How to become an automotive mechanic

Official title: Automotive mechanic

Also called: Automobile mechanic, Automotive engine tuner, Brake repairer, Coach body builder, Garage mechanic (automobile), Motor bus mechanic, Motor car mechanic, Motor lorry mechanic, Motor mechanic, Motor truck mechanic, Motor van mechanic, Motor vehicle body builder

Automotive mechanic fits, installs, maintains, services and repairs engines and the mechanical and related equipment of passenger cars, delivery trucks, motorcycles and other motor vehicles.

Main tasks

• Detecting and diagnosing faults in engines and parts
• Fitting, examining, testing and servicing motor vehicle and motorcycle engines
• Replacing engine components or complete engines
• Fitting, examining, adjusting, dismantling, rebuilding and replacing defective parts of motor vehicles
• Installing or adjusting motors and brakes, and adjusting steering or other parts of motor vehicles
• Installing, adjusting, servicing and replacing mechatronics components of motor vehicles
• Performing scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications and engine tune ups, to achieve smoother running of vehicles and ensure compliance with pollution regulations
• Reassembling engines and parts after being repaired

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Work-study diploma. Related ITE work-study diplomas: Work-Study Diploma in Mechanical Systems Engineering. You are employed by a company and study at ITE at the same time. Peernovo matched these from course names.
• Polytechnic or ITE: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec). Related ITE courses: Higher Nitec in Automotive Engineering; Higher Nitec in Mechanical Engineering; Technical Engineer Diploma in Automotive Engineering. Peernovo matched these from course names; ITE does not publish which jobs each course leads to.; Polytechnic diploma. Related diplomas: Diploma in Mechanical Engineering (Ngee Ann Polytechnic). Peernovo matched these from course names; polytechnics do not publish which jobs each course leads to.

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $33,312 a year. The middle half earn $25,920 to $40,800 a year.
• Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Related jobs

• Aircraft engine mechanic/repairer
• Rolling stock mechanic
• Bicycle and related repairer
• Marine engine mechanic/repairer

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Questions people ask

How do I become an automotive mechanic?

Ways in include: ITE course (Nitec or Higher Nitec); Polytechnic diploma; Work-study diploma.

How much does an automotive mechanic earn in Singapore?

Median full-time pay is $33,312 a year (Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg)). The middle half earn $25,920 to $40,800.

Will AI change the work of an automotive mechanic?

Generative AI can do relatively little of this work, by the ILO's global estimate.

Sources

• Ministry of Manpower (via data.gov.sg): Resident Occupational Wages (Occupational Wage Survey) (June 2024 (data.gov.sg update 2026-04-01)), Singapore Open Data Licence v1.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
• International Labour Organization, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure (ILO Working Paper 140, Gmyrek et al.) (ILO Working Paper 140, May 2025, Annex Table A1), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026

Updated 4 October 2026