Becoming an Automotive Technician or Mechanic in Louisiana
Louisiana is a great place to seek employment in the automotive industry, as it has numerous opportunities for lucrative careers. Popular positions include auto mechanics, service technicians and auto body/collision specialists – each of which offer many specialties with job functions ranging far and wide. If you’re considering a career in this field, now’s the perfect time!
Requirements for becoming an Automotive Service Technician in Louisiana
In Louisiana, no license requirements apply for auto mechanics. It is, however, imperative to have a good understanding of the various systems at work in today’s vehicles. You should be able to analyze complex problems, use diagnostic software and have experience in computer-aided design. It is also important to stay up-to-date on new developments in the industry.
Many employers prefer to hire candidates who have obtained a postsecondary certificate or an associate’s degree from an accredited automotive technology program.
Auto mechanic training programs may cover the following topics:
- Automatic transmissions
- Suspension systems
- Steering systems
- Manual drive train
- Air conditioning
- Fuel systems
- Brakes
- Auto repair and maintenance
- Vehicle computer systems
Auto Mechanic Schools in Louisiana
Louisiana has 8,620 working automotive service technicians and mechanics, according to BLS May 2025 OEWS data. That workforce is spread across dealerships, independent shops, fleet yards, and the heavy-equipment operations tied to the state’s oil and gas industry. If you want to join it, ASE-accredited training is the clearest path. ASE accreditation means a program meets the quality standards set by the ASE Education Foundation, the recognized national benchmark for automotive training.
The sections below list every ASE-accredited program in Louisiana: 12 post-secondary programs, 2 manufacturer-sponsored programs that are a subset of those 12, and 5 secondary (high school) programs.
Manufacturer-Sponsored Programs at Delgado Community College
Two programs in Louisiana give you something a standard certificate cannot: paid work at a dealership while you study, plus manufacturer-specific certification when you finish. Both are hosted at Delgado Community College-City Park Campus in New Orleans.
Ford ASSET (Automotive Student Service Educational Training) places you at a Ford or Lincoln dealership. The dealer pays you during your cooperative work rotations. When you graduate, you hold both a college credential and Ford certification. GM ASEP (Automotive Service Educational Program) works the same way with a GM dealership partner. Both programs carry ASE accreditation through November 2029.
These programs are competitive. You apply to a sponsoring dealer first, and the dealer enrolls you in the college program. Start by contacting Delgado directly to get the current list of participating dealers in the New Orleans area.
| Institution | Location | Program | Series | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delgado Community College-City Park Campus | New Orleans | Ford ASSET | Automobile | 2029-11-01 |
| Delgado Community College-City Park Campus | New Orleans | GM ASEP | Automobile | 2029-11-01 |
All Post-Secondary Programs in Louisiana
All 12 post-secondary ASE-accredited programs in Louisiana are listed below. These are the programs you can enroll in as an adult. Community colleges generally cost less per credit hour than private technical institutes, though no cost figures are published here.
Two programs carry a “Secondary and Post Secondary” level, meaning the same ASE-accredited program runs at both the high school and college levels at that institution. You can enroll in the post-secondary track regardless of your high school history.
