Becoming an Automotive Technician or Mechanic in Florida
If you’re passionate about cars and you enjoy working with your hands, becoming an auto mechanic or technician could be the perfect career for you. Whether you’re most interested in working as an auto service technician or mechanic, working on cars that have been damaged in auto accidents and making auto body repairs, repairing or installing auto glass, or bus and truck service and diesel mechanics, there are many different career paths you can take as an automotive technician. This page will help you find the best automotive mechanic schools in Florida and provide all the information you need to make a decision about your future.
Requirements for becoming an Automotive Service Technician in Florida
Individual auto mechanics do not need to be licensed in Florida. However, employers may require some form of higher education or certification in order to work in the shop.
Those who choose to go the educational route can expect some of the following topics to be covered in an automotive training program:
- Automatic transmissions
- Braking systems
- Steering
- Maintenance
- Electrical systems
- Fuel systems
- Automotive repair
- Exhaust systems
- Use of diagnostic tools to identify and troubleshoot problems
- Safety practices
- Computer systems
- Environmental regulations
The best job prospects go to those with formal training and experience. Many employers prefer applicants who have both a higher education credential and industry certification.
ASE Certification
After finishing a degree or certificate program at an auto mechanic school, those who choose to can pursue certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). ASE is a nonprofit that tests and certifies professionals who work in all areas of the automotive industry. All technicians are required to take a series of exams that cover diagnosis, repair, and maintenance procedures. After passing the ASE tests, professionals can use the credentials to signify their expertise in the field.
Career Opportunities and Salary Expectations
The auto service industry in Florida is rapidly expanding and filled with opportunities for those seeking employment. According to BLS May 2025 OEWS data, Florida employs nearly 50,000 automotive service technicians and mechanics, more than almost any other state. The sections below detail current wages by specialty and career stage.
Auto mechanic training in Florida
Florida has nearly 50,000 working automotive service technicians, more than almost any other state, according to BLS May 2025 OEWS data. That means you are entering one of the largest job markets in the country. The training pipeline to support it is equally large: 115 schools across the state hold ASE Education Foundation accreditation, covering 155 programmes at the secondary and post-secondary level. ASE accreditation means the programme has been reviewed against a national quality standard set by the Automotive Service Excellence Education Foundation, the recognised authority for automotive training in the US. This page lists every accredited programme in Florida so you can compare your options directly.
Manufacturer-sponsored programmes: the highest-value starting point
Before you look at general certificate programmes, consider manufacturer-sponsored programmes first. These combine your college coursework with a paid placement at a franchised dealership and end with a brand-specific certification on top of your ASE credentials. Dealers fund part of the training, so you earn while you study. Graduates enter the workforce with both college credit and a manufacturer credential, which puts them ahead of candidates who hold a general certificate alone.
Florida has 10 manufacturer-sponsored programme enrolments across five brands: Ford ASSET, GM ASEP, Honda PACT, Mopar CAP, and Toyota T-TEN. All 10 are listed below.
| School | City | Programme | Series | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Technical College | Coconut Creek | Toyota T-TEN | Automobile | 2027-12-01 |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center | Miami Lakes | Toyota T-TEN | Automobile | 2026-09-01 |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center & Technical College | Miami | Toyota T-TEN | Automobile | 2030-06-01 |
| Orange Technical College – South Campus | Orlando | Toyota T-TEN | Automobile | 2028-06-01 |
| Robert Morgan Educational Center | Miami | Honda PACT | Automobile | 2027-12-01 |
| Seminole State College | Sanford | Ford ASSET | Automobile | 2028-01-01 |
| Seminole State College | Sanford | GM ASEP | Automobile | 2028-01-01 |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | GM ASEP | Automobile | 2026-09-01 |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | Ford ASSET | Automobile | 2026-09-01 |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | Mopar CAP | Automobile | 2026-09-01 |
If you live near Sanford or Hollywood, you have a rare concentration of options: Seminole State College carries both Ford ASSET and GM ASEP, and Sheridan Technical College carries Ford ASSET, GM ASEP, and Mopar CAP at the same campus. That means you can compare three different brand tracks in one visit.
All 88 post-secondary programmes in Florida
The table below lists all 88 post-secondary accredited programmes in Florida from the ASE Education Foundation directory. These are the programmes open to adult enrolment. Community colleges generally charge less per credit hour than private technical institutes, though specific fees vary by school and residency status. Contact each school directly for current pricing.
