If you love working on vehicles and being around them, there are plenty of career options that would be a perfect for you. Of course, there are a few obvious ones that come to mind, such as driver or mechanic (which still deserve top spots on a list like this), but there are actually a number of other professions that will let you work on or around automobiles. With that said, here are the eight most ideal jobs for car enthusiasts:
1. Automotive Engineer or Designer
If you want to be involved in actually engineering and designing vehicle prototypes and upcoming commercial car models, you might want to look into earning an automotive engineering degree. In particular, a masters in engineering with a specialization in advanced mobility could prepare you to work on the next generation of autonomous vehicles (if you want to learn more, click this link). While self-driving cars are still relatively rare, in the next 1-2 decades they’ll become commonplace and there will be an ongoing demand for competent engineers in that sector.
2. Driver
If you just want a job that lets you enjoy your own vehicle all day, you might want to sign up to become a driver for a rideshare app like Lyft or Uber. If your favorite part about cars is the act of driving itself, you might want to look into a job as taxi or truck driver. Or, if you’re the more adventurous type, you could become a stunt driver. If you want to be able to test drive a bunch of different kinds of vehicles while at work, consider a job as a valet.
3. Mechanic
If you’re fascinated by the inner workings of automobiles and you want to know how to work on your own cars, becoming a certified auto mechanic might be the best career choice. You can make $80/hour or more and you’ll be working on cars day in and day out. Plus, it only takes about 1-2 years of vocational schooling to earn a diploma or certificate that can get you a job at a local repair shop. Eventually, you could open your own shop as a master mechanic or start a car lot that fixes up and sells used vehicles. To get started, you’ll need all the right tools and there’s no better place to get them than at a discount store online for the best and most affordable options!
4. Auto Salesperson
As an auto salesperson, you’ll be around a variety of car models every day at work. This would be an ideal fit for someone who has experience working in the customer service industry or is knowledgeable about a specific kind of vehicle. For example, if you’re a fan of BMWs, you could work at a BMW dealership. Keep in mind that you’ll need to prove your ability to convert leads and make sales, so you not only need to be enthusiastic about cars, you also need to have a persuasive personality.
5. Automotive Blogger or Journalist
If you like reading and writing about cars, becoming an automotive blogger or journalist could be an ideal career path to take. In fact, you could do both simultaneously – run your own blog and write journalistic stories for a car magazine, newspaper, or other popular publication. Another benefit of being an auto journalist is that you’ll occasionally be asked to visit events in order to interview manufacturers and car company reps about developments surrounding the latest models and prototypes. Automotive blogging is a great option for someone who doesn’t want to earn a degree and only needs to supplement their income. However, with enough work and patience, a well-monetized car blog can eventually blossom into a full-time income.
6. Body Repair Specialist
Automotive body repair specialists get to work on all sorts of vehicles and have the unique advantage of being able to restore badly damaged vehicles to like new condition. Of course, such a skill can also come in handy if you ever wind up in a fender bender or other damaging accident because you won’t have to pay someone else to fix the damage for you. Needless to say, the ability to quickly correct any aesthetic issues yourself is a major perk that most car enthusiasts would love to have on standby.
7. Car Historian, Consultant, or Author
If you already know a lot about cars, or you’re an experienced collector, you could turn your expertise into a career by becoming a car historian. Vehicle collectors will often pay for the services of a historian or consultant to help them make a buying decision or conduct an appraisal. You could also write a book about cars, either fictional or non-fictional. Anyone who has a knack for car trivia can brush up on their facts and become a paid expert with a bit of research and hard work.
8. Vehicle Assemblyman
If you’re interested in learning about and participating in the actual construction of cars, you might want to look into a career as a vehicle assemblyman. However, be prepared to be held to a high productivity standard, as workers at car factories are expected to move fast and efficiently on the production line. It’s not an easy job, but it will give you an inside view of how cars are built, which most people never get to see. Professionals in the vehicle manufacturing sector can earn salaries as high as $80,000 – $100,000 per year for advanced positions and $16-$25 per hour for entry level positions, depending on the company and job description.
Other Car Lover Jobs Worth Mentioning
While the above eight are probably the most intriguing career options on the table for car enthusiasts, there are a number of other occupations to consider. Once you’ve earned a degree, you could try to become a teacher or professor for automotive-related classes at a university. On the flip side, if you just want a job that’s easy to get and won’t require any formal education, you could just apply at a few local car washes until you get hired. You could also work as an accountant for a dealership or become a marketer that specializes in advertising in the automotive niche.
