Tire Repairers and Changers

Career Overview

Repair and replace tires.

Also Known As

  • Service Technician
  • Tire Changer
  • Tire Shop Mechanic
  • Tire Technician

Alternate Job Titles

  • Alignment Technician
  • Automotive Tire Worker (Auto Tire Worker)
  • Brake and Alignment Technician (Brake and Alignment Tech)
  • Commercial Tire Service Tech (Commercial Tire Service Technician)
  • Commercial Tire Tech (Commercial Tire Technician)
  • Lube Technician
  • Maintenance Technician
  • Mobile Tire Tech (Mobile Tire Technician)
  • Repair Technician (Repair Tech)
  • Roadside Technician (Roadside Tech)
  • Service Technician
  • Tire Balancer
  • Tire Buster
  • Tire Care Tech (Tire Care Technician)
  • Tire Changer

What You'll Do

In this role, your typical responsibilities include:

  • Raise vehicles, using hydraulic jacks.
  • Remount wheels onto vehicles.
  • 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.
  • Replace valve stems and remove puncturing objects.
  • Hammer required counterweights onto rims of wheels.

Knowledge You'll Use

You'll need solid knowledge in these areas:

  • Mechanical
  • Customer and Personal Service

Key Abilities

This career requires key abilities in:

  • Trunk Strength
  • Multilimb Coordination
  • Manual Dexterity
  • Static Strength
  • Near Vision
  • Extent Flexibility
  • Problem Sensitivity
  • Oral Comprehension
  • Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Control Precision

Work Style

People who excel in this career typically demonstrate:

  • Dependability
  • Attention to Detail
  • Cautiousness
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Integrity

What Matters in This Career

This career tends to satisfy these work values:

  • Support
  • Relationships
  • Independence
  • Achievement
  • Working Conditions

Education & Preparation

Typical Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Related Work Experience Needed: Over 6 months, up to and including 1 year

On-the-Job Training: Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month

Education Details: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.

Experience Required: Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training.

Technology You'll Use

Popular Technologies & Software

  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft Word

Tools & Equipment

  • 4-way tire valve tools
  • Air drills
  • Air spray guns
  • Air/steam bags
  • Airless spray guns
  • Awls
  • Bail cutting knives
  • Balancing machines
  • Bead breakers
  • Bead expanders
  • Bead seaters
  • Buffers
  • Computerized tire/wheel balancing equipment
  • Curved-point scalpel knives
  • Cutting blades

Work Environment

  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls
  • Spend Time Standing
  • Indoors, Not Environmentally Controlled
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate

Salary & Job Market

Salary PercentileAnnual Wage
Entry-Level (10th percentile)$29,880
Median$37,120
Top Earners (90th percentile)$48,900

Workers Employed Nationally: 106,620

Related Careers

If you're interested in this career, you might also consider:

Tire Builders

Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Median Salary: $55,580

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics

Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Median Salary: $49,670

Motorcycle Mechanics

Education: Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)

Median Salary: $47,200

Rail Car Repairers

Education: High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)

Median Salary: $65,680

Bicycle Repairers

Education: Less than a High School Diploma

Median Salary: $40,360


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Occupational data sourced from the O*NET OnLine database, developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. Wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2024.

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