Some rows carry a “Secondary & Post Secondary” level. That means the programme runs at the same site for both high-school students and adult enrolees. If you are an adult, you can still apply.
| School | City | Series | Manufacturer programme | Level | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aparicio Levy Technical College | Plant City | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2029-06-01 | |
| Atlantic Technical College | Coconut Creek | Automobile | Toyota T-TEN | Post Secondary | 2027-12-01 |
| Atlantic Technical College | Coconut Creek | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2027-12-01 | |
| Atlantic Technical College | Coconut Creek | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2028-01-01 | |
| Brewster Technical Center | Tampa | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2027-03-01 | |
| Broward College | Pembroke Pines | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2028-11-01 | |
| Charlotte Technical College | Port Charlotte | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2031-01-01 | |
| Chipola College | Marianna | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2030-11-01 | |
| D. A. Dorsey Technical College | Miami | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2029-12-01 | |
| Daytona State College | Daytona Beach | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2029-04-01 | |
| Daytona State College | Daytona Beach | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2027-06-01 | |
| Emerald Coast Technical College | DeFuniak Springs | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2028-02-01 | |
| Erwin Technical College | Tampa | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2029-05-01 | |
| First Coast Technical College | Saint Augustine | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2029-06-01 | |
| First Coast Technical College | Saint Augustine | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 | |
| Florida Gateway College | Lake City | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 | |
| Florida Panhandle Technical College | Chipley | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2026-12-01 | |
| Florida State College at Jacksonville | Jacksonville | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2026-05-01 | |
| Florida State College at Jacksonville | Jacksonville | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Post Secondary | 2026-05-01 | |
| Fort Myers Technical College | Fort Myers | Automobile | AYES | Post Secondary | 2026-04-01 |
| Fort Myers Technical College | Fort Myers | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2029-10-01 | |
| Gadsden Technical College | Quincy | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2031-04-01 | |
| George Stone Technical College | Pensacola | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2029-04-01 | |
| Hillsborough Community College | Tampa | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2029-03-01 | |
| Hillsborough Community College | Tampa | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Post Secondary | 2029-03-01 | |
| Immokalee Technical College | Immokalee | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2028-06-01 | |
| Indian River State College | Fort Pierce | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2029-01-01 | |
| Lake Technical College | Eustis | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2025-12-01 | |
| Lake Technical College | Eustis | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2031-07-01 | |
| Lindsey Hopkins Technical College | Miami | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2026-11-01 | |
| Lindsey Hopkins Technical College | Miami | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2030-08-01 | |
| Lively Technical College | Tallahassee | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2027-07-01 | |
| Locklin Technical College | Milton | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2028-12-01 | |
| Lorenzo Walker Technical College | Naples | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2028-08-01 | |
| Manatee Technical College | Bradenton | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2030-02-01 | |
| Marchman Technical College | New Port Richey | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2030-06-01 | |
| Marion Technical College | Ocala | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2028-08-01 | |
| McFatter Technical College | Davie | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2029-08-01 | |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center | Miami Lakes | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2027-09-01 | |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center | Miami Lakes | Automobile | Toyota T-TEN | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center | Miami Lakes | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Post Secondary | 2027-07-01 | |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center | Miami Lakes | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | Post Secondary | 2027-07-01 | |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center & Technical College | Miami | Automobile | Toyota T-TEN | Post Secondary | 2030-06-01 |
| Orange Technical College – South Campus | Orlando | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2031-01-01 | |
| Orange Technical College – South Campus | Orlando | Automobile | Toyota T-TEN | Post Secondary | 2028-06-01 |
