Installation, Maintenance, and Repair · Holland code RCI

Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles

Install, diagnose, or repair communications, sound, security, or navigation equipment in motor vehicles.

Also called: Auto Tech (Automotive Technician), Car Stereo Installer, Electronic Technician, Installer, Car Alarm Installer, Car Electronics Installer, Electronic Equipment Installer, Installation Technician.

O*NET 49-2096.00

At a glance

US median annual pay: $48,420; Middle half earn $43,310 to $58,500. BLS OEWS, May 2025.
Most common education: Post-Secondary Certificate; 47% of workers surveyed by O*NET report this level.
Preparation needed: Job Zone 3 of 5; Medium preparation. Zone 1 is little or none; zone 5 is graduate-level.

What the work involves

The tasks workers in this occupation rate as most important, from the O*NET survey.

Estimate costs of repairs, based on parts and labor charges.
Install equipment and accessories, such as stereos, navigation equipment, communication equipment, and security systems.
Inspect and test electrical or electronic systems to locate and diagnose malfunctions, using visual inspections and testing instruments, such as oscilloscopes and voltmeters.
Diagnose or repair problems with electronic equipment, such as sound, navigation, communication, and security equipment, in motor vehicles.
Confer with customers to determine the nature of malfunctions.
Record results of diagnostic tests.
Splice wires with knives or cutting pliers, and solder connections to fixtures and equipment.
Run new speaker and electrical cables.

Skills and knowledge it leans on

Skills

Critical Thinking3.5 / 5
Active Listening3.4 / 5
Reading Comprehension3.1 / 5
Speaking3.0 / 5
Writing2.9 / 5
Monitoring2.9 / 5

Knowledge areas

Mechanical4.1 / 5
Computers and Electronics4.0 / 5
Customer and Personal Service3.6 / 5
Mathematics3.6 / 5
English Language3.3 / 5
Engineering and Technology3.2 / 5

Importance ratings on O*NET’s 1 to 5 scale. Higher means the occupation depends on it more.

Who tends to enjoy it

How strongly this occupation draws on each of the six Holland interest types, which is the same profile the career interests test compares you against.

Realistic100
Investigative41
Artistic0
Social5
Enterprising0
Conventional56

The same work abroad

Other countries classify jobs differently, so these are the closest matches through the international ISCO-08 standard, not exact equivalents.

European occupation titles (ESCO)

electronics engineering technician · DE Techniker im Bereich Elektronik/Technikerin im Bereich Elektronik · FR technicien électronicien/technicienne électronicienne
automotive battery technician · DE Fahrzeugbatterie-Techniker/Fahrzeugbatterie-Technikerin · FR technicien en batterie automobile/technicienne en batterie automobile
automotive electrician · DE Kraftfahrzeugelektriker/Kraftfahrzeugelektrikerin · FR électricien automobile/électricienne automobile
marine electrician · DE Schiffselektriker/Schiffselektrikerin · FR électricien de marine/électricienne de marine
consumer electronics repair technician · DE Kundendiensttechniker - Unterhaltungselektronik/Kundendiensttechnikerin - Unterhaltungselektronik · FR réparateur de biens de consommation électroniques/réparatrice de biens de consommation électroniques
marine electronics technician · DE Schiffselektrotechniker/Schiffselektrotechnikerin · FR technicien électronique de maintenance marine/technicienne électronique de maintenance marine

Closest UK occupation groups (SOC 2020)

Computer system and equipment installers and servicers (5244)41,000 employed
Assemblers (electrical and electronic products) (8141)24,400 employed
Electrical service and maintenance mechanics and repairers (5246)43,300 employed

Employment is the UK Annual Population Survey for April 2025 to March 2026, all workers in the group, which can be broader than this one occupation.

Pay across Europe, for the whole group

Median annual earnings of all employees in “Craft and related trades workers”. This is the broad ISCO group this occupation falls in, not the occupation itself, so treat it as context for the wage level, not as a salary for this job.

Median annual earnings, Craft and related trades workers, by country
Country	Median pay
Belgium	€40,086
Germany	€38,638
Austria	€38,194
Sweden	€37,856
Netherlands	€37,077
Ireland	€36,098
France	€27,145
Italy	€26,488
Spain	€22,817
Portugal	€11,142
Poland	€10,099

Eurostat Structure of Earnings Survey, businesses with ten or more employees outside public administration, in euro and not adjusted for the cost of living. Reference years differ between sources: the US, Japan and Europe figures on this page come from different survey years, so compare them as rough levels, not to the euro or yen.

Exposure to AI

This occupation sits in the lower third of the 774 occupations scored, with an exposure score of -0.79. The scores are standardized across those occupations, so 0 is the average and a score of 1 is about one standard deviation above it.

Our note on reading it: the dataset links AI applications to the abilities that occupations require, so the score reflects overlap between the two. It is a comparison between occupations, not a forecast about jobs. It does not say whether exposure means tasks are replaced or workers get more done with the tools, and it says little about one employer or one role.

Source: Felten, E., Raj, M., & Seamans, R. (2021). Occupational, industry, and geographic exposure to artificial intelligence: A novel dataset and its potential uses. Strategic Management Journal, 42(12), 2195-2217. Matched to this page by 6-digit SOC code (49-2096).

Is it a fit for you?

Interest is one input, alongside ability, pay and what is hiring near you. The career interests test takes about thirteen minutes and ranks occupations by how closely their profile matches yours.

Take the career interests test