Your work. Your records.
Automotive Body Repairer Workplace Records
Body repair may pass through surface preparation, replacement-part fitting, refinishing and final inspection. An employment concern needs to distinguish those stages and who approved each one. Describe the general repair assignment and compensation question without retaining customer vehicle histories or assuming a later defect arose during your part of the work.
Call now(800) 800-5555Free initial case evaluation. Representation depends on work state and case eligibility. This guide explains record preparation; it does not determine whether a legal claim exists.
A record map for your role
What to organize first
Repair sequence
List the stages you handled and where inspection or authorization passed to another role.
Credit explanation
Pair your own pay-plan wording with the specific adjustment and management response.
Rework instruction
Record the reason given for further work without copying customer or insurance files.
Start with the work you actually do
Repair and refinish automotive vehicle bodies and straighten vehicle frames.
O*NET classifies this occupation as Automotive Body and Related Repairers (49-3021.00). Its description covers a typical occupation, not every workplace or individual job. It does not establish employee status, overtime eligibility or employer misconduct.
- File, grind, sand, and smooth filled or repaired surfaces, using power tools and hand tools.Source task 2933 · updated 08/2019
- Inspect repaired vehicles for proper functioning, completion of work, dimensional accuracy, and overall appearance of paint job, and test-drive vehicles to ensure proper alignment and handling.Source task 18580 · updated 08/2019
- Fit and weld replacement parts into place, using wrenches and welding equipment, and grind down welds to smooth them, using power grinders and other tools.Source task 2943 · updated 08/2019
- Prime and paint repaired surfaces, using paint sprayguns and motorized sanders.Source task 2938 · updated 08/2019
A reference point for your pay records
May 2025 wage estimates by state
Compare your pay records with published BLS estimates for Automotive Body and Related Repairers (SOC 49-3021). These describe an occupation across employers. They are not a required pay rate, an overtime calculation, or evidence of discrimination or unpaid wages.
Select your work state to see its published pay range. No personal pay information is requested or sent.
The 25th and 75th percentiles mark the middle half of the estimated wage distribution; the median is its midpoint. Actual pay can differ with experience, employer, location and duties. Hourly and annual figures are shown as published, without converting one into the other.
All published state estimates for this occupation
| State | Hourly 25th | Hourly median | Hourly 75th | Annual median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $21.18 | $25.02 | $29.53 | $52,040 |
| Alaska | $27.44 | $29.65 | $36.16 | $61,680 |
| Arizona | $22.51 | $26.21 | $29.09 | $54,510 |
| Arkansas | $19.79 | $23.71 | $29.17 | $49,310 |
| Connecticut | $22.83 | $27.99 | $34.46 | $58,220 |
| Delaware | $20.91 | $23.45 | $30.36 | $48,780 |
| Florida | $21.50 | $23.36 | $29.64 | $48,600 |
| Georgia | $21.86 | $24.61 | $29.65 | $51,190 |
| Hawaii | $22.79 | $29.11 | $34.48 | $60,540 |
| Idaho | $18.88 | $23.65 | $29.67 | $49,200 |
| Indiana | $22.06 | $24.60 | $30.02 | $51,160 |
| Iowa | $20.86 | $23.75 | $30.42 | $49,400 |
| Kansas | $21.53 | $23.52 | $29.55 | $48,920 |
| Kentucky | $17.07 | $22.15 | $28.01 | $46,080 |
| Louisiana | $18.43 | $22.67 | $29.41 | $47,150 |
| Maine | $22.26 | $24.21 | $28.41 | $50,350 |
| Michigan | $22.38 | $27.35 | $35.03 | $56,880 |
| Minnesota | $23.82 | $29.31 | $35.83 | $60,970 |
| Mississippi | $18.28 | $23.80 | $30.05 | $49,500 |
| Missouri | $22.49 | $29.11 | $37.32 | $60,540 |
| Montana | $17.88 | $27.65 | $28.96 | $57,500 |
| Nebraska | $22.02 | $26.02 | $27.82 | $54,130 |
| New Hampshire | $23.15 | $25.38 | $29.17 | $52,790 |
| New Mexico | $18.61 | $23.20 | $28.39 | $48,260 |
| New York | $20.02 | $22.92 | $29.14 | $47,670 |
| North Carolina | $21.50 | $24.29 | $30.29 | $50,520 |
| North Dakota | $20.00 | $26.52 | $35.88 | $55,160 |
| Ohio | $21.80 | $23.60 | $30.02 | $49,080 |
| Oklahoma | $21.29 | $23.47 | $28.58 | $48,810 |
| Pennsylvania | $21.89 | $25.80 | $30.58 | $53,660 |
| Rhode Island | $23.15 | $34.85 | $35.83 | $72,490 |
| South Dakota | $22.51 | $23.78 | $29.60 | $49,460 |
| Tennessee | $18.67 | $22.82 | $26.99 | $47,460 |
| Texas | $22.00 | $24.86 | $29.63 | $51,700 |
| Utah | $18.86 | $24.14 | $29.56 | $50,200 |
| Vermont | $21.05 | $24.47 | $29.14 | $50,900 |
| Virginia | $22.84 | $27.77 | $43.10 | $57,760 |
| West Virginia | $20.60 | $22.64 | $24.89 | $47,090 |
| Wisconsin | $22.76 | $27.24 | $29.34 | $56,660 |
| Wyoming | $22.06 | $23.66 | $30.38 | $49,200 |
“Not published” preserves unavailable or suppressed source cells. “Above reporting limit” preserves a top-coded source value without inventing a number. A missing state estimate does not establish service eligibility. The data describe wage and salary employment; they do not measure self-employment income.
Source: BLS May 2025 state workbook · OEWS tables · BLS technical notes. Use your own schedule, pay statement and compensation terms to identify the question you want reviewed.
Trace repair and recheck stages
Record the work assigned, parts availability and any revised instruction. Note who inspected the vehicle before another stage began. If a return visit affected your credited work, distinguish the reason stated by management from a fault you personally verified.
Explain preparation and credited work
Keep your own pay terms and statement, identifying the disputed credit or adjustment. Describe preparation, sanding, fitting and cleanup that mattered to the period. A quoted repair amount or listed labor unit is not automatically the time you worked or compensation you were owed.
Leave vehicle records in place
Do not export photographs identifying vehicles, insurance estimates, customer contacts or proprietary repair procedures. Identify the relevant service-record types and dates. Keep your own permitted supervisor feedback and clarification request without altering a repair history to add an employment narrative.
Choose your next step
Review the workplace retaliation guide, unpaid wages guide, or discrimination guide if those concerns fit your experience. A job title alone does not establish a claim.
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