What Does a Tire Technician Do?
Tire technicians mount, balance, repair and rotate tires at tire stores, dealerships, quick-lube shops, fleet garages and truck stops. A typical shift means lifting a vehicle, pulling the wheels, breaking each tire off the rim on a tire changer, mounting the new one, spin-balancing the assembly and torquing the lug nuts back to spec. In between come flat repairs, TPMS sensor service, valve stems and walking customers through what tread wear means. Commercial and farm tire work adds bigger equipment, service trucks and roadside calls. For many people it is the first job in automotive service.
Other Job Titles for This Work
Workers in this occupation report titles such as Alignment Technician, Lube Technician, Service Technician, Tire Buster, Tire Changer, Tire Installer, Tire Repairer, Tire Shop Mechanic.
Tire Technician Duties and Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of a tire technician include:
- Raise cars and light trucks on a lift or floor jack, using the manufacturer's lift points.
- Remove wheels with impact guns and lug wrenches, marking them so they go back in the right position for rotations.
- Dismount and mount tires on a tire changer without damaging alloy rims or TPMS sensors.
- Spin-balance each wheel assembly and add the clip-on or stick-on weights the balancer calls for.
- Inspect tires for tread depth, sidewall bulges, cuts, uneven wear and age, and report findings to the service writer.
- Find leaks by sight or in a dunk tank, and repair punctures from the inside with a plug-patch when the damage is in the repairable area.
- Replace valve stems and service or relearn TPMS sensors with a scan tool.
- Torque lug nuts to the vehicle's specification with a calibrated torque wrench and recheck them before the vehicle leaves.
- Set tire pressures to the door placard and record the work on the repair order.
- Keep the bay clean, stack scrap tires for disposal and maintain changers, balancers and air tools.
Required Skills and Qualifications
To succeed as a tire technician, you will need the following skills and qualifications:
- Running tire changers, wheel balancers and impact tools without scratching rims
- Knowledge of tire sizes, load ratings, speed ratings and correct inflation for each vehicle
- Proper puncture repair procedure, and knowing when a tire must be replaced instead of repaired
- TPMS service and sensor relearn with a handheld scan tool
- Strict torque discipline, since a loose wheel is the most dangerous mistake a tire tech can make
- Stamina for lifting tires and wheels all day, often in a hot or cold bay
- Industry certification in automotive tire service, which many tire chains provide or require early on
- Showing a customer a worn or damaged tire and explaining the safety issue without a hard sell
Education and Training
Tire technician jobs are open to entry-level applicants, and most training happens in the shop, with an experienced technician teaching lifting, mounting, balancing and torque procedures before you work alone. About 41 percent of workers in this occupation report a high school diploma or GED and 26 percent a post-secondary certificate, often from an automotive program at a technical school. Many tire chains put new hires through structured courses in automotive tire service that cover safety and procedures step by step. A valid driver's license is usually required for moving customer vehicles. With experience and ASE certifications, tire technicians often move into alignment, brake and general automotive technician roles.
Salary and Job Outlook
Typical pay: $34,690 - $45,300 per year, with a median of $37,710.
The range covers the middle half of earners nationwide. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Tire Repairers and Changers.
Tire technician positions are widely available at tire retailers, auto repair shops, car dealerships, and fleet maintenance operations. The consistent need for tire service ensures steady employment opportunities. Technicians who develop additional skills in alignment, brakes, and general automotive repair can advance to general service technician or lead technician positions. With experience and training, tire technicians may pursue ASE certification and transition into more comprehensive automotive service roles. Some experienced professionals advance to shop management or open their own tire service businesses.
Tire Technician Pay Range
| Earners | Annual pay |
|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $30,010 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $34,690 |
| Median (half earn more, half less) | $37,710 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $45,300 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $50,230 |
Highest-Paying States for Tire Technicians
The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Oregon ($47,650), Delaware ($46,630), Montana ($46,360), Rhode Island ($46,240), Hawaii ($45,760). Pay is lowest in Louisiana ($33,900), New Mexico ($31,640), West Virginia ($29,880).
Median pay in all 50 states with BLS data
| State | Median annual pay |
|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,010 |
| Alaska | $43,330 |
| Arizona | $38,300 |
| Arkansas | $34,450 |
| California | $39,680 |
| Colorado | $45,380 |
| Connecticut | $35,760 |
| Delaware | $46,630 |
| Florida | $34,010 |
| Georgia | $34,700 |
| Hawaii | $45,760 |
| Idaho | $37,570 |
| Illinois | $38,420 |
| Indiana | $35,800 |
| Iowa | $38,210 |
| Kansas | $37,880 |
| Kentucky | $36,300 |
| Louisiana | $33,900 |
| Maine | $38,910 |
| Maryland | $44,430 |
| Massachusetts | $36,770 |
| Michigan | $37,130 |
| Minnesota | $43,750 |
| Mississippi | $34,330 |
| Missouri | $38,920 |
| Montana | $46,360 |
| Nebraska | $36,590 |
| Nevada | $39,220 |
| New Hampshire | $37,850 |
| New Jersey | $44,440 |
| New Mexico | $31,640 |
| New York | $43,660 |
| North Carolina | $35,140 |
| North Dakota | $38,220 |
| Ohio | $41,760 |
| Oklahoma | $34,890 |
| Oregon | $47,650 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,840 |
| Rhode Island | $46,240 |
| South Carolina | $35,040 |
| South Dakota | $38,800 |
| Tennessee | $36,680 |
| Texas | $36,060 |
| Utah | $36,960 |
| Vermont | $44,480 |
| Virginia | $42,370 |
| Washington | $44,670 |
| West Virginia | $29,880 |
| Wisconsin | $39,560 |
| Wyoming | $36,370 |
What the Work Is Like
O*NET surveys people who work as tire repairers and changers about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:
- 94% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
- 90% spend more than half the workday on their feet
- 89% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important
- 81% say teamwork is very or extremely important in their job
- 78% bend or twist for more than half the day
- 77% work against deadlines every day
- 67% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
Education Workers Say the Job Needs
| Education level | Share of workers |
|---|---|
| High school diploma or GED | 41% |
| Less than high school | 27% |
| Post-secondary certificate | 26% |
Tools and Software Tire Technicians Use
Tools and equipment
Software
Is This Job a Good Fit for You?
People who do well in this job tend to enjoy hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.
Skills O*NET rates most important: Active Listening, Speaking, Critical Thinking, Service Orientation, Time Management, Monitoring.
Knowledge areas used most: Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, Administration and Management, Sales and Marketing, English Language.
Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.
Related Careers
These jobs use similar skills, according to O*NET's related-occupation data:
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Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
- O*NET 30.1 Database, occupation 49-3093.00 (Tire Repairers and Changers). View on O*NET OnLine.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. The Job Explorer has modified some of the information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed or tested these changes.