| Orange Technical College – South Campus | Orlando | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2028-10-01 | |
| Orange Technical College – South Campus | Orlando | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2029-06-01 | |
| Osceola Technical College | Kissimmee | Automobile | AYES | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2027-06-01 |
| Palatka High School | Palatka | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2029-02-01 | |
| Palm Beach State College | Lake Worth | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2031-07-01 | |
| Palm Beach State College – Belle Glade | Belle Glade | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | Post Secondary | 2023-01-01 | |
| Pinellas Technical College | Clearwater | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2027-07-01 | |
| Pinellas Technical College | St. Petersburg | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2030-11-01 | |
| Pinellas Technical College | St. Petersburg | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2027-07-01 | |
| Ridge Technical College | Winter Haven | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2030-12-01 | |
| River Oak Technical College | Live Oak | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2030-12-01 | |
| River Oak Technical College | Live Oak | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2031-06-01 | |
| Robert Morgan Educational Center | Miami | Automobile | Honda PACT | Post Secondary | 2027-12-01 |
| Robert Morgan Educational Center | Miami | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2027-12-01 | |
| Robert Morgan Educational Center | Miami | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Post Secondary | 2029-06-01 | |
| Robert Morgan Educational Center | Miami | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | Post Secondary | 2031-01-01 | |
| Santa Fe College | Gainesville | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2028-06-01 | |
| Santa Fe College | Gainesville | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2028-06-01 | |
| Seminole State College | Sanford | Automobile | Ford ASSET | Post Secondary | 2028-01-01 |
| Seminole State College | Sanford | Automobile | GM ASEP | Post Secondary | 2028-01-01 |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | Automobile | GM ASEP | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 | |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 | |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | Automobile | Ford ASSET | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | Automobile | Mopar CAP | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 | |
| Sheridan Technical College | Hollywood | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 | |
| Sheridan Technical College – Pembroke Pines Campus | Pembroke Pines | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2026-09-01 | |
| South Dade Senior High School | Homestead | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2029-01-01 | |
| South Dade Technical College | Homestead | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2028-11-01 | |
| South Florida State College-Highlands Campus | Avon Park | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2028-02-01 | |
| South Florida State College-Highlands Campus | Avon Park | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Post Secondary | 2024-12-01 | |
| South Florida State-DeSoto Campus | Arcadia | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2027-04-01 | |
| Suncoast Technical College | Sarasota | Automobile | AYES | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2027-12-01 |
| Tom P. Haney Technical College | Panama City | Automobile | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2029-06-01 | |
| Traviss Technical College | Lakeland | Automobile | AYES | Post Secondary | 2028-06-01 |
| Traviss Technical College | Lakeland | Collision Repair and Refinishing | Secondary & Post Secondary | 2028-08-01 | |
| Universal Technical Institute | Orlando | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2027-04-01 | |
| Universal Technical Institute | Miramar | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2030-07-01 | |
| Universal Technical Institute | Orlando | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | Post Secondary | 2027-04-01 | |
| Universal Technical Institute | Miramar | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | Post Secondary | 2030-07-01 | |
| Wilton Simpson Technical College | Brooksville | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2027-04-01 | |
| Withlacoochee Technical College | Inverness | Automobile | Post Secondary | 2029-03-01 |
Note: one accreditation in this table (Palm Beach State College – Belle Glade, Medium/Heavy Duty Truck, expired 2023-01-01) and one (South Florida State College-Highlands Campus, Collision Repair and Refinishing, expired 2024-12-01) show past expiry dates as recorded in the ASE Education Foundation directory. Contact those schools directly to confirm current status before you apply.
High school programmes in Florida: for current high-school students
This section is for you if you are currently enrolled in a Florida high school. These programmes are secondary-level accreditations. They are not open to adult career-changers. Adult readers should use the post-secondary table above.
Florida has 67 secondary-level accredited programmes. All 67 are listed in the table below. Sixteen of them carry the AYES designation, which is explained in the section that follows the table.
