter
London2,164
Bristol, City of343
Birmingham303
West Northamptonshire296
Manchester283
Somerset256
Milton Keynes249
Buckinghamshire243
Leeds237
Glasgow City232
London is published as one area. Averages leave out quarters ONS withheld.
Where vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians are most concentratedShare of local job adverts, compared with the UK.

Recruitment from abroad. 239 sponsored work visas were granted for this job from July 2025 to June 2026, most to people from South Africa, Philippines, India, ranking it 65th of 313. Home Office

Who does it

ONS · Annual Population Survey · April 2025 to March 2026
WomenToo few in the survey to give a reliable figure
Age of vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians
19%
25%
19%
20%
13%
4.1%!
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
16–2419%
25–3425%
35–4419%
45–5420%
55–6413%
65+4.1% (small sample)
Highest qualification
Degree or equivalent8%
Higher education below degree!4.3%
A levels or equivalent52%
GCSEs or equivalent17%
Other qualifications7.3%
No qualifications!6.3%
!Small sample: treat with caution
Show as table
Degree or equivalent8%
Higher education below degree4.3% (small sample)
A levels or equivalent52%
GCSEs or equivalent17%
Other qualifications7.3%
No qualifications6.3% (small sample)

Main employers: maintenance and repair of motor vehicles (54%), manufacture of motor vehicles (4.5%), sale of cars and light motor vehicles (3.3%), freight transport by road (3%).

How to get in

Hold a degree
8%
as their highest qualification
Most common qualification
A levels or equivalent
held by 52%
Apprenticeships
7
from level 2
Apprenticeships take
2½ to 3½ years
typically
T Levels
1
college courses for 16 to 19 year olds

Routes in

Auto electrician

You can get into this job through:

College

You could do a vehicle maintenance course that also covers auto electrical work. Courses like this could help you find a trainee position. They include:

  • light vehicle maintenance and repair
  • auto electrical and mobile electrical operations
  • T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply for a place on an apprenticeship, such as:

  • Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
  • Vehicle Damage, Mechanical, Electrical and Trim Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship

These take around 3 years to complete and are a mix of on-the-job training and learning off-site.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Apply directly

You can apply for jobs as an auto electrician if you've got qualifications and experience in motor mechanics.

Experience of working with hybrid and electric vehicles will be useful.

Registration and professional bodies

Further information

You can find out more about careers in the automotive industry from the:

  • Institute of the Motor Industry
  • Society of Motor Industry Manufacturers

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for auto electrician. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Motor mechanic

You can get into this job through:

College

You could take a college course before applying for a trainee motor mechanic role with a garage.

Relevant courses include:

  • light vehicle maintenance and repair
  • T Level in Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing

You could specialise in hybrid and electrical vehicles by doing a course like:

  • auto-electrical and mobile electrical operations
  • electric/hybrid vehicle system repair and replacement
Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths for a T Level

Apprenticeship

You could apply to do a Motor Vehicle Service and Maintenance Technician - Light Vehicle Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

This will usually take 2 to 3 years. You'll do on-the-job training and spend time at a college or training provider.

You could also train as a vehicle mechanic in the British Army.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other routes

Some of the large breakdown organisations operate their own training academies where you can apply to join an apprenticeship scheme.

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

It will help if you are interested in the motor industry and enjoy fixing cars. It can also be useful to have a knowledge of different makes and models.

Further information

You can find out more about how to become a light vehicle motor mechanic from the Institute of the Motor Industry.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for motor mechanic. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Motorcycle mechanic

You can get into this job through:

College

You could do a college course in motorcycle maintenance and repair, which would teach you some of the skills you need in this job.

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for these courses vary.

Apprenticeship

You can apply to do a Motorcycle Technician Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship.

This can take around 3 years to complete and is a mix of on-the-job training and learning off site.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Other ways in

Volunteering

You'll find it useful to contact a local workshop, garage or dealership to see if they offer any work experience opportunities.

You can also volunteer to work at road racing or motocross events organised by Auto-Cycle Union and AMCA.

Apply directly

You can apply directly to employers if you've got some experience of repairing vehicles or mechanical engineering.

Registration and professional bodies

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Institute of the Motor Industry for professional development and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about careers in the motor industry from the Institute of the Motor Industry.

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for motorcycle mechanic. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Automotive engineer

You can get into this job through:

University

You could do a foundation degree, higher national diploma or degree in automotive engineering.

Employers will often accept related subjects, such as:

  • manufacturing engineering
  • mechanical engineering
  • electrical or electronic engineering
  • design engineering
  • software engineering
  • sustainable automotive engineering

Many universities offer courses that combine a degree with a postgraduate master's engineering (MEng) qualification.

