Becoming an Automotive Technician or Mechanic in Colorado
If you’re looking for a practical career that is sure to provide job security, consider becoming an automotive service technician, body work or collision repairer, and/or diesel or heavy truck mechanic.
Requirements for becoming an Automotive Service Technician in Colorado
Colorado does not require any specific licensing or education requirements, however many individuals opt to complete secondary programs as it will better equip them with the essential skills of car repair and maintenance. With these acquired abilities they are then able to land entry-level placements while furthering their knowledge on the job itself in order to obtain certification at some point down the road.
Auto mechanic school training programs may cover some of the following topics:
- Electrical systems
- Preventive maintenance of auto mobiles and light trucks
- Engine performance
- Emission systems
- Manual drive train
- Hands on car repair
- Air conditioning
- Fuel systems
- Electronic systems
- Suspension systems
- Brakes
- Engine repair
- Steering
- Tire rotations
ASE Certification
Achieving approval from the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is a groundbreaking accomplishment for automotive repair professionals. This unique assessment gives applicants an opportunity to demonstrate their expertise and capacity in this field, while also earning ASE accreditation which confirms they are qualified experts.
There are over 40 different ASE certification exams, some of which include:
- Damage analysis and estimating certification test
- Collision repair and refinish certification tests
- Truck equipment certification tests
- Auto maintenance and light repair certification test
- Engine machinist certification tests
- Light truck certification tests
- Parts specialist certification tests
- School bus certification tests
- Transit bus certification tests
- Alternate fuels certification test
Auto mechanic training in Colorado
Colorado has 12,300 working automotive service technicians and mechanics, according to BLS May 2025 OEWS data. That is a large workforce, and it needs a steady pipeline of trained replacements and new hires. If you are thinking about this career, the state has 18 ASE-accredited schools spread from Grand Junction to Aurora. ASE accreditation means the American Service Excellence Education Foundation has reviewed the program and confirmed it meets a national quality standard. That review matters because not every auto program in the country goes through it.
This page lists every ASE-accredited program in Colorado that the ASE Education Foundation directory currently shows. Nothing is left out.
What you can earn in Colorado
Pay varies a lot by role. The figures below come from BLS May 2025 OEWS data and cover Colorado specifically.
Automotive service technicians and mechanics
This is the core occupation for most graduates of auto tech programs. Colorado has 12,300 people in this role. The median wage is $61,280 a year. The middle half of workers earn between $46,170 and $78,300. If you reach the top 10 percent of earners, you are at $93,830 or above. Starting out, the bottom 10 percent earn around $39,550. That gap between the bottom and top shows how much certification, specialization, and experience can move your pay.
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Colorado has 4,600 people in this occupation. The median wage is $70,480, which is higher than the core auto tech median. The middle half earn between $59,300 and $79,780. The top 10 percent reach $96,450. If you are drawn to heavy vehicles, this path pays well and Lincoln College of Technology in Denver offers a Medium/Heavy Duty Truck program that feeds directly into it.
Automotive body and related repairers
There are 3,120 collision repair workers in Colorado. The median wage is $59,880. The range is wide: the bottom 10 percent earn $38,280, while the top 10 percent earn $97,630. That top figure is actually higher than the top-10-percent figure for general auto techs, which reflects how much skilled bodywork can command at busy shops.
Automotive glass installers and repairers
This is a smaller occupation, with 890 workers in Colorado. The median wage is $48,610. The top 10 percent earn $73,360. This role tends to be a specialty rather than a full career track for most program graduates, but the pay is steady.
Career progression in plain terms
Most people start near the 10th-percentile wage and move toward the median within a few years as they earn ASE certifications. Technicians who add diesel or transmission specialties often cross into the upper quartile. The biggest pay jumps in this field usually come from certification, not just from years on the job. Programs that include manufacturer-specific training, which are listed in the next section, give you a head start on that certification ladder.
