Automotive Collision Repair major
Automotive Collision Repair: courses, careers, and where to study
Automotive Collision Repair trains you to straighten unibody and frame damage, replace body panels, and refinish vehicles to factory color and finish after a crash.
This program prepares you to repair and rebuild damaged vehicle bodies and bring them back to safe, road-ready condition. You learn structural analysis on unibody and full-frame vehicles, pulling and measuring damage with frame machines and three-dimensional measuring systems, plus non-structural work such as replacing fenders, quarter panels, doors, and bumper covers. Coursework covers metal straightening and shrinking, MIG and resistance spot welding of high-strength and boron steels, plastic and adhesive repair, body filler application, and corrosion protection. The refinishing side teaches surface prep, masking, primer and basecoat-clearcoat systems, spray-gun technique in a downdraft booth, color matching, and blending. Where the Automotive Technology sibling focuses on engines, brakes, and drivetrain diagnostics under the hood, this program centers on the body, structure, paint, and post-collision restoration of the vehicle.
Most people enter through a community college or technical program, a manufacturer-sponsored course, or on-the-job training in a body shop, often starting as a helper or detailer before moving into panel and refinish work. Industry credentials are common, including I-CAR training and ASE certifications in the collision repair and refinish series, and paint and adhesive manufacturers offer their own product certifications. Refinishers work with materials regulated for volatile organic compounds, so respirator use and EPA and OSHA safety practices matter, and some roles touch hybrid and high-voltage systems that require extra precautions. Estimating skills and familiarity with insurer workflows can support advancement into appraisal or shop management. Pay and demand vary by region, employer, and certification, and completing a program is preparation for the work, not a guarantee of a specific job or wage.
In federal data for the closely related occupation of automotive body and related repairers, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a 2024 median wage of $51,680 and projects employment to grow about 1.6% from 2024 to 2034; a high school diploma or equivalent is the typical entry-level education for that occupation. National figures are occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages or graduate outcomes.
Academic classification (CIP)
In the federal Classification of Instructional Programs, Automotive Collision Repair maps to CIP 47.0603, Autobody/Collision and Repair Technology/Technician, within the MECHANIC AND REPAIR TECHNOLOGIES/TECHNICIANS family. The official definition:
A program that prepares individuals to apply technical knowledge and skills to repair, reconstruct and finish automobile bodies, fenders, and external features. Includes instruction in structure analysis, damage repair, non-structural analysis, mechanical and electrical components, plastics and adhesives, painting and refinishing techniques, and damage analysis and estimating.
Source: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) 2020. View on nces.ed.gov
What credential Automotive Collision Repair is awarded as
Of the 4,161 Automotive Collision Repair credentials U.S. colleges reported conferring in 2023-24:
- Certificate86%3,574
- Associate14%587
CampusPin does not have enough states reporting this field to say whether the mix changes from state to state. See the full study.
Credentials conferred in 2023-24, U.S. Department of Education IPEDS completions. A certificate is a different credential from a degree, not a lesser one, and this counts what was awarded rather than what a college currently offers.
What you'll study
- Structural damage analysis and frame and unibody straightening with frame machines and three-dimensional measuring systems
- MIG, squeeze-type resistance spot welding, and sectioning of high-strength, boron, and aluminum body steels
- Non-structural panel replacement: fenders, quarter panels, doors, hoods, and bumper covers
- Metal straightening, shrinking, and body filler application to restore contours
- Plastic and composite repair, adhesive bonding, and corrosion protection treatments
- Surface preparation, masking, and applying primer, basecoat, and clearcoat in a spray booth
- Spray-gun technique, color matching, tinting, and blending refinish into adjacent panels
- Damage analysis, writing repair estimates, and working with insurance and OEM repair procedures
- Refinish and shop safety: respirators, VOC handling, and high-voltage precautions on hybrid vehicles
Typical careers
- Automotive body repairer
- Collision repair technician
- Auto body refinisher and painter
- Frame and structural straightening technician
- Collision damage estimator and appraiser
- Body shop service writer or manager
Typical salary range: Early-career wages vary by employer, region, and experience (BLS, 2024 automotive body and related repairers median $51,680).Ranges are early-career estimates. Any BLS figure shown is the occupation-wide median across all experience levels, not a starting wage, and is informational only.
Related occupations
Occupations the federal CIP–SOC crosswalk associates with Automotive Collision Repair, with what each one pays and how many openings it is projected to average each year. Ordered by projected annual openings, largest first. Linked titles open the full CampusPin career page.
| Occupation | Median pay | Openings / yr | Projected change | Most entrants hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $47,590 | 15,800 | +0.7% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Automotive Body and Related Repairers | $51,680 | 14,600 | +1.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Automotive Glass Installers and Repairers | $47,260 | 1,400 | +3.6% | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Insurance Appraisers, Auto Damage | $76,650 | 500 | -8.2% | Postsecondary nondegree award |
Crosswalk: U.S. Department of Education (NCES), CIP 2020 to SOC 2018. Pay, openings and projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2024 wages, Employment Projections). 4 of these 4 occupations report a median wage.
