How to become an auto electrician in Australia
Automotive Electricians install, maintain and repair electrical wiring and electronic components in motor vehicles.
The all-jobs median is $1,852 a week. Jobs in the automotive electricians group are projected to grow 7.8% between May 2025 and May 2035, slower than the 13.3% projected for all jobs. Projections are indicative, not forecasts, and JSA says they don't yet reflect generative AI.
What the job involves
- Using test equipment to locate electrical and electronic malfunctions
- Dismantling and removing electrical and electronic assemblies and components
- Installing electrical equipment and electronic components in motor vehicles
- Connecting power-operated vehicle equipment and accessories to power supply
- Adjusting engine control systems and timing
- Testing and replacing defective alternators, generators, voltage regulators and starter motors
How to get there
What it usually takes. A Certificate III or IV, including at least two years of on-the-job training where it is a Certificate III. This is the skill level Jobs and Skills Australia gives the automotive electricians group, and some roles differ.
What people in the job have. Highest qualification held: 2% a degree or higher, 3% a diploma, 76% a Certificate III or IV.
Apprenticeship or traineeship. Automotive Electrician is on the Australian Apprenticeships Priority List (1 April 2026), with qualifications including Certificate III in Automotive Electrical Technology, Certificate III in Automotive Electric Vehicle Technology, Certificate IV in Automotive Electrical Technology. Find a provider at Your Career or your state's TAFE.
Many jobs also need registration, a licence or a specific accredited course. Check the professional body or regulator before you choose.
Courses that can lead here
Estimate your ATAR and this page shows the gap to each course. Your marks stay on your device.
We haven't matched this job to courses in the admissions lists. It usually starts with training on the job or at a registered training provider, not a course through an admissions centre. See Your Career.
Does it fit your interests?
Strongest interest areas for this kind of work: Realistic, Conventional, Investigative.
From O*NET ratings for "Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles", the closest US occupation in JSA's correspondence (a good match). US ratings are a guide to Australian jobs, not a measurement of them.
Careers with similar interests
Motor mechanic$1,622 Air conditioning mechanic$2,100 Diesel mechanic$1,622 Aircraft maintenance engineer$1,980 Electrician$2,191Done this job, or studied for it?
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Share your storyJob data: © Commonwealth of Australia, Jobs and Skills Australia occupation profiles, February 2026 and Employment Projections, May 2025 to May 2035 (Victoria University), CC BY 4.0. Jobs and Skills Australia, ANZSCO 2013 Version 1.2 to O*NET-SOC 2019 Taxonomy correspondence.
Apprenticeships: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Australian Apprenticeships Priority List, 1 April 2026.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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. Curve ATAR has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.