Auto Mechanic Salaries in Colorado by Region
| Region | Total Employed | Mean Hourly Wage | Mean Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boulder, CO | 640 | $26,64 | $55,410 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 1,430 | $24,49 | $50,950 |
| Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO | 6,370 | $25,21 | $52,430 |
| Fort Collins, CO | 870 | $25,13 | $52,260 |
| Grand Junction, CO | 430 | $23,62 | $49,130 |
| Greeley, CO | 650 | $24,63 | $51,220 |
| Pueblo, CO | 300 | $22,99 | $47,820 |
Manufacturer-sponsored programs at Arapahoe Community College
All 3 manufacturer-sponsored programs in Colorado are at Arapahoe Community College in Littleton. These programs are worth understanding before you look at anything else, because they combine classroom study with paid placements at brand dealerships. You earn college credit, get hands-on time at a real dealer, and finish with manufacturer-specific certification on top of your degree or certificate. That combination gives you a job offer pipeline that a standard certificate program does not.
All 3 programs are post-secondary, and all carry ASE accreditation expiring May 2027.
- GM ASEP (General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program) at Arapahoe Community College: You alternate between classes and paid work terms at a GM dealership. You graduate with GM-specific training and a direct relationship with the sponsoring dealer.
- Honda PACT (Professional Automotive Career Training) at Arapahoe Community College: This is Honda and Acura’s version of the same model. A Honda dealer sponsors your training and employs you during the program.
- Mopar CAP (College Automotive Program) at Arapahoe Community College: Mopar CAP links you to a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, or Ram dealer. The structure is the same: paid dealer time combined with college coursework.
If you already know which brand you want to work on, one of these three programs is probably the most direct path to a full-time offer. Contact Arapahoe Community College directly to ask about current dealer sponsor availability for each brand, because placements depend on participating dealers in your area.
All post-secondary programs in Colorado: the full list
All 17 post-secondary ASE-accredited programs in Colorado are in the table below. These are the programs an adult student can enroll in today. Community colleges generally cost less per credit hour than private technical institutes, though exact figures vary by school and residency status.
The accreditation expiry date tells you when the school must next pass an ASE review. A date in the past does not mean the program has closed; it means the school is in a renewal cycle. Contact the school directly to confirm current status.
| Institution | City | Program series | Special program | Level | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aims Community College | Windsor | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Post-secondary | Aug 2027 | |
| Arapahoe Community College | Littleton | Automobile | Post-secondary | May 2027 | |
| Arapahoe Community College | Littleton | Automobile | AYES | Secondary and post-secondary | May 2027 |
| Arapahoe Community College | Littleton | Automobile | Mopar CAP | Post-secondary | May 2027 |
| Arapahoe Community College | Littleton | Automobile | GM ASEP | Post-secondary | May 2027 |
| Arapahoe Community College | Littleton | Automobile | Honda PACT | Post-secondary | May 2027 |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College | Craig | Automobile | Secondary and post-secondary | May 2024 | |
| Front Range Community College | Westminster | Automobile | Secondary and post-secondary | Aug 2028 | |
| Front Range Community College, Larimer Campus | Fort Collins | Automobile | AYES | Secondary and post-secondary | Dec 2030 |
| Lincoln College of Technology | Denver | Automobile | Post-secondary | May 2030 | |
| Lincoln College of Technology | Denver | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | Post-secondary | Feb 2028 | |
| Morgan Community College | Fort Morgan | Automobile | Secondary and post-secondary | Aug 2029 | |
| Pickens Technical College | Aurora | Automobile | AYES | Secondary and post-secondary | Jun 2027 |
| Pikes Peak State College | Colorado Springs | Automobile | AYES | Secondary and post-secondary | Oct 2027 |
| Pueblo Community College | Pueblo | Automobile | AYES | Post-secondary | Oct 2029 |
| Warren Technical Center | Lakewood | Automobile | AYES | Secondary and post-secondary | Aug 2027 |
| Western Colorado Community College | Grand Junction | Automobile | Secondary and post-secondary | May 2028 |
Programs for current high school students
If you are still in high school, you can start your auto tech training before graduation. The programs below are ASE-accredited at the secondary level. They are not open to adult career-changers. They are listed here specifically for you as a high school student who wants to get ahead.
Four of the seven programs below carry the AYES designation. AYES stands for Automotive Youth Educational Systems. It is not a general shop class. AYES is a structured pipeline that connects your high school program directly to a participating dealership. You get ASE-aligned coursework in school and a path to a dealer job interview when you finish. No other auto training format for high schoolers in Colorado comes with that direct employer connection built in.