| Institution | Location | Series | Program | Level | Accreditation expires | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baton Rouge Community College | Baton Rouge | Automobile | General | Secondary and Post Secondary | 2029-11-01 | mybrcc.edu |
| Delgado Community College-City Park Campus | New Orleans | Automobile | Ford ASSET | Post Secondary | 2029-11-01 | |
| Delgado Community College-City Park Campus | New Orleans | Automobile | GM ASEP | Post Secondary | 2029-11-01 | |
| Delgado Community College-City Park Campus | New Orleans | Automobile | General | Post Secondary | 2029-11-01 | |
| Delgado Community College-City Park Campus | New Orleans | Collision Repair and Refinishing | General | Post Secondary | 2029-11-01 | |
| Northshore Technical College-Rayburn Correctional Center | Angie | Automobile | General | Post Secondary | 2029-04-01 | corrections.state.la.us |
| Northshore Technical College-Sullivan Campus | Bogalusa | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | General | Post Secondary | 2027-04-01 | northshorecollege.edu |
| Northshore Technical Community College-Greensburg Campus | Greensburg | Automobile | General | Secondary and Post Secondary | 2027-12-01 | northshorecommunitycollege.edu |
| Northshore Technical Community College-Hammond Campus | Hammond | Automobile | General | Post Secondary | 2029-08-01 | northshorecollege.edu |
| South Louisiana Community College-T.H. Harris Campus | Opelousas | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | General | Post Secondary | 2030-11-01 | solacc.edu |
| South Louisiana Community College | Lafayette | Automobile | General | Post Secondary | 2026-06-01 | solacc.edu |
| Sowela Technical Community College | Lake Charles | Automobile | General | Post Secondary | 2029-02-01 | sowela.edu |
Check the accreditation expiry dates. South Louisiana Community College in Lafayette expires June 2026, which is within months of today. Contact the school directly to confirm the program is currently active and scheduled for renewal before you apply.
Programs for Current High School Students in Louisiana
This section is for you if you are currently enrolled in high school. These programs are not open to adult career-changers. They run inside high schools, and enrollment happens through your school’s counseling office or the campus listed.
Four of the five programs below carry the AYES designation. AYES stands for Automotive Youth Educational Systems. It is not a regular shop class. AYES connects your classroom training to a local franchised dealership, where you do structured work experiences while you study. When you finish, you have both an ASE-accredited credential and a documented relationship with a dealership that already knows your work. That is a real head start over someone who begins training after graduation.
| School | Location | Series | Program | Accreditation expires | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bossier Parish Technical School | Bossier City | Automobile | AYES | 2029-11-01 | bpts.bossierschools.org |
| Caddo Career and Technology Center | Shreveport | Automobile | AYES | 2026-05-01 | teacherweb.com |
| Caddo Career and Technology Center | Shreveport | Collision Repair and Refinishing | AYES | 2026-05-01 | teacherweb.com |
| McKinley High School | Baton Rouge | Automobile | General | 2027-06-01 | |
| North Caddo Magnet High School | Vivian | Automobile | AYES | 2026-07-01 | northcaddo.org |
Note the accreditation dates for both Caddo Career and Technology Center programs and for North Caddo Magnet High School. All three expire in 2026. Verify with the school that renewal is in progress before you commit to those tracks.
If you are in the Shreveport area, Caddo Career and Technology Center is particularly worth a look. It offers both Automobile and Collision Repair and Refinishing under AYES, so you can get a feel for both tracks while still in high school.
ASE Certifications
Achieving a certification from the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is an invaluable asset to automotive repair professionals. With one comprehensive exam, applicants can showcase their proficiency and expertise in this field. Gaining ASE recognition means people have exceeded expectations when it comes to demonstrating that they are qualified specialists within the industry. By earning passing grades on exams or taking part in recertification programs, individuals receive confirmation of excellence with ASE accreditation.
With over 40 ASE certification exams to choose from, such as:
- Parts specialist certification tests
- 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
- School bus certification tests
- Transit bus certification tests
- Alternate fuels certification test
What You Can Earn in Louisiana: Wages by Role
Wages vary significantly depending on which path you take. All figures below are from BLS May 2025 OEWS data for Louisiana.
Automotive service technicians and mechanics
This is the core role most people think of when they picture a mechanic. In Louisiana, 8,620 people work in this role. The median annual wage is $46,400, meaning half earn more and half earn less. The bottom 10 percent earn $30,230 or less. The top 10 percent earn $77,790 or more. The 25th percentile sits at $36,900 and the 75th at $62,060.
In plain terms: an entry-level technician starting out can expect wages in the low-to-mid $30,000s. A mid-career technician with diagnostic skills and ASE certifications typically lands in the $46,000 to $62,000 range. Experienced master technicians at high-volume dealerships push toward $78,000.
