Automotive Engineers

What the job really is

Develop new or improved designs for vehicle structural members, engines, transmissions, or other vehicle systems, using computer-assisted design technology. Direct building, modification, or testing of vehicle or components.

At a glance

• Sector: Architecture & Engineering
• O*NET-SOC code: 17-2141
• O*NET job zone: 4 — considerable preparation
• Work sample tasks on file: 12
• Tools and technologies listed: 12

What you actually do

Work sample tasks recorded for this occupation:

• Conduct or direct system-level automotive testing.
• Provide technical direction to other engineers or engineering support personnel.
• Perform failure, variation, or root cause analyses.
• Calibrate vehicle systems, including control algorithms or other software systems.
• Design or analyze automobile systems in areas such as aerodynamics, alternate fuels, ergonomics, hybrid power, brakes, transmissions, steering, calibration, safety, or diagnostics.
• Prepare or present technical or project status reports.
• Conduct research studies to develop new concepts in the field of automotive engineering.
• Establish production or quality control standards.
• Alter or modify designs to obtain specified functional or operational performance.
• Research or implement green automotive technologies involving alternative fuels, electric or hybrid cars, or lighter or more fuel-efficient vehicles.
• Develop calibration methodologies, test methodologies, or tools.
• Create design alternatives for vehicle components, such as camless or dual-clutch engines or alternative air-conditioning systems, to increase fuel efficiency.

Tools and technology

Adobe Photoshop, Atlassian Confluence, Atlassian JIRA, Autodesk AutoCAD, C, C#, C++, Dassault Systemes CATIA, Dassault Systemes SolidWorks, Extensible markup language XML, Git, JUnit

What employers expect you to already be comfortable with.

Where this job leads

Related occupations — the usual moves up and sideways:

• Mechanical Engineers
• Manufacturing Engineers
• Industrial Engineers
• Aerospace Engineers
• Electronics Engineers, Except Computer
• Mechatronics Engineers
• Electrical Engineers
• Fuel Cell Engineers

Getting in

O*NET assigns this occupation job zone 4 (considerable preparation). The related occupations above are the realistic routes in and out.

Find openings

Browse the verified job sources directory, or explore more occupations.

Check this against the source

O*NET OnLine: Automotive Engineers — the authoritative public-domain profile this page is derived from, including the full task list, reported skills and the wage estimates for your region.

Derived and rewritten from the public-domain O*NET database (U.S. Department of Labor / Employment and Training Administration). Figures are observations, not promises — always confirm salary, licensing and visa requirements with the employer and the relevant authority.