“Most entrants hold” is what BLS observes about people already working in the occupation. It is not a legal requirement, not an admission rule, and not a guarantee of entry. Studying Automotive Collision Repair does not guarantee any specific occupation, and many of these roles are entered from several different fields. Projected openings are a projection, not jobs promised.
Before you commit to a Automotive Collision Repair major
CampusPin does not rank programs. Use these prompts to pressure-test whether a specific Automotive Collision Repair program fits your goals, they are decision questions, not claims about any school.
Ask the Automotive Collision Repair department
- Which concentrations or specializations are offered, and which faculty lead them?
- What does the typical course sequence look like, and how much is required vs. elective?
- What labs, studios, clinical placements, or research opportunities are available to undergraduates?
- Is there a capstone, thesis, internship, or co-op requirement?
Ask current students & check the curriculum
- How heavy is the workload, and how accessible is the faculty?
- What internships or co-ops did you do, and where do recent graduates end up?
- Does the required curriculum actually match the careers listed above?
- How easy is it to add a minor, double major, or switch tracks later?
Find a Automotive Collision Repair program
CampusPin lists U.S. universities and community colleges by state, tuition, school size, acceptance rate, and campus setting, no account required.
Colleges that awarded the most Automotive Collision Repair credentials
Largest by credentials conferred in 2023-24. This measures the size of the graduating class, not quality, and it is not a ranking.
- Fayetteville Technical Community CollegeNC · 177
- WyoTechWY · 145
- Dallas CollegeTX · 133
- Red Rocks Community CollegeCO · 131
- Metropolitan Community College AreaNE · 105
- Universal Technical Institute of Texas Inc.TX · 102
- Central Community CollegeNE · 97
- Lincoln College of Technology-NashvilleTN · 90
- Hennepin Technical CollegeMN · 86
- Lincoln College of Technology-Grand PrairieTX · 80
- Universal Technical Institute-Southern CaliforniaCA · 73
- Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose ParkIL · 71
Based on credentials this institution reported conferring in the federal IPEDS completions collection for 2023-24. It confirms the field was awarded that year, not that the program currently accepts students, and it covers only the fields CampusPin tracks. Confirm current offerings with the institution.
Where Automotive Collision Repair credentials were awarded
13 states have a distinct enough set of Automotive Collision Repair colleges to be worth its own page.
Search Automotive Collision Repair schools by state
- Automotive Collision Repair in California
- Automotive Collision Repair in Florida
- Automotive Collision Repair in Georgia
- Automotive Collision Repair in Illinois
- Automotive Collision Repair in Maryland
- Automotive Collision Repair in Massachusetts
- Automotive Collision Repair in New York
- Automotive Collision Repair in North Carolina
- Automotive Collision Repair in Pennsylvania
- Automotive Collision Repair in Texas
Related majors
Automotive Technology
Automotive Technology trains you to diagnose, service, and repair the engines, brakes, electrical systems, and drivetrains of cars and light trucks using shop tools and scan equipment.
Diesel Technology
Diesel Technology trains you to diagnose, service, and overhaul the diesel engines, fuel-injection systems, and powertrains in heavy trucks, buses, and off-road equipment.
Welding Technology
Welding Technology trains you to join and cut metal with arc, oxyfuel, and other processes, building precise hands-on skill in fabrication, blueprint reading, and weld quality.
Mechatronics
Mechatronics integrates mechanical parts, electronics, sensors, and control software so students learn to build, test, and maintain automated systems like robots and production lines.
Industrial Design
Industrial design teaches you to shape the form, function, and feel of manufactured products people use every day, blending artistic skill with engineering and manufacturing reality.
Put this major in context
The salary above is an occupation-wide median from federal data, not a starting wage or a guarantee. These CampusPin guides and reports help you read it well, see where a Automotive Collision Repair degree can lead, and weigh it against cost and program quality.
Explore Installation & Repair careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
Explore Business & Finance careers
Median pay, job outlook, and the occupations this field covers.
How one major leads to many careers
Why a single Automotive Collision Repair degree can open more than one path, and how to read the occupations above.
Why a median wage is not a starting salary
How to read a BLS median, and why early-career pay usually sits below it.
When accreditation and licensure matter
How program accreditation and state licensure can shape a Automotive Collision Repair path before you enroll.
Does a pricier college pay off?
How college cost lines up with graduation and earnings, an association, not a ranking.
Does picking a major narrow your college list?
Across the federal completions data, most fields barely change which colleges are on the table. Which ones genuinely do.
Certificate or degree?
What credential a field is usually awarded as is mostly set by the field itself, not by the state, with a short list of exceptions.
How this guide is sourced
This is an editorial guide from the CampusPin Editorial Team. Career and wage figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, occupation-wide medians across all experience levels, not starting wages, and link to each career page. Program availability comes from CampusPin's free institution search; CampusPin does not assert that any specific school offers this exact major until that program data is verified. Last reviewed 2026-06-15. How CampusPin sources data · Report a correction.