Automotive Engineering Technicians
Architecture and Engineering Occupations- O*NET-SOC code
- 17-3027.01
Assist engineers in determining the practicality of proposed product design changes and plan and carry out tests on experimental test devices or equipment for performance, durability, or efficiency.
- Data source: BLSPublished: 2026-08
High· relative
LowFour relative bandsVery highGroup-level value
Scale, basis and source
Four relative bands (Low / Moderate / High / Very high)
831 detailed occupations in the BLS Employment Projections table. Assigned per National Employment Matrix (NEM) code, so occupations sharing a NEM code carry the same band
- Data source: AnthropicPublished: 2026-03
0.068
0.000Range of values carried here0.745Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Observed exposure index, 0–1 as published
Mapped onto O*NET tasks
Published per SOC 2018 occupation; every O*NET occupation with the same SOC 2018 code carries this value
- Data source: ILOPublished: 2025
0.26
0.09Range of values carried here0.70Group-level value
Scale, basis and source
Generative AI exposure index, 0–1 as published
Published per ISCO-08 unit group. Linked to this occupation, wholly or in part, by applying U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (ISCO-08 to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to 2018 SOC) as published
What kind of figure this source publishes
The BLS category is a relative rank, not an absolute level, and it is not a first-hand measurement: it groups an occupation's percentile ranks across several published studies into four bands. It is not an employment or wage forecast, not a probability of adoption, and it does not separate automation from augmentation.
Task-level exposure
Exposed tasks only18 rated tasks · 9 tasks with β ≥ 0.5 (50.0%)
β = direct exposure (E1) + 0.5 × exposure when tools are available (E2), per the source repository's definition.
- Source unit: O*NET 27.2 tasks → O*NET 31.0 occupation code
- All rated tasks are in the O*NET 31.0 task list.
- Source
- OpenAI "GPTs are GPTs" exposure rubric
- Release
- gh-main-0471612
- License
- MIT License, Copyright (c) 2024 OpenAI
| Task (O*NET 20.1) | Claude.aiRaw / share % |
|---|---|
Document test results, using cameras, spreadsheets, documents, or other tools.17-3027.01 | 0.030143.9 |
Set up mechanical, hydraulic, or electric test equipment in accordance with engineering specifications, standards, or test procedures.17-3027.01 | 0.022833.3 |
Read and interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, or charts.17-3027.01 | 0.00639.1 |
Participate in research or testing of computerized automotive applications, such as telemetrics, intelligent transportation systems, artificial intelligence, or automatic control.17-3027.01 | 0.00608.7 |
Analyze test data for automotive systems, subsystems, or component parts.17-3027.01 | 0.00344.9 |
| Not observed on any surface — 13 task(s) — These tasks have no row in the source for this release. The 0 in the share row is a display-stage composition ratio; absence is what the — in the raw row states. | |
Build instrumentation or laboratory test equipment for special purposes. | —0 |
Order new test equipment, supplies, or replacement parts. | —0 |
Recommend tests or testing conditions in accordance with designs, customer requirements, or industry standards to ensure test validity. | —0 |
Monitor computer-controlled test equipment, according to written or verbal instructions. | —0 |
Maintain test equipment in operational condition by performing routine maintenance or making minor repairs or adjustments as needed. | —0 |
Install equipment, such as instrumentation, test equipment, engines, or aftermarket products, to ensure proper interfaces. | —0 |
Inspect or test parts to determine nature or cause of defects or malfunctions. | —0 |
Fabricate new or modify existing prototype components or fixtures. | —0 |
Recommend product or component design improvements, based on test data or observations. | —0 |
Perform or execute manual or automated tests of automotive system or component performance, efficiency, or durability. | —0 |
Analyze performance of vehicles or components that have been redesigned to increase fuel efficiency, such as camless or dual-clutch engines or alternative types of air-conditioning systems. | —0 |
Improve fuel efficiency by testing vehicles or components that use lighter materials, such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, or plastic. | —0 |
Test performance of vehicles that use alternative fuels, such as alcohol blends, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, biodiesel, nano diesel, or alternative power methods, such as solar energy or hydrogen fuel cells. | —0 |
Values in this tab are predicted labels, not observations. Eloundou et al. (2023) published two rating regimes — human raters and GPT-4 — and the β shown here is derived from the GPT-4 rater basis alone; the same task can take a different value under the other regime. The unit and the meaning differ from the observed shares (%) in the other tabs, so do not place them on the same axis.