Choosing a course that includes an internship or industry placement can give you an advantage when looking for jobs. It can also help if you want to join a company's graduate training scheme.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, for a foundation degree or higher national diploma
  • 2 or 3 A levels, or equivalent, including maths and a science for a degree

Apprenticeship

You could apply for a place on a degree apprenticeship scheme, with a vehicle manufacturer, for example:

  • Manufacturing Engineer Level 6
  • Product Design and Development Engineer Level 6

These take around 4 to 5 years to complete and combine on-the-job training with university study.

If you already have a degree in a science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) subject, you may be able to do a Postgraduate Engineer Level 7 Apprenticeship with an automotive employer.

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

  • 4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a degree apprenticeship
  • a degree in a relevant subject

Registration and professional bodies

Career tips

Keeping up to date with developments in vehicle technology and manufacture could help you with applications and interviews. Trends include:

  • the shift to electric vehicles, and research into alternative fuels
  • digital design and manufacturing of parts by 3D printing
  • research into semi-autonomous and self-driving vehicles
  • connectivity within and between vehicles, and traffic management systems
Further information

You can find out more about careers in the automotive industry through:

  • This is Engineering
  • Society of Motor Industry Manufacturers
  • Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI)
  • Neon

Routes in are from the National Careers Service job profile for automotive engineer. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Apprenticeships

7 for this job
Level 2About 2½ years

Autocare technician

You gain
Level 3 qualification for F-Gas handler for air-conditioning in motor vehicles in…; Level 2 qualification for safe isolation of electric and hybrid vehicles
Leads to
Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI)
Details on Skills England

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Other qualifications

QualificationTypeLevel
Maintenance, installation and repair for engineering and manufacturingT Level3

The work

ONS · ESCO · O*NET

Typical tasks

  • visually checks, test drives or uses test equipment to diagnose engine and mechanical faults
  • removes, dismantles, repairs and replaces defective parts and prepares new parts using appropriate tools
  • reassembles, tests, adjusts and tunes the appropriate parts, systems or entire engine
  • carries out routine maintenance checks on oil and air filters, brakes and other vehicle parts/systems
  • diagnoses faults in electrical/electronic circuitry, removes faulty components and fits replacements
  • checks condition of electrical/electronic systems and carries out servicing tasks
  • installs additional electrical amenities such as radio/CD players, aerials
  • repairs and services air conditioning, heating and engine-cooling systems
  • perform repairs, tests and maintenance to roadside vehicles

Skills

  • drive vehicles
  • maintain vehicle records
  • maintain work area cleanliness
  • perform manual work autonomously
  • perform technical tasks with great care
  • ensure customer focus
  • apply health and safety standards
  • follow given instructions
  • provide customer information related to repairs
  • use automotive diagnostic equipment
  • issue sales invoices
  • perform minor vehicle repairs
  • adapt to new technology used in cars
  • carry out measurements of parts

Knowledge

  • mechanics
  • car controls
  • electrical wiring plans
  • types of vehicles
  • vehicle electrical systems
  • automotive diagnostic equipment
  • engine components
  • teamwork principles

Suits people who like

  • Practical, hands-on work
  • Organising and following procedures

Outlook

DfE · Skills Imperative 2035
Broader groupThese projections are for skilled metal, electrical and electronic trades, a group of 23 jobs that includes vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians.
Change in jobs, 2020 to 2035↓ 6.5%about 72,000 fewer jobs
Workers needed by 2035338,000including people replacing those who retire or leave

Sources

Pay
ONS, Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, 2025 provisional
People in the job, who does it
ONS, Annual Population Survey, April 2025 to March 2026
Job adverts
ONS, online job adverts (Textkernel), to Aug 2026
Demand, skill shortages
Department for Education and Skills England, Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey
Outlook
The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE
Routes in
National Careers Service job profiles
Apprenticeships, qualifications
Skills England occupational maps
Skills, interests
ESCO classification of the European Commission; O*NET data, U.S. Department of Labor (CC BY 4.0, modified)
Visas
Home Office, immigration system statistics

Figures as of 10 October 2026.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Occupations in demand and the Employer Skills Survey: Department for Education and Skills England. Immigration system statistics: Home Office. Contains public sector information from the National Careers Service licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

© Skills England 2025. This information is licensed under the Open Government Licence https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Source: The Skills Imperative 2035 (2024), NFER/Nuffield/DfE/IER/CE.

This service uses the ESCO classification of the European Commission.

This service 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. This service has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. CC BY 4.0 licence.

jobfacts is independent. It is not part of, affiliated with or endorsed by the Office for National Statistics, the Department for Education, Skills England, the National Careers Service, the Home Office, the European Commission or the U.S. Department of Labor.