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Louisiana’s commercial transport, construction, and energy sectors mean steady demand for diesel work. This role pays more than general automotive. The median is $58,680, with a mean of $58,930. The 10th percentile starts at $38,900. The 75th percentile is $69,100 and the 90th is $79,160. There are 3,270 people in this role statewide.
If you choose the Medium/Heavy Duty Truck series at Northshore Technical College-Sullivan Campus in Bogalusa or at South Louisiana Community College-T.H. Harris Campus in Opelousas, this is the wage range you are training toward. The median is more than $12,000 higher per year than the general automotive technician median.
Automotive body and related repairers
Collision repair pays a median of $47,150 in Louisiana, with a mean of $54,210. That mean-median gap suggests that high earners in this field pull the average up. The 90th percentile wage is $76,100. The 10th percentile is $30,910. There are 1,660 collision repair workers statewide.
Both Delgado Community College and Caddo Career and Technology Center offer Collision Repair and Refinishing programs. The data supports this as a financially competitive track relative to general automotive work, especially at the higher experience levels.
Automotive glass installers and repairers
This is a smaller and more specialized role, with 370 workers in Louisiana. The median wage is $41,620. The 90th percentile reaches $60,650. This is the lowest-paying of the four roles in this data set, though it is a narrow specialty that many technicians cross-train into rather than start in.
How pay changes over a career
Across all four roles, the pattern is the same. Entry-level wages (10th percentile) run from $28,810 to $38,900 depending on the specialty. By mid-career (median), wages range from $41,620 to $58,680. At the top of the pay range (90th percentile), workers earn between $60,650 and $79,160.
The clearest way to move up that range is to add ASE certifications after you complete your initial training, specialize in high-demand areas like diesel or advanced driver assistance systems, and pursue manufacturer-specific credentials if you work at a dealership. The Ford ASSET and GM ASEP programs at Delgado build that manufacturer certification in from the start.
Working as an Auto Mechanic in Louisiana
Mechanics in Louisiana are expected to be well-versed in the fundamentals of automotive technology and possess an understanding of modern diagnostic methods. A number of locations provide internship opportunities for aspiring automotive technicians, allowing them to gain hands-on experience that can help bolster job prospects. Master auto mechanic certifications require a minimum of two years of work experience. Depending on the certification, some may need to be renewed every four or five years.
How to Read the Accreditation Dates
Every program in the tables above has an expiry date. That date is when the ASE Education Foundation accreditation runs out. It does not mean the school closes or the program disappears. Schools apply for renewal and are typically reviewed before expiry. What it means for you is this: if a program’s accreditation expires soon, ask the school directly whether renewal is in progress. A program with lapsed accreditation is not currently held to the ASE standard, and that matters when you are spending months of your time on training.
The programs with the most recent accreditation renewals, running through 2029 and 2030, give you the most confidence that the curriculum has been reviewed recently against current industry standards.
Choosing a Program
Here are the practical questions to ask before you apply anywhere.
First, decide on your specialty. General automotive, diesel and truck, or collision repair each lead to different wages and different daily work. The wage data above shows diesel work pays a meaningfully higher median in Louisiana.
Second, check geography. Louisiana’s programs run from New Orleans to Lake Charles to Bogalusa to Vivian. Commute matters when you are doing hands-on lab hours multiple days per week.
Third, consider the manufacturer-sponsored route. If you want to work at a Ford or GM dealership, the ASSET and ASEP programs at Delgado are worth the extra step of finding a dealer sponsor. The dealer pays you during training and you graduate with a credential that a general certificate cannot match.
Fourth, confirm accreditation status directly with the school. This page reflects the ASE Education Foundation directory as of its most recent publication, but contact each program before you enroll to verify that accreditation is current.
Use the links in the tables above to reach each school’s website and find current application windows, contact information, and program details. The next step is a phone call or a campus visit.
Sources:
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes493023.htm
- Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/automotive-service-technicians-and-mechanics.htm