| Task (O*NET 27.2) | βE1 + 0.5 × E2 |
|---|---|
Monitor computer-controlled test equipment, according to written or verbal instructions.O*NET Task ID 16601 | 1.0 |
Order new test equipment, supplies, or replacement parts.O*NET Task ID 16598 | 0.5 |
Recommend tests or testing conditions in accordance with designs, customer requirements, or industry standards to ensure test validity.O*NET Task ID 16600 | 0.5 |
Read and interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, or charts.O*NET Task ID 16602 | 0.5 |
Document test results, using cameras, spreadsheets, documents, or other tools.O*NET Task ID 16606 | 0.5 |
Analyze test data for automotive systems, subsystems, or component parts.O*NET Task ID 16608 | 0.5 |
Recommend product or component design improvements, based on test data or observations.O*NET Task ID 16610 | 0.5 |
Analyze performance of vehicles or components that have been redesigned to increase fuel efficiency, such as camless or dual-clutch engines or alternative types of air-conditioning systems.O*NET Task ID 19696 | 0.5 |
Participate in research or testing of computerized automotive applications, such as telemetrics, intelligent transportation systems, artificial intelligence, or automatic control.O*NET Task ID 19698 | 0.5 |
Build instrumentation or laboratory test equipment for special purposes.O*NET Task ID 16597 | 0.0 |
Set up mechanical, hydraulic, or electric test equipment in accordance with engineering specifications, standards, or test procedures.O*NET Task ID 16599 | 0.0 |
Maintain test equipment in operational condition by performing routine maintenance or making minor repairs or adjustments as needed.O*NET Task ID 16603 | 0.0 |
Install equipment, such as instrumentation, test equipment, engines, or aftermarket products, to ensure proper interfaces.O*NET Task ID 16604 | 0.0 |
Inspect or test parts to determine nature or cause of defects or malfunctions.O*NET Task ID 16605 | 0.0 |
Fabricate new or modify existing prototype components or fixtures.O*NET Task ID 16607 | 0.0 |
Perform or execute manual or automated tests of automotive system or component performance, efficiency, or durability.O*NET Task ID 16611 | 0.0 |
Improve fuel efficiency by testing vehicles or components that use lighter materials, such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, or plastic.O*NET Task ID 19697 | 0.0 |
Test performance of vehicles that use alternative fuels, such as alcohol blends, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, biodiesel, nano diesel, or alternative power methods, such as solar energy or hydrogen fuel cells.O*NET Task ID 19699 | 0.0 |
β = E1 + 0.5 × E2 · E1 = tasks where direct LLM access alone cuts time by at least 50%, E2 = tasks where software built on top of an LLM cuts time by at least 50%. Values take only 0 / 0.5 / 1.0.
Data sources & licenses — O*NET®, Anthropic Economic Index, Eloundou et al. (2023): see full notices on the Credits page
All O*NET 31.0 task statements (18)
All O*NET 31.0 task statements for this occupation (English, as published; task type core or supplemental). Exposure values are not listed here; they are in the table above, next to each task statement as worded in the O*NET version each source used.
