Vehicle and Mobile Equipment Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers

How to become a Tire Repairer or Changer

Official title: Tire Repairers and Changers

Also called: Alignment Technician (Alignment Tech), Lube Technician (Lube Tech), Service Technician (Service Tech), Tire Alignment Technician (Tire Alignment Tech), Tire Changer, Tire Installer, Tire Repairer, Tire Shop Mechanic, Tire Technician (Tire Tech), Truck Tire Service Operator

Repair and replace tires.

Main tasks

Unbolt and remove wheels from vehicles, using lug wrenches or other hand or power tools.
Place wheels on balancing machines to determine counterweights required to balance wheels.
Identify tire size and ply and inflate tires accordingly.
Raise vehicles, using hydraulic jacks.
Reassemble tires onto wheels.
Glue tire patches over ruptures in tire casings, using rubber cement.
Remount wheels onto vehicles.
Seal punctures in tubeless tires by inserting adhesive material and expanding rubber plugs into punctures, using hand tools.

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

Median pay: $37,710 a year The middle half earn $34,690 to $45,300.
About 112,200 people work in this job now, and about 116,000 are projected by 2035. (+3.4%)
People use generative AI for relatively little of this work so far. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as low.

Questions people ask

How much does a Tire Repairer or Changer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $37,710 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $34,690 to $45,300.

Is a Tire Repairer or Changer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 3% by 2035, from about 112,200 to about 116,000 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Tire Repairer or Changer?

Usually not. Only 10% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Will AI change the work of a Tire Repairer or Changer?

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.