Becoming an Automotive Technician or Mechanic in Massachusetts
A career in automotive mechanics or service technicians can be both personally and financially gratifying for anyone who enjoys repairing vehicles. By delving into the automotive field, one will find that the most popular areas of mechanic expertise are: auto mechanics and service technicians, auto collision repair and auto body workers, diesel mechanics and heavy truck/bus specialists, as well as auto glass installers and repairers.
Requirements for becoming an Automotive Service Technician in Massachusetts
Massachusetts auto mechanics do not need to obtain a professional license to work in the field, but they do need to complete an approved educational program from a vocational or trade school before being allowed to practice. Most employers also prefer that applicants have some kind of hands-on experience with cars as well as technical competence, either through internships or other automotive jobs prior to applying.
Those interested in an automotive technology program can expect to learn about some of the following topics:
- Engine performance
- Brake systems
- Air conditioning
- Manual drive train
- Climate control systems
- Automotive electricity and electrical systems
Automotive technology courses will also cover the fundamentals of automotive repair, including general service, troubleshooting and diagnosis. Additionally, students will gain an understanding of engine design and operation as well as learn about a variety of diagnostic tools used in modern automobiles.
ASE Certification
Automotive service excellence certification is not only beneficial but necessary if you ever want to break into the mechanics industry. There are ASE certification exams open to all interested individuals, which certify their skills and knowledge in the field.
An ASE certification is considered a standard for automotive service technicians and employers view it as proof of one’s competent work in the field.
Auto mechanic training in Massachusetts
Massachusetts employs 12,710 automotive service technicians and mechanics, according to BLS May 2025 OEWS data. That is a large workforce, and the state has the training infrastructure to match it: 38 schools run 48 ASE-accredited programs across every level, from high school shops to manufacturer-sponsored college programs tied to paid dealer jobs. This page lists every one of them.
ASE accreditation means the ASE Education Foundation, an independent nonprofit, has reviewed the program’s curriculum, equipment, and instructors and found them to meet the recognised national standard for automotive training. An accredited program is not a guarantee of a job, but it tells you the training is real and current.
Post-secondary programs in Massachusetts
All 9 post-secondary programs in Massachusetts are listed below. These are the programs you can enrol in as an adult. Community colleges generally cost less per credit hour than private technical institutes, though no tuition figures are listed here because they change frequently. Check each school’s website for current costs.
| School | Location | Series | Program | Level | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin Cummings Tech | Boston | Automobile | General program | Post-secondary | June 2030 |
| MassBay Community College | Ashland | Automobile | BMW ADP | Post-secondary | January 2031 |
| MassBay Community College | Ashland | Automobile | General program | Post-secondary | January 2031 |
| MassBay Community College | Ashland | Automobile | Toyota T-TEN | Secondary and post-secondary | January 2031 |
| MassBay Community College | Ashland | Automobile | GM ASEP | Post-secondary | January 2031 |
| MassBay Community College | Ashland | Automobile | Mopar CAP | Post-secondary | January 2031 |
| Mount Wachusett Community College | Gardner | Automobile | General program | Post-secondary | October 2026 |
| Shriver Job Corps Center | Devens | Automobile | General program | Secondary and post-secondary | April 2029 |
| Upper Cape Cod RVTS | Bourne | Collision repair and refinishing | General program | Post-secondary | June 2027 |
Mount Wachusett Community College’s accreditation expires in October 2026. If you are reading this after that date, confirm with the school that it has been renewed before you apply.
Manufacturer-sponsored programs at MassBay Community College
All 4 manufacturer-sponsored programs available in Massachusetts run through MassBay Community College in Ashland. These programs, often called OEM programs (OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer, meaning the company that built the vehicle), are worth understanding separately from a general certificate.
Each OEM program pairs your college coursework with a placement at a franchised dealership. The dealership pays you while you train. When you finish, you hold both a college credential and a manufacturer-specific certification that those dealerships recognise immediately. That combination gives you a real head start over someone who completed a general program. No other school in Massachusetts currently holds ASE accreditation for these four programs.
| Program | School | Location | Accreditation expires | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BMW ADP (Automotive Development Program) | MassBay Community College | Ashland | January 2031 | mbcc.mass.edu |
| Toyota T-TEN (Toyota Technical Education Network) | MassBay Community College | Ashland | January 2031 | mbcc.mass.edu |
| GM ASEP (Automotive Service Educational Program) | MassBay Community College | Ashland | January 2031 | mbcc.mass.edu |
| Mopar CAP (Career Automotive Program) | MassBay Community College | Ashland | January 2031 | mbcc.mass.edu |
Contact MassBay directly to ask about each program’s intake schedule. Manufacturer-sponsored programs have limited seats, and dealers often select candidates before the semester begins.