All 7 secondary-level ASE-accredited programs in Colorado are listed below.
| Institution | City | Program type | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career Elevation and Technology Center | Longmont | AYES | Apr 2029 |
| Cherry Creek Innovation Campus | Centennial | Automobile (secondary) | Sep 2026 |
| Colorado Northwestern Community College | Craig | Automobile (secondary) | May 2024 |
| FutureForward at Bollman | Thornton | AYES | Jan 2031 |
| Overland High School | Aurora | Automobile (secondary) | Oct 2027 |
| Pueblo Community College at Canon City High School | Canon City | AYES | Mar 2027 |
| Smoky Hill High School | Aurora | AYES | Sep 2026 |
A note on the Smoky Hill High School listing: the contact information in the ASE directory uses a personal email address rather than a school website. Contact your school counselor or the Cherry Creek School District directly to get current enrollment details for that program.
If your high school is not on this list, ask your counselor whether your district has a dual-enrollment agreement with any of the post-secondary schools above. Several Colorado community colleges accept high school students through concurrent enrollment, which means you could earn college credit before you graduate even without a formal AYES placement.
How to choose between programs
The right program depends on where you are in life and what you want to do in the shop.
If you are still in high school, look at the AYES programs first. The four AYES high school programs in Colorado connect you to a dealer before you even graduate. That is a real advantage when you finish and start applying for jobs.
If you want to work on a specific brand, look at the GM ASEP, Honda PACT, or Mopar CAP programs at Arapahoe Community College first. These are the only three manufacturer-sponsored programs in the state. You will graduate with OEM (original equipment manufacturer) certification, meaning training that the carmaker itself recognizes, on top of your college credential.
If you want to work on heavy trucks or buses, the diesel tech median in Colorado is $70,480 according to BLS May 2025 OEWS data. That is $9,200 above the median for general auto techs. Lincoln College of Technology in Denver is the only school in this list with an ASE-accredited Medium/Heavy Duty Truck program, which makes it the direct path to that higher wage tier.
If you are in the western part of the state, Western Colorado Community College in Grand Junction is the closest option. Its accreditation runs to May 2028. If you are in southern Colorado, Pueblo Community College carries accreditation through October 2029 and also has an AYES track.
Accreditation end dates matter because they tell you how recently the program passed a third-party review. Programs with end dates further out have passed their review more recently. Programs with expired or near-term dates are worth a direct phone call to confirm the program is still running and when its next review is scheduled.
What ASE accreditation means for you
ASE accreditation is run by the ASE Education Foundation, which is the education arm of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. When a program is accredited, it means ASE reviewers confirmed that the equipment, curriculum, and instructors meet national standards. That matters to you for two reasons.
First, employers recognize it. A hiring manager at a dealer or independent shop knows that an ASE-accredited graduate has been trained to a consistent standard. Second, it makes your later ASE certifications easier to earn. If you plan to test for ASE certifications after school, which most working techs do, starting in an accredited program means your training already aligns with what those tests cover.
All 17 post-secondary programs in the table above carry active ASE accreditation as of the directory used for this page. The source is the ASE Education Foundation directory, current at time of publication. Always confirm accreditation status directly with the school before enrolling, because accreditation can change between publication dates.
Working as an Auto Mechanic in Colorado
Colorado is in need of qualified automotive technicians to work at dealerships, service repair shops, service stations and collision centers. The highest number of job opportunities can be found in the largest cities – Denver, Colorado Springs, and Boulder. But don’t forget that Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Grand Junction also offer plenty of employment prospects for mechanics!
Next step
Use the tables above to find two or three programs that fit your location, your career target, and your current situation. Then contact each school directly to ask about enrollment dates, program length, and any concurrent enrollment options if you are still in high school. If a manufacturer-sponsored program is available for the brand you want to work on, ask Arapahoe Community College about dealer sponsor availability in your area before you apply anywhere else. That conversation takes 10 minutes and could shape the next several years of your career.
Sources:
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/automotive-service-technicians-and-mechanics.htm#tab-1
- BLS May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
- ASE Education Foundation Accredited Program Directory, www.aseeducationfoundation.org