| Task (O*NET 31.0) | Type |
|---|---|
| Build instrumentation or laboratory test equipment for special purposes. | Core |
| Order new test equipment, supplies, or replacement parts. | Core |
| Set up mechanical, hydraulic, or electric test equipment in accordance with engineering specifications, standards, or test procedures. | Core |
| Recommend tests or testing conditions in accordance with designs, customer requirements, or industry standards to ensure test validity. | Core |
| Monitor computer-controlled test equipment, according to written or verbal instructions. | Core |
| Read and interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, or charts. | Core |
| Maintain test equipment in operational condition by performing routine maintenance or making minor repairs or adjustments as needed. | Core |
| Install equipment, such as instrumentation, test equipment, engines, or aftermarket products, to ensure proper interfaces. | Core |
| Inspect or test parts to determine nature or cause of defects or malfunctions. | Core |
| Document test results, using cameras, spreadsheets, documents, or other tools. | Core |
| Fabricate new or modify existing prototype components or fixtures. | Core |
| Analyze test data for automotive systems, subsystems, or component parts. | Core |
| Recommend product or component design improvements, based on test data or observations. | Core |
| Perform or execute manual or automated tests of automotive system or component performance, efficiency, or durability. | Core |
| Analyze performance of vehicles or components that have been redesigned to increase fuel efficiency, such as camless or dual-clutch engines or alternative types of air-conditioning systems. | Core |
| Improve fuel efficiency by testing vehicles or components that use lighter materials, such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, or plastic. | Core |
| Participate in research or testing of computerized automotive applications, such as telemetrics, intelligent transportation systems, artificial intelligence, or automatic control. | Core |
| Test performance of vehicles that use alternative fuels, such as alcohol blends, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, biodiesel, nano diesel, or alternative power methods, such as solar energy or hydrogen fuel cells. | Core |
0.32/ 3· Robot exposure index
Scale, basis and source
Each physical task is graded 0–3 by the setting in which robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated could do it (0 none · 1 purpose-built robot settings such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line · 2 structured facilities such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port · 3 unstructured settings such as a private home or a construction site), and the grades are averaged by share of working time
Physical tasks among this occupation's O*NET 29.3 tasks
Anthropic estimated the grades and time shares with Claude Opus 5 using web search, as of 2026.
The robot exposure index is a different measure from the AI exposure figures on this site and cannot be added to or compared with them. It does not measure actual adoption or cost, and 0 also covers occupations with no physical tasks.
Tier of each physical task
Robot environment tiers (E0–E3)
E0 noneDetails
Rated not doable by robots that have been deployed, sold or demonstrated, even in a purpose-built setting
E1 purpose-built robot settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting built around the machine, such as a fenced machine cell or a bottling line
E2 structured facilitiesDetails
Rated doable in a human work facility that an institution keeps to a working standard, such as a hospital pharmacy or a container port
E3 unstructured settingsDetails
Rated doable in a setting that no institution keeps to a working standard, such as a private home or a construction site
Only tasks classified as physical are listed; other tasks have no tier in the source.
| Task (O*NET 29.3) | Robot environment tier |
|---|---|
| Build instrumentation or laboratory test equipment for special purposes. | E0 none |
| Set up mechanical, hydraulic, or electric test equipment in accordance with engineering specifications, standards, or test procedures. | E0 none |
| Maintain test equipment in operational condition by performing routine maintenance or making minor repairs or adjustments as needed. | E0 none |
| Install equipment, such as instrumentation, test equipment, engines, or aftermarket products, to ensure proper interfaces. | E0 none |
| Inspect or test parts to determine nature or cause of defects or malfunctions. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Fabricate new or modify existing prototype components or fixtures. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Perform or execute manual or automated tests of automotive system or component performance, efficiency, or durability. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Improve fuel efficiency by testing vehicles or components that use lighter materials, such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, or plastic. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Participate in research or testing of computerized automotive applications, such as telemetrics, intelligent transportation systems, artificial intelligence, or automatic control. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
| Test performance of vehicles that use alternative fuels, such as alcohol blends, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, biodiesel, nano diesel, or alternative power methods, such as solar energy or hydrogen fuel cells. | E1 purpose-built robot settings |
Occupation information
Employment outlook (BLS)
Values for the whole SOC 17-3027 group (Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians), not for this O*NET occupation alone.
- Employment, 2025
- 37K
- Projected employment, 2035
- 37K
- Change (2025–35)
- +1.3%
- Median annual wage, 2025
- $74,510
- Typical education needed for entry
- Associate's degree
Korea classification links (KSCO)
Links from the current release of the Korea Occupation Direct Crosswalk v1.1, made by AI Changing Work. Relation values are read from the O*NET-SOC occupation side.
| KSCO code | KSCO title | Relation | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23531 | 기계공학 시험원 | This occupation is narrower | confirmed |
Relation and status definitions(kr-direct v1.1)
ILO occupational description
AI Changing Work links the ISCO-08 unit groups below to this occupation by applying the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics crosswalks (2018 SOC to 2010 SOC, 2010 SOC to ISCO-08) as published, without case-by-case selection; each link may be whole or partial.
- ISCO-08 3115Mechanical Engineering Technicians
Sources: ILO ISCO-08 — details: Credits
ESCO occupational vocabulary
Each entry below is matched to this occupation in the published ESCO-O*NET Crosswalk (version 1, 2022). The match types are that crosswalk's; the wording is AI Changing Work's.
