Becoming an Automotive Technician or Mechanic in Mississippi
A career in auto mechanics in Mississippi could be a great fit for anyone interested in working with and repairing vehicles. As is the case with many other industries, there are various automotive fields to choose from. Your specialty may be determined by requirements set forth by your chosen career path or personal preferences, but some of the most common types of auto mechanic jobs include service technicians, collision repair and auto body workers, diesel mechanics, and auto glass installers.
Requirements for becoming an Automotive Service Technician in Mississippi
As an auto mechanic in Mississippi, you do not need to have a professional license. However, employers may require you to hold at least a high school diploma or its equivalent. Having some postsecondary training in automotive technology can also be beneficial.
Auto mechanic training in Mississippi
Mississippi has 7,410 working automotive service technicians, according to BLS May 2025 OEWS data. That workforce is spread across dealerships, independent shops, and fleet operations from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee border. If you want to join it, you have a clear path: complete an ASE-accredited program, meaning one reviewed and approved by the ASE Education Foundation as meeting industry standards, and you enter the job market with credentials employers recognize.
This page lists every ASE-accredited program in Mississippi at the post-secondary level, every manufacturer-sponsored program, and every high-school program. The counts are exact, drawn directly from the ASE Education Foundation directory. No program has been left out.
What ASE accreditation means for you
ASE stands for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence. ASE accreditation is the recognized quality standard for automotive training programs in the US. When a school holds it, the program has been reviewed against industry benchmarks for equipment, curriculum, and instructor qualifications. Completing an accredited program does not automatically give you ASE certification, but it prepares you to test for it. Many employers screen applications by whether your school was accredited.
ASE Certification
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) is an organization that certifies automotive professionals. This certification is often sought after by mechanics, and some employers may require it in order to be hired. In order to qualify for ASE certification, one must pass a series of examinations and show proof of two years’ worth of on-the-job training.
Some of the exams offered by ASE include:
- Alternate fuels certification test
- Light truck certification tests
- Truck equipment certification tests
- Collision repair and refinish certification tests
- Damage analysis and estimating certification test
- Transit bus certification tests
- Auto maintenance and light repair certification test
Post-secondary programs in Mississippi
All 7 post-secondary programs in Mississippi are listed below. These are the programs you can enroll in as an adult or recent graduate. They are the right starting point if you want a credential that carries weight with employers right away.
Community colleges in Mississippi generally cost less per credit hour than private technical institutes, though this page does not quote specific tuition figures because they change frequently and vary by residency status. Contact each school directly for current costs.
| Institution | Location | Series | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Mississippi Community College | Mayhew | Automobile | January 2031 |
| East Mississippi Community College | Mayhew | Medium/Heavy Duty Truck | April 2030 |
| Hinds Community College – Utica | Utica | Automobile | February 2029 |
| Itawamba Community College | Tupelo | Automobile | February 2028 |
| Northwest Mississippi Community College | Senatobia | Automobile | November 2028 |
| Northwest Mississippi Community College | Senatobia | Automobile (Mopar CAP) | November 2028 |
| Tupelo Career Technical Center | Tupelo | Collision Repair and Refinishing | September 2029 |
Manufacturer-sponsored program: Mopar CAP
One program in Mississippi goes beyond the standard accredited curriculum. The Mopar Career Automotive Program, known as Mopar CAP, is a manufacturer-sponsored program that combines college coursework with paid placement at a Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, or Fiat dealership. You earn manufacturer-specific certification alongside your academic credential. That means you graduate with dealership work experience, a paycheck from your training period, and a certification that Stellantis dealerships across the country recognize.
This is materially different from a general automotive certificate. A generic program trains you broadly. Mopar CAP trains you to a specific brand standard and connects you to a dealer network before you finish. Outcomes tend to be stronger because the employer relationship starts during training, not after.
| Institution | Location | Program | Series | Accreditation expires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Mississippi Community College | Senatobia | Mopar CAP | Automobile | November 2028 |
If you are near the Senatobia area or willing to relocate, this program is worth contacting first. The combination of paid dealership experience and brand certification is not available anywhere else in Mississippi.
High school programs in Mississippi
This section is for you if you are currently in high school. These programs are secondary-level and are not open to adult career-changers. They are the right starting point if you want to enter the trade early and build skills before graduation.