All 67 secondary programmes in Florida
| School | City | Series | Programme | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Technical College | Coconut Creek | Automobile | AYES | 2027-12-01 |
| Baker County High School | Glen St. Mary | Automobile | 2031-05-01 | |
| Bloomingdale High School | Valrico | Automobile | 2029-06-01 | |
| Bowers/Whitley Career Center | Tampa | Automobile | AYES | 2025-11-01 |
| Brandon High School | Brandon | Automobile | 2025-02-01 | |
| Charlotte Technical College | Port Charlotte | Automobile | AYES | 2031-01-01 |
| Clay High School | Green Cove Springs | Automobile | 2029-06-01 | |
| Coconut Creek High School | Coconut Creek | Automobile | 2028-01-01 | |
| Colonial High School | Orlando | Automobile | 2031-05-01 | |
| Cooper City High School | Cooper City | Automobile | 2031-01-01 | |
| Coral Shores High School | Tavernier | Automobile | 2028-06-01 | |
| Crestview High School | Crestview | Automobile | 2028-06-01 | |
| East Bay High School | Gibsonton | Automobile | 2029-06-01 | |
| East Lee County High School | Lehigh Acres | Automobile | 2025-09-01 | |
| Eau Gallie High School | Melbourne | Automobile | 2029-06-01 | |
| Fort Pierce Central High School | Ft. Pierce | Automobile | AYES | 2027-03-01 |
| Frank H. Peterson Academy of Technology | Jacksonville | Automobile | AYES | 2026-01-01 |
| Gaither High School | Tampa | Automobile | 2029-06-01 | |
| Hardee Senior High School | Wauchula | Automobile | 2029-04-01 | |
| Heritage High School | Palm Bay | Automobile | 2027-02-01 | |
| Hernando High School | Brooksville | Automobile | 2029-05-01 | |
| Hialeah Gardens High School | Hialeah Gardens | Automobile | 2028-12-01 | |
| Ida S. Baker High School | Cape Coral | Automobile | 2027-02-01 | |
| Key West High School Automotive Training Center | Key West | Automobile | 2026-06-01 | |
| Largo High School | Largo | Automobile | 2029-05-01 | |
| Leto High School | Tampa | Automobile | 2031-05-01 | |
| Lyman High School | Longwood | Automobile | AYES | 2026-06-01 |
| Marchman Technical College | New Port Richey | Automobile | AYES | 2030-06-01 |
| Martin County High School | Stuart | Automobile | 2029-04-01 | |
| Merritt Island High School | Merritt Island | Automobile | 2030-08-01 | |
| Miami Lakes Educational Center | Miami Lakes | Automobile | AYES | 2027-09-01 |
| Miami Northwestern Senior High | Miami | Automobile | AYES | 2028-06-01 |
| Miami Senior High School | Miami | Automobile | 2028-10-01 | |
| Middleburg High School | Middleburg | Automobile | 2028-06-01 | |
| Mulberry Sr. High School | Mulberry | Automobile | 2030-04-01 | |
| Nature Coast Technical High School | Brooksville | Automobile | 2031-06-01 | |
| North Marion High School | Citra | Automobile | 2029-01-01 | |
| Northeast High School | St. Petersburg | Automobile | 2027-06-01 | |
| Okaloosa Technical College | Ft. Walton Beach | Automobile | AYES | 2028-12-01 |
| Okeechobee High School | Okeechobee | Automobile | 2029-05-01 | |
| Orange Park High School | Orange Park | Automobile | 2030-01-01 | |
| Oviedo High School | Oviedo | Automobile | 2026-11-01 | |
| Park Vista Community High School | Lake Worth | Automobile | 2027-04-01 | |
| Parrish Community High School | Parrish | Automobile | 2029-02-01 | |
| Plant City High School | Plant City | Automobile | 2029-06-01 | |
| Poinciana High School | Kissimmee | Automobile | 2027-12-01 | |
| Port St. Lucie High School | Port St. Lucie | Automobile | AYES | 2027-11-01 |
| Professional Academies Magnet at Loften High School | Gainesville | Automobile | 2030-06-01 | |
| Robert Morgan Educational Center | Miami | Automobile | AYES | 2027-12-01 |
| Rockledge High School | Rockledge | Automobile | 2030-06-01 | |
| Saint Cloud High School | St. Cloud | Automobile | 2029-10-01 | |
| Satellite High School | Satellite Beach | Automobile | 2027-05-01 | |
| Sebastian River High School | Sebastian | Automobile | AYES | 2029-05-01 |
| Seminole High School | Sanford | Automobile | 2026-12-01 | |
| Seminole High School | Sanford | Collision Repair and Refinishing | 2024-10-01 | |
| Seminole Ridge High School | Loxahatchee | Automobile | 2027-02-01 | |
| South County Career Center | Ruskin | Automobile | 2026-12-01 | |
| South Fork High School | Stuart | Automobile | 2029-05-01 | |
| South Fort Myers High School | Fort Myers | Automobile | 2029-10-01 | |
| South Tech Academy | Boynton Beach | Automobile | AYES | 2028-01-01 |
| Southwest Miami Senior High School | Miami | Automobile | 2029-06-01 | |
| Titusville High School | Titusville | Automobile | 2026-05-01 | |
| Vanguard High School | Ocala | Automobile | 2028-12-01 | |
| Vero Beach High School | Vero Beach | Automobile | AYES | 2031-04-01 |
| Wakulla High School | Crawfordville | Automobile | 2027-02-01 | |
| Wesley Chapel High School | Wesley Chapel | Automobile | AYES | 2029-06-01 |
| Yulee High School | Yulee | Automobile | 2029-05-01 |
Note: several accreditations in this table show past expiry dates as recorded in the ASE Education Foundation directory (Brandon High School, Bowers/Whitley Career Center, East Lee County High School, Seminole High School Collision Repair). Contact those schools directly to confirm current programme status before you apply.
