Vehicle trades

How to become a vehicle technician, mechanic or electrician

Official title: Vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians

Also called: Mechanic, Technician, Bus mechanic, Car mechanic, Hgv mechanic, Van mechanic, Auto mechanic, Lorry mechanic, Motor mechanic, Car technician, Hgv technician, Met technician

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.

Main 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

How to become one

There are no formal academic entry requirements, although some employers may require GCSEs/S grades or an equivalent qualification. Training is undertaken Off and on-the-job. Apprenticeships at NVQ/SVQ levels 2 and 3 are available and take three to four years to complete.

Ways in

Apprenticeship (England): Autocare technician (level 2). England. Typically 30 months. Skills England standard ST0499.
Apprenticeship (England): Bus and coach engineering technician (level 3). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0067.
Apprenticeship (England): Motorcycle technician (repair and maintenance) (level 3). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0376.
Apprenticeship (England): Vehicle damage mechanical, electrical and trim (MET) technician (level 3). England. Typically 36 months. Skills England standard ST0405.

Pay · Outlook

Median full-time pay: £37,458 a year The middle half earn £30,000 to £44,594.
About 156,700 people work in this job now, and about 148,000 are projected by 2035. (-5.6%)

Questions people ask

How do I become a vehicle technician, mechanic or electrician?

How much does a vehicle technician, mechanic or electrician earn in the UK?

Median full-time pay is £37,458 a year (Office for National Statistics). The middle half earn £30,000 to £44,594.

Is a vehicle technician, mechanic or electrician a growing career in the UK?

Employment is projected to fall 6% by 2035, from about 156,700 to about 148,000 people (Department for Education).

Do you need a degree to become a vehicle technician, mechanic or electrician?

Usually not. Only 8% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Autocare technician (level 2).

Sources

Office for National Statistics: Annual Population Survey: employment by occupation (April 2025 to March 2026), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Office for National Statistics: SOC 2020 Volume 1: structure and descriptions (2026-08-27 edition), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Department for Education: Skills Imperative 2035: employment projections by occupation (2021 to 2035 (Warwick IER / Cambridge Econometrics)), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
Office for National Statistics: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Table 14 (2025 provisional), OGL v3.0, retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03