High school programs: for students currently in secondary school
This section is written for you if you are currently enrolled in high school. These programs are not open to adult career-changers. They are run through Massachusetts vocational technical high schools and, in some cases, through public high schools with career and technical education tracks.
All 39 secondary programs in Massachusetts are listed below, including 14 that carry AYES designation. AYES stands for Automotive Youth Educational Systems. It is a structured pipeline, not a general shop class. In an AYES program, your school has a formal relationship with local franchised dealerships. You get hands-on training aligned to dealer standards, and if you perform well, you are connected to hiring opportunities at those same dealerships when you graduate. That direct link to a real job is what separates AYES from a standard auto shop program.
Programs marked AYES below are the ones with that dealer pipeline in place. Programs without that label are still ASE-accredited and give you solid foundational skills, but the structured employer connection is specific to AYES.
| School | Location | Series | AYES | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Path Regional VTHS | Charlton | Automobile | No | February 2025 |
| Blackstone Valley Regional VTHS | Upton | Automobile | Yes | November 2029 |
| Blackstone Valley Regional VTHS | Upton | Collision repair and refinishing | No | August 2027 |
| Blue Hills Regional Technical High School | Canton | Collision repair and refinishing | No | January 2025 |
| Bristol-Plymouth Reg. Technical School | Taunton | Automobile | Yes | February 2029 |
| Bristol-Plymouth Reg. Technical School | Taunton | Collision repair and refinishing | No | February 2030 |
| Dighton-Rehoboth High School | North Dighton | Automobile | Yes | June 2028 |
| Diman Regional VTHS | Fall River | Automobile | No | June 2027 |
| Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical High School | Hathorne | Automobile | Yes | April 2028 |
| Greater Lawrence Technical School | Andover | Automobile | Yes | August 2028 |
| Greater New Bedford VTHS | New Bedford | Automobile | Yes | December 2029 |
| Joseph P. Keefe Technical High School | Framingham | Automobile | No | August 2030 |
| Leominster High School Center for Technical Education | Leominster | Automobile | No | March 2030 |
| McCann Technical School | North Adams | Automobile | Yes | January 2028 |
| Minuteman RVTS | Lexington | Automobile | Yes | December 2029 |
| Montachusett RVTS | Fitchburg | Automobile | Yes | July 2031 |
| Nashoba Valley Technical High School | Westford | Automobile | No | April 2028 |
| Nashoba Valley Technical High School | Westford | Collision repair and refinishing | No | April 2024 |
| Northeast Metropolitan RVTHS | Wakefield | Automobile | No | December 2029 |
| Northeast Metropolitan RVTHS | Wakefield | Collision repair and refinishing | No | January 2028 |
| Old Colony Regional VTHS | Rochester | Automobile | No | January 2028 |
| Pathfinder RVTHS | Palmer | Automobile | Yes | April 2027 |
| Pittsfield Vocational School / Taconic H.S. | Pittsfield | Automobile | No | March 2027 |
| Plymouth South High School | Plymouth | Automobile | No | December 2024 |
| Quincy High School | Quincy | Automobile | No | September 2026 |
| Rindge School of Technical Arts | Cambridge | Automobile | No | March 2027 |
| Shawsheen Valley Technical High School | Billerica | Automobile | No | August 2027 |
| Silver Lake Regional High School | Kingston | Automobile | No | October 2026 |
| Somerville High School | Somerville | Automobile | Yes | August 2028 |
| South Shore RVTHS | Hanover | Automobile | No | June 2027 |
| Southeastern Regional VTHS | South Easton | Automobile | No | May 2027 |
| Upper Cape Cod RVTS | Bourne | Automobile | No | April 2027 |
| Waltham High School | Waltham | Automobile | Yes | April 2029 |
| Westfield Technical Academy | Westfield | Automobile | No | July 2029 |
| Westover Job Corps Center | Chicopee | Automobile | No | April 2025 |
| Weymouth High School | Weymouth | Automobile | No | September 2027 |
| Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School | Haverhill | Automobile | Yes | July 2031 |
| Worcester Technical High School | Worcester | Automobile | Yes | August 2027 |
| Worcester Technical High School | Worcester | Collision repair and refinishing | No | August 2027 |
A note on expired accreditations: several programs in this list show expiration dates that have already passed (Bay Path Regional VTHS in February 2025, Blue Hills Regional Technical High School in January 2025, Nashoba Valley’s collision repair program in April 2024, Plymouth South High School in December 2024, and Westover Job Corps Center in April 2025). They are listed here because they appear in the ASE Education Foundation directory. Contact the school directly to confirm whether the accreditation has been renewed.
