Completion of a high school, vocational school, trade school, or community college program in automotive body repair may be substituted for 1 year of work experience. Automotive body repairers must retake the examination at least every 5 years to retain certification. Automotive body repairers must buy their own tools, but employers usually furnish power tools. Trainees generally accumulate tools as they gain experience, and many workers have thousands of dollars invested in tools. An experienced automotive body repairer with supervisory ability may advance to shop supervisor.
Some workers open their own body repair shops.
Others become automobile damage appraisers for insurance companies. Job Outlook Employment of automotive body repairers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2000. As the number of motor vehicles in operation grows with the Nation's population, the number damaged in accidents will increase as well. Requirements for body repairers will also increase because new, lighter automotive designs are prone to greater collision damage than older, heavier designs. Nevertheless, the need to replace experienced repairers who transfer to other occupations or retire or stop working for other reasons will still account for the majority of job openings.