AYES programmes: what they are and why they matter
AYES stands for Automotive Youth Educational Systems. It is not a general shop class. AYES is a structured pipeline that connects your high school training directly to a participating dealership. While you are still in school, you work alongside professional technicians at a real shop. You earn industry experience before you graduate. When you finish, participating dealers already know your work. That gives you a head start that a standard high-school auto class cannot match.
Florida has 16 AYES-designated secondary programmes. They are spread across the state, from Jacksonville to Miami to the Gulf Coast. If you are in high school and you know you want to work on cars for a living, finding the nearest AYES school is the most direct path to a paid position at a dealership.
The 16 AYES schools at the secondary level are: Atlantic Technical College (Coconut Creek), Bowers/Whitley Career Center (Tampa), Charlotte Technical College (Port Charlotte), Fort Pierce Central High School (Ft. Pierce), Frank H. Peterson Academy of Technology (Jacksonville), Lyman High School (Longwood), Marchman Technical College (New Port Richey), Miami Lakes Educational Center (Miami Lakes), Miami Northwestern Senior High (Miami), Okaloosa Technical College (Ft. Walton Beach), Port St. Lucie High School (Port St. Lucie), Robert Morgan Educational Center (Miami), Sebastian River High School (Sebastian), South Tech Academy (Boynton Beach), Vero Beach High School (Vero Beach), and Wesley Chapel High School (Wesley Chapel).
Florida wages by role and career stage
Wages in automotive trades vary a lot depending on which specialty you choose and how far you go in your career. The figures below come from BLS May 2025 OEWS data for Florida. All figures are annual.
Automotive service technicians and mechanics
This is the core occupation: diagnosing and repairing passenger vehicles. Florida employs 49,930 people in this role. The median wage is $48,260. That means half of all Florida technicians earn more than that and half earn less. The mean (average) is $53,740, which is higher than the median because some high-earning technicians pull the average up.
Here is what pay looks like at each stage of a career:
- Starting out (10th percentile): $31,970 per year
- Early career (25th percentile): $37,040 per year
- Mid-career median: $48,260 per year
- Experienced (75th percentile): $62,990 per year
- Top earners (90th percentile): $79,180 per year
The gap between entry and the 90th percentile is nearly $47,000 a year. ASE certifications, specialisation, and years of hands-on experience are the main factors that move you up that range.
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
If you go into medium or heavy-duty truck repair instead of passenger vehicles, the pay scale shifts upward. Florida employs 14,900 people in this field. The median wage is $60,490, which is $12,000 more per year than the passenger-vehicle median. The 90th percentile reaches $79,210.
- 10th percentile: $44,300 per year
- 25th percentile: $49,720 per year
- Median: $60,490 per year
- 75th percentile: $73,900 per year
- 90th percentile: $79,210 per year
Several Florida schools with post-secondary accreditation carry a Medium/Heavy Duty Truck series, including First Coast Technical College, Miami Lakes Educational Center, Orange Technical College – South Campus, Robert Morgan Educational Center, and both Universal Technical Institute campuses. If truck wages appeal to you, those are the programmes to look at.
Automotive body and related repairers
Collision repair is a separate trade. Florida employs 9,220 people in this field. The median wage is $48,600, which is close to the automotive technician median. However, the top earners in collision repair reach $93,170 at the 90th percentile, which is the highest ceiling among all four occupations listed here.
- 10th percentile: $36,390 per year
- 25th percentile: $44,730 per year
- Median: $48,600 per year
- 75th percentile: $61,660 per year
- 90th percentile: $93,170 per year
Florida has 18 post-secondary programmes in the Collision Repair and Refinishing series, spread across many of the schools in the main table above.
Automotive glass installers and repairers
This is a smaller and more specialised field. Florida employs 2,030 people in it. The median wage is $48,800. The pay range is narrower than the other three trades.