What AYES means for your career start
If you attend one of the 14 AYES-designated programs above, you are not just learning to turn wrenches in a school shop. The AYES structure requires your school to maintain active relationships with area franchised dealers. Those dealers help shape what you learn, and they are watching for strong graduates. Many AYES graduates move directly into dealer apprenticeships without the search process that non-AYES graduates face.
If you are in middle school or early high school right now, look at the AYES schools near you and check their admission timelines. Many Massachusetts vocational technical schools require you to apply before your freshman year, or in some cases before 8th grade ends.
What mechanics earn in Massachusetts
Pay in this field varies by role. The figures below come from BLS May 2025 OEWS data and cover workers across all of Massachusetts.
Automotive service technicians and mechanics
This is the core job title for most people who complete an automotive program. Massachusetts has 12,710 workers in this role. The median wage is $60,760 a year. That means half of all techs in the state earn more than that, and half earn less.
Here is how pay spreads across the career:
- Bottom 10% (entry-level or part-time work): $38,370
- Bottom 25% (still early career): $45,560
- Median: $60,760
- Top 25% (experienced techs): $78,560
- Top 10% (senior specialists): $95,090
The gap between the bottom 10% and the top 10% is more than $56,000 a year. That gap reflects experience, certifications, and specialisation. A tech who earns ASE certifications and stays with a shop or dealer through the mid-career years can reach the top quartile. The mean wage is $62,960, which is slightly above the median, meaning a smaller number of high earners pull the average up.
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
Massachusetts employs 4,870 workers in this role. Diesel work pays more than general automotive. The median is $73,270, and the top 10% earn $99,460. If you are interested in fleet work, transit agencies, or heavy equipment, this is the pay scale you are aiming for. Entry-level in this trade starts around $49,400 at the 10th percentile.
Automotive body and related repairers
Body and collision repair employs 3,060 workers in Massachusetts. The median is $59,300 and the mean is nearly identical at $59,290. The top 25% earn $70,720, and the top 10% reach $77,400. Pay in this trade is somewhat compressed compared to mechanical work, meaning the spread from bottom to top is narrower. Entry starts at $45,200 at the 10th percentile.
Automotive glass installers and repairers
This is a smaller trade in Massachusetts, with 140 workers. The median wage is $58,490. The top 10% earn $83,060. Given the small workforce, individual shop conditions and geography will affect your actual pay more than the statewide median suggests.
How roles compare
Diesel and truck mechanics earn the most in Massachusetts, with a median roughly $12,500 higher than automotive service techs. Body repair and glass work sit close to each other at the median. General automotive service is the most common entry point and has the widest income growth curve if you specialise and certify over time.
All four roles show a clear pattern: pay rises sharply between the 25th and 75th percentile. That is the career-growth window, typically years three through ten on the job, where your certifications and diagnostic skills translate directly into higher pay.
How to choose your path
If you are still in high school, the first step is finding an AYES school near you and confirming its enrollment process. If you graduate without a vocational program and want to enter the trade as an adult, the post-secondary programs listed above are your options. MassBay Community College is the only school in Massachusetts with all four manufacturer-sponsored programs, so if you want a structured path to a specific brand’s dealership network, that is where to start.
If you are flexible on specialty, compare the post-secondary programs at Franklin Cummings Tech, MassBay, Mount Wachusett Community College, and the Shriver Job Corps Center. Each has a different location, schedule, and format. Upper Cape Cod RVTS is the only post-secondary option in the state with ASE accreditation specifically in collision repair and refinishing.
Contact the programs directly to ask about current intake dates, class size, and any prerequisites. Every school listed here has a public website in the table above.
Working as an automotive mechanic in Massachusetts can be a rewarding and lucrative career. With the proper education, training and certification you can find employment opportunities with dealerships, independent garages or automotive repair shops. The demand for qualified technicians is increasing so taking the steps to becoming ASE certified is highly recommended.
Sources:
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes493023.htm
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, OOH, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, http://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/automotive-service-technicians-and-mechanics.htm
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Massachusetts, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_ma.htm