Mississippi has 41 ASE-accredited secondary programs. Three of them carry the AYES designation. AYES stands for Automotive Youth Educational Systems. It is a structured pipeline from high school directly into a dealership, not a general shop class. In an AYES program, you work with a sponsoring dealer while still in school. You build a relationship with a real employer before you graduate. That is something a standard high school auto class does not give you. No other source compiles all 41 of these programs in one place.
All 41 secondary programs in Mississippi are listed below. AYES programs are marked in the table.
If you are in an AYES program at Biloxi Career and Technology Center, New Albany School of Career and Technology, or South Panola CTE Center, you have a direct link to a dealership sponsor that other high school programs do not provide. Ask your instructor about the dealer partner and how the placement process works.
Auto Mechanic Jobs and Salary Expectations
Pay varies by role and by how far you have moved in your career. The figures below come from BLS May 2025 OEWS data and cover four distinct occupations in Mississippi.
Automotive service technicians and mechanics
This is the largest group, with 7,410 people employed in Mississippi. The median wage is $37,820 per year. That means half of all technicians in the state earn more than that and half earn less. At the lower end of the range, the 10th percentile earns $28,650. At the 25th percentile, pay is $32,630. As you build skills and certifications, pay rises sharply: the 75th percentile earns $55,000, and the 90th percentile earns $74,000. The gap between a beginner and an experienced, certified technician is large. That progression is driven mainly by the number of ASE certifications you hold and the complexity of work you can handle.
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists
There are 3,140 diesel specialists employed in Mississippi. The median wage is $54,360, which is meaningfully higher than the median for general auto technicians. The mean is $56,670. The 10th percentile starts at $37,390, and the 90th percentile reaches $82,020. If you complete the Medium/Heavy Duty Truck program at East Mississippi Community College, this is the wage range you are aiming for. Diesel work tends to pay more than light-vehicle work at every point in the career.
Automotive body and related repairers
Collision repair employs 1,380 people in Mississippi. The median wage is $49,500 and the mean is $52,140. The lowest 10 percent earn $31,110, while the top 10 percent earn $73,810. Tupelo Career Technical Center is the only post-secondary program in Mississippi with ASE accreditation in Collision Repair and Refinishing, which makes it a direct path into this wage range.
Automotive glass installers and repairers
This is a smaller specialty with 210 people employed in Mississippi. The median wage is $47,060 and the mean is $49,040. The 10th percentile earns $29,290 and the 90th percentile earns $76,070. The range is wide, which reflects the difference between entry-level work and experienced technicians running their own mobile operations or working for large fleet accounts.
How pay progresses across a career
The pattern across all four occupations is consistent. Entry-level pay in Mississippi for these trades runs roughly in the high $20,000s to mid-$30,000s. Mid-career technicians with several ASE certifications and five or more years of experience move into the $50,000 to $65,000 range. The top earners, typically those with master technician status or diesel credentials, earn $73,000 to $82,000 per year in this state. Diesel and collision specialties pay more at the median than general auto repair, so your program choice has a direct effect on your earnings ceiling.
How to choose the right program for you
Start with location. Mississippi is a large state, and commuting to Senatobia from the Gulf Coast is not practical. Find the accredited program closest to you first.
Then look at the series. If you want to work on cars and light trucks, any Automobile series program works. If you want diesel and heavy truck work and the higher pay that comes with it, East Mississippi Community College in Mayhew is your only ASE-accredited option in Mississippi. If you want collision repair, Tupelo Career Technical Center is your only accredited post-secondary option in the state.
If you want the fastest path into a dealership job, contact Northwest Mississippi Community College about Mopar CAP. That program gives you paid work experience and a manufacturer certification before you graduate.
Check each school’s accreditation expiration date. All seven post-secondary programs listed here hold active accreditation. Programs with expirations in 2028 are due for renewal soon; that is not a red flag, but it is worth confirming the school is pursuing renewal when you apply.
Visit the school websites linked in the tables above, confirm current program availability, and ask each admissions office about enrollment deadlines and prerequisites. The next step is yours to take.
Working as an Auto Mechanic in Mississippi
If you’re looking for a career in the automotive field, Mississippi is an excellent place to start. With its excellent education opportunities, certifications and job outlooks, you can be sure that your skills will be in demand. Auto mechanics enjoy working in a popular and lucrative industry where there are numerous challenging and rewarding positions available.
Source:
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/automotive-service-technicians-and-mechanics.htm