Career-PathGPS
← All education and training
Career

Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles

Typical education: Certificate or apprenticeshipHigh pressure

What they do

Install, diagnose, or repair communications, sound, security, or navigation equipment in motor vehicles.

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.
  • Investigative: Science, research, figuring out how things work and solving complex problems.

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 $48,420 Median per year · $23.28/hr Most earn $35,590–$70,170

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.

What you might do

  • Remove seats, carpeting, and interiors of doors and add sound-absorbing material in empty spaces, reinstalling interior parts.
  • Remove seats, carpeting, and interiors of doors and add sound-absorbing material in empty spaces, reinstalling interior parts.
  • Install equipment and accessories, such as stereos, navigation equipment, communication equipment, and security systems.
  • Replace and clean electrical or electronic components.
  • Confer with customers to determine the nature of malfunctions.
  • Diagnose or repair problems with electronic equipment, such as sound, navigation, communication, and security equipment, in motor vehicles.

Job outlook

United States
15% fewer jobs by 2035, declining · about 400 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

  • Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers28.2%
  • Electronics and appliance retailers20.2%
  • Motor vehicle parts manufacturing7.2%
  • Electronic and precision equipment repair and maintenance6.0%
  • Motor vehicle body and trailer manufacturing5.4%

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

Experience before this job: 1 to 2 years

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: Certificate or apprenticeshipExperience before this job: 1 to 2 years

This isn't usually a job you start straight out of school. Most people first spend about 1 to 2 years in related work, often after a certificate or apprenticeship, before they install and repair communications, sound, security, or navigation equipment in vehicles.

  1. High school diploma with auto shop, electronics, or math classes

    4 years

    Strong math, physics, and hands-on shop classes build the basics of wiring, circuits, and troubleshooting that this work depends on.

  2. Certificate or apprenticeship in automotive or electronics technology

    1-2 years

    Formal training teaches vehicle electrical systems, diagnostic tools, and safe installation practices, which employers look for when hiring.

  3. Automotive Service Technician

    1-2 years

    Working on vehicle electrical systems and diagnostics builds the hands-on experience needed to move into specialized electronics installation.

  4. Electronic Equipment Installer, Motor Vehicles

    Reached after about 1-2 years of related experience

    You install and repair car audio, navigation, security, and communication systems, and diagnose problems in the vehicle's electronics.

Where it can lead

  1. Electrical and Electronics Installer, Transportation Equipment

    2-4 years of experience first

    You work on a wider range of transportation equipment beyond cars and take on more complex diagnostic and installation work.

What you can do now

Ideas for high school and college students.

In high school

  • Take auto shop or electronics classesThese classes teach wiring, circuits, and tool safety, which are the core skills for installing vehicle electronics.
  • Take math and physicsCircuit work relies on understanding voltage, current, and resistance, and these courses build that foundation.
  • Get a starter job at an auto shop, car audio store, or parts storeEven part-time work teaches you how vehicles are put together and how customers are served.
  • Join a robotics, STEM, or technical clubBuilding and troubleshooting small electronics projects gives you practice with the same kind of problem-solving used on the job.
  • Ask a local mechanic or installer for a job shadow or chatSeeing the day-to-day work firsthand helps you decide whether this path fits you.

In college

  • Enroll in an automotive technology or electronics certificate programA certificate is the typical education for this career and teaches the diagnostic and installation skills employers want.
  • Take courses in electrical systems and diagnosticsClasses on vehicle electrical systems, wiring, and troubleshooting directly prepare you for the daily work of this job.
  • Seek a co-op, internship, or apprenticeshipOn-the-job experience with a dealer, installer, or repair shop builds the 1 to 2 years of related work employers usually expect.
  • Take a campus job in an electronics or maintenance labWorking with equipment in a lab gives you practice with testing, repairing, and documenting problems.
  • Join a technical or automotive student clubClubs offer hands-on projects and connections with people already working in the field.

Tips for getting started

  • Get comfortable with hands-on wiring and basic electronics now, since employers mostly hire people who can show they can work with their hands and follow safety rules.
  • Look for a certificate or apprenticeship program that includes real vehicle electronics work, not just classroom theory.
  • Keep a simple portfolio or log of projects, repairs, or installs you've done, and bring it to job interviews.

Related jobs that often lead here

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.

College majors that lead here

Majors: U.S. Department of Education and BLS (CIP–SOC crosswalk). Earnings and debt: College Scorecard, typical across U.S. colleges.

Related careers