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Automotive Body and Related Repairers

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · SOC 49-3021

0.0% AI Exposure — Low
$54,890
Median Annual Salary
Average
O*NET Outlook
16,000
Proj. Annual Openings
149,310
Employment (OEWS 2025)
+0.6%/yr
Empl. growth (2019–2025)
100/100
AI Resiliency Score

AI exposure from the Anthropic Economic Index (2025); salary from BLS; skills from O*NET. See /sources.

Decision card

Career Evidence Passport

SOC 49-3021 evidence across exposure, wages, projections, postings, certified LCAs, skills, and transitions.

Proxy / seed data labeledDescriptive-only
SOC exposure
0.0%
Low · Anthropic AEI
Automation friction
57/100
Moderate friction; broad SOC seed ORS job-requirements coverage.
Wages
$54,890
No H-1B offered-wage row for this SOC.
Projected openings
16,000
BLS EP 2024–2034; employment change +1.6%.
Observed/proxy demand
0
FY2025 certified LCAs; 19,046 postings in 2025.

Skill evidence

RepairingTroubleshootingActive ListeningSpeakingCritical Thinking

Transition context

  • H-1B values are certified Labor Condition Applications, not visa approvals.
  • Job postings are seed-static / seed-derived; treat as provider-ready proxy coverage until observed provider data is wired in.
  • Transition matches are directional skill-overlap context, not placement guarantees.
  • This release is a FutureGrid broad-SOC seed derived from public BLS ORS requirement concepts and categories, not direct occupation-level ORS survey estimates. It describes job requirements, not worker ability, AI capability, or displacement probability. Automation friction is a FutureGrid derived score and should be read alongside exposure, demand, wage, and projection signals.

AI Exposure Analysis

AI Exposure0.0%
AI Resiliency100/100
Exposure BandLow
Sector Avg. Exposure1.6%

Across AI measures

Multiple exposure lenses for this occupation.

13.3%
Consensus
Actual adoption · Anthropic0%
AI capability · OpenAI4.3%
AI ability · AIOE35.5%
Automation baseline (2013) · Frey & Osborne91%

Top Skills

1.Repairing
2.Troubleshooting
3.Active Listening
4.Speaking
5.Critical Thinking

H-1B Visa Sponsorship Demand

View full H-1B trends →

Certified H-1B Labor Condition Applications naming this occupation, FY2016–FY2025. A descriptive high-skill labor-demand signal — employer filings, not visa approvals or individual outcomes. Note: one LCA can cover multiple worker positions.

3
Decade Total (Certified LCAs)
0
FY2025 Volume
0% of all H-1B filings in FY2025
$0
Median Offered Wage (Latest Year)
#575 of 776
Rank by Total Volume
H-1B filing volume, FY2016–FY2025

O*NET occupation profile

What this work involves

Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.

Common titles: Auto Body Man, Auto Body Repair Technician (Auto Body Repair Tech), Auto Body Repairman, Automotive Body Technician (Auto Body Tech), Body Man, Body Technician (Body Tech)

Representative Tasks

  • File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.
  • Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.
  • Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.
  • Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.
  • Follow supervisors' instructions as to which parts to restore or replace and how much time the job should take.

Detailed Work Activities

  • Smooth surfaces of objects or equipment.
  • Inspect completed work to ensure proper functioning.
  • Install vehicle parts or accessories.
  • Operate welding equipment.
  • Paint surfaces or equipment.

Tools & Technologies

Microsoft Windows · hotMicrosoft Word · hotAutomotive and Accounting Software by R*KOM Invoice WriterAutoZone ALLDATACollision damage estimation softwareCollision damage measurement softwareEquipment management information softwareMicrosoft OneNotePaint mixing and matching softwareSwan River Estimiser Pro

Employment Projections & AI Exposure

15
Occupations Shown
1.9%
Avg AI Exposure
4
Bright Outlook
Horizontal bar chart showing occupations with the highest projected annual openings. Each bar length represents annual projected openings. Color uses a gradient from violet (lower) to cyan (higher). Summary statistics are shown above the chart.

Employment & Wage Trend

BLS OEWS, 2019–2025


Occupation Employment & Wage TrendMulti-year BLS OEWS history for SOC 49-3021: 2019 — employment: 144,180, median wage: $43,580; 2020 — employment: 137,120, median wage: $45,350; 2021 — employment: 137,300, median wage: $47,270; 2022 — employment: 138,760, median wage: $47,670; 2023 — employment: 151,910, median wage: $48,740; 2025 — employment: 149,310, median wage: $54,890.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS). See /sources.

Sector Comparison

MetricThis CareerSector Average
AI Exposure0.0%1.6%
OutlookAverage24% Bright
Median Salary$54,890N/A
AI Resiliency100/100N/A