- automotive engineering technicianESCO 3115.1.4Same scope
Automotive engineering technicians work with automotive engineers to operate, repair, maintain and test equipment used in motor vehicles. In some environments, such as an airport they are responsible for keeping equipment and vehicles serviceable. They review blueprints and designs to determine test specifications and procedures. Automotive engineering technicians use software to make sure that parts of a motor vehicle are functioning properly. They record test procedures and results, and make recommendations for changes.
- motor vehicle engine inspectorESCO 3115.1.11This occupation is broader
Motor vehicle engine inspectors inspect diesel, gas, petrol and electric engines used for cars, buses, trucks etc. in assembly facilities such as factories and mechanic shops to ensure compliance with safety standards and regulations. They conduct routine, post-overhaul, pre-availability and post-casualty inspections. They provide documentation for repair activities and technical support to maintenance and repair centres. They review administrative records, analyse the operating performance of engines and report their findings.
- motor vehicle engine testerESCO 3115.1.12Overlapping, not the same
Motor vehicle engine testers test the performance of diesel, petrol, gas and electric engines in specialised facilities such as laboratories. They position or give directions to workers positioning engines on the test stand. They use hand tools and machinery to position and connect the engine to the test stand. They use computerised equipment to enter, read and record test data such as temperature, speed, fuel consumption, oil and exhaust pressure.
Source: European Commission, DG EMPL — ESCO API 2026-08-08 (bridge v1.2.1)
License: CC BY 4.0 (EU Reuse Notice)
ESCO reuse terms and the modification notice are in Credits.
France classification links (ROME)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and ROME 4.0 job profiles, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side. Links marked “provisional” were adopted on the judgments of two judges from the same model family (Claude) alone, or by an operator rule applied to their judgments, so they rest on weaker evidence than confirmed links.
| ROME code | ROME title (French) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| H1210 | Technicien / Technicienne R&D | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| H1224 | Technicien / Technicienne de laboratoire de recherche-développement | Related, not a matchprovisional |
| I1604 | Mécanicien / Mécanicienne automobile | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: France Travail — Répertoire Opérationnel des Métiers et des Emplois (ROME 4.0), version 61, last updated 15 June 2026 (https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/repertoire-operationnel-des-metiers-et-des-emplois-rome). Licence Ouverte 2.0.
ROME codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET-SOC occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a France Travail correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: fr-direct v1)
Spain classification links (CNO-11)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and CNO-11 occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| CNO-11 code | CNO-11 title (Spanish) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 3126 | Técnicos en mecánica | This occupation is narrowerprovisional |
| 3160 | Técnicos de control de calidad de las ciencias físicas, químicas y de las ingenierías | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE), National Classification of Occupations 2011 (CNO-11, Royal Decree 1591/2010) — www.ine.es · Licensed CC BY 4.0. CNO-11 codes and Spanish titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not an INE correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: es-direct v1)
Germany classification links (KldB)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and KldB occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| KldB code | KldB title (German) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 25213 | Berufe in der Kraftfahrzeugtechnik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 27103 | Berufe in der technischen Forschung und Entwicklung (ohne Spezialisierung) - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a match |
| 26333 | Berufe in der Luftverkehrs-, Schiffs- und Fahrzeugelektronik - komplexe Spezialistentätigkeiten | Related, not a matchprovisional |
Source: © Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit — Klassifikation der Berufe 2010 – überarbeitete Fassung 2020, https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de. KldB codes and titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own mapping (eigene Zuordnung) and are not a Bundesagentur für Arbeit correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: de-direct v1)
Japan classification links (JSCO)
AI Changing Work's links between this occupation and JSCO occupations, judged with AI models. Relations are read from this occupation's side.
| JSCO code | JSCO title (Japanese) | Relation |
|---|---|---|
| 074 | 自動車技術者（開発） | This occupation is narrower |
Source: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC), Japan Standard Occupational Classification (Dec. 2009, MIC Notification No. 555). JSCO codes and Japanese titles are reproduced unchanged; the links to O*NET occupations are AI Changing Work's own judgment and are not a MIC correspondence.
(AI Changing Work link release: jp-direct v1)
Sources, licenses and AI Changing Work's modification and translation notices for this page: Credits & sources