What’s driving mechanics away?

A nationwide shortage of auto technicians is impacting our region, leading to a need for increased in-house municipal services, as well as fewer available appointments and longer wait times at local automotive shops.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that nearly 68,000 auto mechanic positions will open each year for the foreseeable future, based on the rate of current technicians changing professions or entering retirement, while an industry study by the TechForce Foundation projected that the national deficit in trained automotive technicians would be 795,000 by 2027.

So what’s driving the mechanics away, and just as importantly, how will this trend continue to impact local consumers?

Rapidly evolving technology deters service technicians

Touchscreens, lane sensors, backup cameras, assisted parking and other automotive safety features and amenities are incredible technological advances, but fixing those features requires more than just mechanical knowledge. Technicians working on late-model vehicles no longer need just to know how to piece the moving parts back together, they also need to understand the complex computer and electrical systems that make these features possible.

As early as the 1980s, experts were studying the effect of evolving technology and the skill set of automotive technicians. An HBM/Kramer Research survey of mechanics, conducted in the spring of 1987, found more than 83 percent of the respondents were concerned about the advent of onboard computers and having the appropriate training to repair them.

The more things change, it seems, the more things stay the same: A 2024 survey by the Autocare® Association indicated that the primary concerns of independent repair shops revolve around technology, specifically vehicle data access. More than 50 percent of that survey’s respondents reported having to turn away business because they cannot access the vehicle’s computer to diagnose and repair the customer’s concern due to propriety technology and subscription services.

That means those independent shops must refer those clients to dealerships, which themselves are overburdened due to the shortage of trained technicians.

As consumer and commercial vehicles alike become more technologically advanced, there becomes a need for more specialized repairs, which includes more specialized technicians. While consumers are familiar with mechanical repair specialists, like dedicated transmission shops, the future appears to hold even more opportunities for auto technicians to specialize in computer diagnostics and repair.

Mechanics face inadequate wages and lack of advancement

Another contributing factor to the shortage of automotive technicians is that the wages and advancement opportunities simply aren’t very attractive to young people facing an increasingly high cost of living. According to Lincoln Tech, an industry leader in trade education, entry-level mechanics earn, on average, $10,000 to $20,000 less per year than entry-level electricians or HVAC technicians.

While wage structure may vary by employment setting, i.e., dealership work vs. an independent automotive shop, the average salary for a mechanic in New Jersey is just over $55,000. For many, that’s simply not enough to live on in one of the most expensive states.

The average yearly salary for an auto mechanic in New York State is $42,910, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top 10 percent of auto mechanics in New York earn $68,000 per year.

The average annual salary for an auto mechanic in Pennsylvania is $54,477, with top earners making $74,678 annually.

‘It’s becoming too expensive to even be a mechanic.’

Additionally, the structure of the auto repair business means that the industry is also plagued by a lack of advancement opportunities. While many mechanics dream of one day owning an independent shop, the start-up costs are tremendous and often out of reach. Automotive software leader AutoLeap indicates that the average cost to establish an independent automotive shop is $100,000 and does not include ongoing overhead. Finding themselves unable to “be their own boss,” most automotive technicians remain in the employ of others, where their greatest potential for advancement may be into supervisory or management roles over other mechanics. Many mechanics also job-hop in search of better opportunities and higher pay.

M.L. is a 20-year veteran mechanic who manages a franchised shop that serves both municipal and private customers. He asked that his full name not be disclosed as he described why technicians frequently move between jobs to earn a better wage.

“I’ve worked at dealerships, shops and franchises where I loved the work environment but couldn’t afford to stay because I needed a better salary,” he said, “It’s a reality for most of us. We switch jobs because we need to live. It’s hard to leave colleagues and good shops behind, but we’re all doing it these days.

“Tools are more expensive, labor rates are down, and we have to chase the best paycheck,” M.L. added. “People are leaving to find more money. Some just leave the industry altogether. It’s becoming too expensive to even be a mechanic.”

There’s a shift in educational interest

Auto repair is often seen as a low-level skill, despite customers looking to technicians and mechanics to ensure that one of their most expensive assets — their vehicles — is in good working order to keep themselves and their most precious assets — their families — safe.

It’s a contradiction that has persisted since the automobile explosion in the 20th century; the notion that a mechanic’s work is an unprofessional career path. Combined with low wages, the lack of advancement opportunities and the increasingly complex nature of auto repair, the national numbers indicate that fewer young people are choosing to enter the automotive trade.

Locally, students seem to be bucking that trend. According to Jason Fruge, Dean of Technical Education for Sussex County Community College, there has been an uptick in enrollment within the automotive program at the McGuire Technical Campus, which offers both a one-year certificate track and a two-year A.A.S. track with embedded industry credentials and certifications.

“Over the last three semesters, we have seen two main trends,” Fruge said, “Students are leaning toward the one-year certificate in automotive technology as they are eager to enter the workforce and an increase in women entering the programs.”

Local effects of the shortage

For governments and municipalities, the shortage of auto mechanics means finding the best way to keep their fleets safely up and running while keeping costs down for taxpayers. Sussex County has a Fleet Management department that employs over a dozen mechanics who upkeep the county’s vehicles, including snow removal equipment and transit buses.

Passaic County has a similar set-up under its Roads Division, and Orange County’s Department of Public Works is responsible for their vehicle fleets.

At the municipal level, Newton recently hired an in-house mechanic for its police cruisers and DPW vehicles because their previous independent outsource came under new ownership. With that hire, Newton joined the many towns in the area that employ an in-house mechanic, including Byram, which has long employed an in-house mechanic for fleet maintenance and repair.

Byram Township Manager Joseph Sabatini indicated that having an in-house resource has historically been and continues to be an effective solution for the town’s vehicle maintenance needs.

With only so many mechanics to go around, the increase in municipal in-house mechanics highlights the circular nature of the shortage. In Newton, the hired mechanic came from the independent shop with which the town had previously contracted. It’s a trend playing out across the region; in Bloomingdale, an independent shop owner recently lamented the loss of a good mechanic to an in-house contract with Kinnelon.

As mechanics move between dealerships, independent shops, franchises and municipal contracts, they leave openings behind them that are increasingly difficult to fill.

For private consumers, the smaller pool of mechanics is leading to fewer available appointments and longer wait times for vehicle repairs. M.L. summed up the issues that mechanics themselves are facing as they try to safely and promptly complete repairs.

“We’re feeling the shortage, too,” he said, “If we have a shop with 10 bays, and we can fill those bays with 10 people working 10 hours a day, that’s 100 hours of completed work. If we only have seven people, that decreases the amount of daily work to 70 hours. And that’s just appointments, it doesn’t account for people with emergent issues.

“Combined with supply chains that haven’t recovered post-pandemic, on-board technology that hinders repairs and a need for more skilled trainees, we’re working harder than ever and still falling behind—that’s as frustrating to us as it is to the customers,” the veteran mechanic added “We want people to know we’re doing our best with the people and the resources we have.”