- 10th percentile: $34,550 per year
- 25th percentile: $43,180 per year
- Median: $48,800 per year
- 75th percentile: $61,490 per year
- 90th percentile: $73,420 per year
How wages progress across a career
All four occupations follow a similar pattern. Entry-level pay sits in the low-to-mid $30,000s for passenger-vehicle work and the mid-$40,000s for diesel. With experience and certifications, wages move into the $60,000 to $79,000 range. The fastest path to the upper half of the pay scale is to complete an accredited programme, earn ASE certifications in your speciality area, and then continue building brand-specific credentials through manufacturer training. Technicians who hold multiple ASE certifications and a manufacturer credential consistently earn more than those who hold only a general certificate.
Working as an Auto Mechanic in Florida
An automotive career can be a great choice for those interested in the automotive industry. With many postsecondary options and certifications available, individuals can find success in the field while earning a competitive salary.
How to choose a programme
Start with what you can get to every day. A long commute to a training programme is a common reason students drop out before they finish. Once you have narrowed the list by location, check whether the school carries a programme in the series you want: Automobile, Collision Repair and Refinishing, or Medium/Heavy Duty Truck. Then look at the accreditation expiry date. A programme with a 2030 or 2031 expiry date has just passed a recent review. A programme with a date that has already passed should be contacted directly to confirm its current standing.
If a manufacturer-sponsored programme is within reach, apply there first. The paid dealer placement and brand credential give you a practical and financial advantage that a standard certificate alone does not.
If you are still in high school, ask your school counsellor whether your district has a secondary-level ASE-accredited programme. If your school does not have one, check whether a nearby school with an AYES programme accepts students from outside its zone. Some do.
Use the tables on this page to build a shortlist, then visit or call each school to confirm current enrolment status, schedule, and any prerequisites. The ASE Education Foundation directory is the source for all accreditation data here, and this page reflects that directory as currently published. Accreditation details can change between directory updates, so direct contact with a school is always the final step.
To start comparing schools near you, scroll back to the post-secondary table, filter by your region, and click through to any school website listed. If you are a current high-school student, go to the secondary table, find your county, and contact the programme coordinator directly to ask about the application process.
Q&A with an Expert
An interview with the President at the Universal Technical Institute – Orlando
Steve McElfresh
Q: What qualities/skills do you look for in a person interested in a career in auto mechanics?
A: In a word: passion. They have a passion for their chosen market segment. Many are enthusiasts and have chosen a career path that supports their passion for a particular market. Any car enthusiast would find a career in a dealership filled with the latest models extremely rewarding.
Our students are young men and women who are passionate about cars, tend to be hands-on learners, are the “fixers of things” and want to make a career out of doing something they love. Many tend to grow up around people who have influenced them in a positive way about the industry.
[VERIFY-STALE: About 97 percent of our students are men between the ages of 18 and 34, but we are seeing a growing number of women enrolling in our programs. About 20 percent of our students are veterans.]
“Florida has a vibrant industry that is dependent on transportation, so there will always be a demand for skilled technicians to keep the transportation industry and infrastructure running.” – Steve McElfresh, President, UTI-Orlando
Q: Are there any specific licensing requirements in Florida for someone interested in an automotive school?
A: Automobile technicians are not required to get a license to service cars or trucks in Florida. Nevertheless, job seekers with training in advanced automotive technology from a renowned automotive school in Florida should enjoy the best job prospects while those who don’t have formal training are likely to face strong competition for entry-level jobs.
Mechanics who match the following standards are considerably more likely to get a career in an automobile repair center as compared with job seekers who do not meet many of these minimal criteria:
- Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Certifications (Master Technician status preferred)
- Work experience in one of the following areas:
- Repair Technician – 1, 2, or 3 years
- Service Consultant – 2 years
- On-the-job training from local automotive dealers
- Plus: Any car manufacturer certifications (e.g., BMW, Chrysler, General Motors, Mercedes-Benz)
For those interested in automotive careers in Tampa, Florida, there are a number of auto mechanic and automotive schools to choose from. Check out the school listings on this page to get started on your automotive career path today.
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*This list may contain out-of-state and online schools that accept students from Florida.
Sources: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, May 2025, https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes493023.htm; ASE Education Foundation Programme Directory, https://www.ase.com/Home.aspx