How much does a auto electronics tech make?

In the U.S., experience, extra training or useful certifications, and skill with systems such as sonar or navigation can affect pay. Employer type and location matter too; BLS data show pay differs among industries and states, and full-time hours or emergency evening or weekend call-outs can change total earnings.

Install, adjust, or maintain mobile electronics communication equipment, including sound, sonar, security, navigation, and surveillance systems on trains, watercraft, or other mobile equipment. Excludes “Avionics Technicians” (49-2091) and “Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles” (49-2096).

What's a typical day like?

This U.S. job is mainly about trains, boats, and other mobile equipment—not car-only electronics. A tech checks wires and sonar or navigation gear with test tools, repairs faults, then tests the system again.

After high school, study electronics at a U.S. trade school or community college, then seek an entry job or locomotive-electrician apprenticeship. Employers add hands-on training with experienced workers, often for 1–2 years; certification is optional.

Vocational school or a few years' experience (preparation level 3 of 5)

Good for people who like building and doing and keeping things organized.

Technicians in this job may maintain sonar on boats; sonar uses sound echoes to find things underwater.