🛞
Tire Retail & Auto Service
Discount Tire, Firestone Complete Auto Care, Goodyear Auto Service
Tire Repairers and Changers
Tire repairers and changers inspect damaged tires, patch or replace them, and make sure each tire is inflated and fitted correctly. The work is hands-on and often dirty, with a mix of physical labor and quick judgment about whether a tire can be fixed or needs to be swapped out. The tradeoff is simple: entry is relatively easy, but the pay is modest and the work can be repetitive and hard on your body.
Also known as Tire TechnicianTire SpecialistTire InstallerTire Service TechnicianTire Change Technician
Median Salary
$37,120
Mean $39,140
U.S. Workforce
~107K
15.3K openings per year
10-Year Growth
+5.7%
113.4K to 119.9K
Entry Education
High school diploma or equivalent
+ None experience
What This Role Looks Like in Practice
Tire Repairers and Changers sits in the Trades category. In practical terms, this role combines day-to-day execution, cross-team coordination, and consistent decision-making under real business constraints.
U.S. employment is currently about ~107K workers, with a median annual pay of $37,120 and roughly 15.3K openings each year. Based on BLS projections, total employment is expected to grow from 113.4 K in 2024 to 119.9K in 2034.
Most hiring paths start with High school diploma or equivalent, and employers typically expect none of related experience. Many careers in this track begin around Shop Helper / Lube Technician and can progress toward Shop Lead / Service Supervisor. High-value skills usually include Tire Inspection & Damage Assessment, Tire Mounting, Balancing & Inflation Equipment, and TPMS Tools & Tire Pressure Gauges, paired with soft skills such as Active Listening, Critical Thinking, and Service Orientation.
Core Responsibilities
- Check tires for cuts, holes, worn spots, and other damage to decide whether they can be repaired.
- Remove damaged tires, mount replacement tires, and inflate them to the correct pressure and size.
- Patch punctures and other repairable damage using rubber cement and other tire repair materials.
- Use tools and machines to find leaks in inner tubes and fix the damaged areas.
Keep exploring: more Trades careers or browse all job titles.
A Day in the Life
01 Check tires for cuts, holes, worn spots, and other damage to decide whether they can be repaired.
02 Remove damaged tires, mount replacement tires, and inflate them to the correct pressure and size.
03 Patch punctures and other repairable damage using rubber cement and other tire repair materials.
04 Use tools and machines to find leaks in inner tubes and fix the damaged areas.
05 Clean tires and the work area so the shop stays safe and ready for the next vehicle.
06 Help mechanics with basic shop tasks like changing oil, checking batteries, and moving vehicles or equipment.
Industries That Hire
🚗
Car Dealership Service Departments
AutoNation, Lithia Motors, Penske Automotive Group
🚚
Trucking & Fleet Maintenance
UPS, FedEx Freight, Penske Truck Leasing
🛠️
Roadside Assistance & Mobile Repair
AAA, Agero, Urgently
🚙
Rental Car & Vehicle Remarketing
Enterprise, Hertz, Avis Budget Group
Pros and Cons
Advantages
+
You can get started without years of school; the role usually needs a high school diploma and short-term on-the-job training.
+
There are a lot of openings, with 15.3K annual openings projected, so shops regularly need new workers.
+
Demand is expected to grow 5.7% from 2024 to 2034, which is steady for a hands-on trade.
+
The work is concrete and immediate: you can inspect a tire, fix it, and see the result right away.
+
The job can lead into broader auto service work, since you already build experience with tools, lifts, inspections, and shop routines.
Challenges
-
The pay is fairly modest for physical labor, with a median annual wage of $37,120 and a mean of $39,140.
-
The work is hard on your body because you lift heavy tires, bend, crouch, and spend a lot of time on your feet.
-
It is often dirty and repetitive, with grease, debris, and shop cleanup as part of the daily routine.
-
This role has a limited career ceiling unless you move into broader automotive repair, supervision, or another trade.
-
Shop demand can swing with seasonal tire changes, weather, and local driving volume, so hours and workload may rise and fall in a way workers cannot control.
Career Progression
Shop Helper / Lube Technician
0-2 years
$28K-$34K
Learns shop safety, moves vehicles and tires, and helps with basic maintenance tasks while building speed and accuracy.
Tire Repairer and Changer
1-4 years
$35K-$43K
Inspects tires, patches or replaces damaged ones, and handles the core day-to-day tire service work in a busy shop.
Senior Tire Technician THIS ROLE
4-8 years
$44K-$52K
Handles tougher repairs, trains newer workers, and is trusted to catch problems before a tire goes back on the road.
Shop Lead / Service Supervisor
8+ years
$53K-$63K
Coordinates the bay, checks quality, manages customer issues, and keeps the shop moving on busy days.
Education Paths
High school diploma or equivalent
The most common entry point, held by 41.02% of workers in this role, and it usually pairs with short on-the-job training instead of a college degree.
Less than a high school diploma
A substantial 27.27% of workers report less than a high school diploma, which shows that employers often value reliability and shop training over formal schooling.
Post-secondary certificate
Another 26.4% of workers have a post-secondary certificate, often from an automotive or tire-service program that builds hands-on shop skills.
Short-term on-the-job training
A shop-based training path can get you started quickly, especially if you want to learn the work without committing to a long academic program.
Key Skills
Technical
Tire Inspection & Damage Assessment 60%
Tire Mounting, Balancing & Inflation Equipment 60%
TPMS Tools & Tire Pressure Gauges 60%
Patching, Vulcanizing & Rubber Cement Use 59%
Vehicle Lifts, Jacks & Impact Tools 58%
Air Compressors & Shop Equipment 58%
Work Orders, Shop Procedures & Quality Checks 58%
Soft Skills
Active ListeningCritical ThinkingService OrientationSpeakingTime ManagementMonitoring Job Outlook and Trends
+5.7%
Projected growth (2024-2034)
15.3K
Annual job openings
Employment is projected to rise from 113.4K to 119.9 K over the next decade, representing 5.7% growth. Around 15.3 K openings per year include both newly created roles and replacement hiring from turnover.
Remote availability is currently Rare. Demand remains strongest where employers need practical domain knowledge plus modern workflow and data skills.