5 stats you need to know about the technician shortage

There are over 292 million vehicles on U.S. roads that require service, maintenance, and repair. Without this service, there are many risks:

• Americans not being able to commute to work
• The inability to complete vital deliveries like food transported by semi trucks
• Emergency services such as fire, ambulance, or police could be compromised
• And much more

Our ecosystem is both complex and vital. Thanks to that, we’ve often been coined a “recession-proof” or “recession-resilient” industry. How’s that for job stability?

As the majority of post-warranty work is performed in the aftermarket, we have a duty to educate and inform the industry of challenges surrounding the technician shortage and how together, we can overcome this challenge. Here are five new stats from our partners at TechForce and IMR Inc.

1. Over 600,000 new entrant automotive techs are needed between 2022 and 2026. And as demand grows, wages are increasing too. Technicians’ average hourly wages recovered in 2021, increasing 6.3 percent and exceeding $20 per hour.
2. More than 113,000 new entrant collision techs are also needed between 2022 and 2026. It’s not just replacing sheet metal. Collision technicians are experiencing a swell in demand thanks to the need for skilled recalibration of the technology systems in newer model cars – parking sensors, lane-assist sensors, and ADAS components are all part of this field now. This demand will certainly be reflected in the wages of this technician, which we predict will be a highly-desired career as more technologically-driven vehicles are added to our roadways.
3. Nearly 177,000 new entrant diesel techs are needed between 2022 and 2026. Big rigs need skilled techs too, now more than ever. For techs entering the diesel world, expect demand to be high. As inflation and supply chain woes continue, demand for freight transport continues to rise. It is more costly and inconvenient than ever to rely on ocean- and air-shipping to transport goods, and vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is increasing on our roadways. More demand can mean higher wages.
4. 42.6 percent of households surveyed said they would be extremely likely to recommend the trades as a career path if their child or a family member were considering it. This is up from 2020 when only 39 percent said they would make that recommendation. We’re making strides in the right direction when it comes to hiring more techs, but we need to continue to increase awareness of these available career paths.
5. When surveyed, 42 percent of households fully agreed that income-earning opportunities for automotive technicians can be equal to, or greater than, other careers that require a four-year college degree, with younger generations more likely to agree with this statement than older generations.

This article originally appeared on autocare.org.