Audi Academy Technician Training Program

Audi vehicles use some of the most cutting-edge technology to achieve the high performance and drivability standards associated with the brand. To keep those standards high, service techs who want to be official Audi mechanics must complete an Audi technician certification program before authorized dealers and service centers will let them work on the A3, A4, Q5, S7, RS 7, TT, TTS and other Audi models.

While general auto mechanic schools may not offer training that focuses only on Audi vehicles, it’s still possible to enroll in an Audi technician training program by going directly to the source.

How to Become a Certified Audi Technician

If you’re mechanically inclined and love Audi vehicles, a career as a certified Audi mechanic might barely feel like work at all. Here’s a quick list of the duties expected of an Audi service technician, according to a bulletin from the manufacturer:

  • Diagnosing the causes of performance difficulties and malfunctions
  • Performing service on Audi vehicles as authorized on repair orders
  • Road-testing vehicles to make sure that repairs were successful
  • Investigating the vehicle for any additional safety or service work needed
  • Working closely with other Audi techs, service consultants and management

There was a time when independent auto mechanic schools had the authority to offer Audi technician certification programs, but auto industry restructuring in the late 2000s brought changes to the system. The automaker still maintains training centers for its mechanics in select locations throughout the U.S. and Canada, but Audi technician certification programs are offered exclusively through authorized Audi shops and dealerships.

Fortunately for aspiring Audi mechanics, these authorized facilities can be found all over the country. Authorized dealers with service departments tend to cluster around major population centers, particularly in the northeast, the Great Lakes area, Florida, southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area. As of 2015, the automaker lists just four cities that contain authorized service centers not directly associated with Audi dealerships:

  • Tallahassee, FL
  • Yakima, WA
  • Portland, OR
  • Lynnwood, WA

The region between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River is home to fewer authorized Audi dealerships and service stations than the East and West coasts, but most states contain at least one source for Audi technician certification programs.

Audi Technician Salary

It can be a difficult to calculate the exact amount of money you can expect to make as an Audi technician. Salary figures vary from city to city and state to state, for one thing, and mechanics with superior training or experience tend to land higher-paying jobs than those who are just starting out or have limited technical education.

Even though there aren’t concrete data points on record for the average Audi mechanic salary, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that service technicians and mechanics working at car dealerships earned a mean annual wage of $44,770 in 2016. Graduates of Audi Academy technician training programs often find work at dealerships, so the average Audi technician salary is likely to be close to the average figure for dealership service work.

Audi Veterans to Technicians Program

In order to meet an expectation of growing demand for trained Audi mechanics at the automaker’s dealership and service center locations, Audi of America launched an accelerated technical training program called Veterans to Technicians FastTrack for former military mechanics. Beginning in July 2013, any honorably discharged former military personnel who meet certain qualifications — including a clean driving record, a high school diploma and three years’ experience working as a mechanical technician — may be eligible for Audi FastTrack, a 2-week program that delivers a comprehensive education in Audi service and diagnostics.

Audi technician training and certification programs can be intensive, but they’re the only route to authorized Audi service. Search for openings on the Audi of America website, look through our listings below and to the right or check with your local Audi dealer for more information.

Sources:

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  2. Audi Technician Training, Audi World, accessed September 25, 2015, http://www.audiworld.com/news/01/techtraining/content.shtml
  3. Audi Veterans to Technicians Program Job Description, Connecticut Department of Labor, accessed September 25, 2015, http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/veterans/5.31.13%20Audi%20Veterans%20toTechnicians%20Job%20Description.pdf
  4. Interview, Tiffany L., Audi Customer Service, conducted September 25, 2015, Interview, Nicole N. Audi Customer Service, conducted September 25, 2015
  5. Collision Repair, Audi of America, accessed September 25, 2015, http://www.audiusa.com/help/collision-repair
  6. Find Audi Dealers, Audi of America, accessed September 25, 2015, http://www.audiusa.com/dealers-webapp/map
  7. Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, Occupational Employment and Wages, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes493023.htm, accessed November 2017
  8. Audi Veterans to Technicians Program, http://www.audivets.com/
  9. Audi Dealer Agreement to Participate in the Audi Veterans to Technicians Program, Audi of America, accessed September 25, 2015, http://www.audivets.com/dealerregistration/Audi%20Veterans%20to%20Technicians%20Dealer%20Program%20Agreement.pdf