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Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants

Typical education: High school diplomaHigh pressure

What they do

Service automobiles, buses, trucks, boats, and other automotive or marine vehicles with fuel, lubricants, and accessories. Collect payment for services and supplies. May lubricate vehicle, change motor oil, refill antifreeze, or replace lights or other accessories, such as windshield wiper blades or fan belts. May repair or replace tires.

Kinds of work

  • Realistic: Hands-on work with tools, machines, plants or animals, often outdoors.
  • Conventional: Organizing information, following clear procedures and working with data and details.

High pressure: How much pressure workers in this job report: deadlines, conflict, dealing with upset people, the cost of mistakes, responsibility for others' safety, competition and long hours. It varies a lot from one employer to the next. Source: U.S. Department of Labor worker surveys.

Pay, tasks and more

Salary

United States $35,670 Median per year · $17.15/hr Most earn $28,630–$46,060

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Check tire pressure and levels of fuel, motor oil, transmission, radiator, battery, or other fluids, adding air or fluids as required.
  • Collect cash payments from customers, and make change or charge purchases to customers' credit cards, providing customers with receipts.
  • Perform minor repairs, such as adjusting brakes, replacing spark plugs, or changing engine oil or filters.
  • Sell and install accessories, such as batteries, windshield wiper blades, fan belts, bulbs, or headlamps.
  • Test and charge batteries.
  • Check tire pressure and levels of fuel, motor oil, transmission, radiator, battery, or other fluids, adding air or fluids as required.

Job outlook

United States
4% more jobs by 2035, about as fast as average · about 12,900 openings a year

Openings include new jobs and jobs left by workers who retire or change careers. Projections: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Bright Outlook": U.S. Department of Labor.

Where they work

  • Other automotive repair and maintenance30.4%
  • Automobile dealers23.2%
  • Gasoline stations18.3%
  • Grocery and specialty food retailers6.7%
  • General merchandise retailers4.7%

Share of all workers in this career. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Employment Matrix.

Experience before this job: None

Some people start through an apprenticeship: paid training on the job, often with classes. Search apprenticeships on Apprenticeship.gov (opens in a new tab) ↗

Career path

How people usually get into this career, from school to their first job and beyond.

Typical education: High school diplomaExperience before this job: NoneEntry-level

This is an entry-level job. You usually need only a high school diploma and no prior work experience to start, so you can begin right after school.

  1. High school diploma

    4 years

    Finish high school, building basic math, reading, and mechanical skills that help you handle payments, follow directions, and understand how vehicles work.

  2. Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendant

    Entry level, starting right after high school

    Fuel vehicles and boats, check and change fluids, replace wiper blades and lights, and handle customer payments. This hands-on work teaches you how vehicles are maintained and can lead to more technical roles.

Where it can lead

  1. Automotive Service Technician

    1-2 years of experience first

    You move from simple services to diagnosing and repairing engines, brakes, and electrical systems, which usually means taking formal training or an apprenticeship and earning certifications.

  2. Bus and Truck Mechanic

    1-2 years of experience first

    You work on larger vehicles such as buses, trucks, and diesel engines. It typically requires a certificate or apprenticeship and more hands-on repair experience.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take auto shop or small engine classesHands-on shop classes teach you basic tools, fluids, and how vehicles work, which is exactly what this job uses every day.
  • Take math classesMath helps with handling money, making change, and understanding measurements and fluid amounts.
  • Get a part-time or summer job at a gas station, car wash, or marinaStarter jobs in these places give you real customer service and vehicle-care experience before you finish school.
  • Join a career or technical student organizationMany schools have clubs where you can build teamwork, communication, and leadership skills that employers value.

In college

  • Take courses in automotive technology or small engine repairEven a short course gives you technical vocabulary and basic repair knowledge that helps you stand out for entry-level roles.
  • Work a part-time job at a service station, car wash, or dealershipSteady work in vehicle service builds the hands-on skills and customer experience that employers look for.
  • Look into basic safety or hazardous materials trainingMany workplaces that handle fuel and fluids want workers who understand safe handling, and short courses often cover this.
  • Consider an automotive or diesel certificate programA certificate is the usual next step toward technician jobs, and your current job experience can make the coursework more meaningful.

Tips for getting started

  • Ask a local shop, gas station, or marina if they hire part-time or summer helpers. Even a little hands-on experience shows employers you are reliable.
  • Learn to talk with customers clearly and handle cash or card payments accurately. These skills matter as much as the mechanical ones.
  • Pay attention to how the mechanics at your workplace diagnose problems. Asking good questions can help you decide whether to move into a technician path.

Related jobs a step up

Education, experience and related careers: U.S. Department of Labor. The step-by-step path, where it can lead and what you can do now were written by AI as typical examples; many people take other ways.

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