How to become a Tire Builder

Official title: Tire Builders

Also called: Buffer, Recapper, Retread Associate, Retread Technician, Retreader, Tire Assembler, Tire Builder, Tire Retreader, Tire Technician, Tread Builder Operator

Operate machines to build tires.

Main tasks

• Build semi-raw rubber treads onto buffed tire casings to prepare tires for vulcanization in recapping or retreading processes.
• Trim excess rubber and imperfections during retreading processes.
• Fill cuts and holes in tires, using hot rubber.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $57,390 a year The middle half earn $47,900 to $64,380.
• About 20,300 people work in this job now, and about 20,500 are projected by 2035. (+0.8%)
• People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Related jobs

• Adhesive Bonding Machine Operators and Tenders
• Cleaning, Washing, and Metal Pickling Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Cooling and Freezing Equipment Operators and Tenders
• Etchers and Engravers
• Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic
• Stone Cutters and Carvers, Manufacturing

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Questions people ask

How much does a Tire Builder earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $57,390 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $47,900 to $64,380.

Is a Tire Builder a growing career in the US?

Employment is projected to stay about the same by 2035: about 20,300 people now and 20,500 later (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Tire Builder?

Usually not. Only 9% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Tire Builder?

People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.