A recent poll of members of the International Automotive Technicians Network (iATN) found that the average 2012 salary for iATN member technicians working in the U.S. was $51,000, comparing very favorably to the $39,000 average salary reported by the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in May 2012, for all technicians and mechanics in the country.
iATN's poll asked for responses from those working full-time as a technician, though responses from all members were permitted. From the 6,338 total responses, 1,617 chose to abstain, and the average salary for the remaining 4,721 responses was $54,000. After excluding those not working in the U.S. and those with a title other than exclusively "technician," 1,420 responses remained. Accounting for differences in per-capita income by state using data from the 2010 U. S. Census yielded an adjusted average salary of $51,000.
Since 1995, iATN has provided automotive professionals from around the globe the opportunity to network with each other to solve difficult and rare vehicle issues. Members also use iATN to discuss shop management techniques, technical theory of automobile diagnostics, best practices for service and repair, and automotive industry issues in general.
"The results of this poll are not surprising to me, nor likely to any of our members," said iATN President Scott Brown. "Although it's difficult to make a direct comparison between our results and the data reported by BLS, due to differences in how the data was collected, it would make sense that there is a strong correlation between iATN membership and higher salaries. By virtue of their activity on iATN, our members have shown that they have a strong interest in staying at the leading edge of their field and learning the latest diagnostic techniques and trends in shop management. At every level, our members have a strong desire to improve our industry."
iATN was founded in 1995 and claims to be the largest online community of automotive technicians, repair shop owners and other allied service professionals in the world with more than 76,000 active members from 160 countries. iATN members exchange technical knowledge with their peers around the globe, collectively sharing over 1.8 million years of experience.
