What Is a Refinish Technician?

Key Points

- Refinish technicians are skilled professionals who prepare and apply paint to vehicles that have been repaired after an accident, ensuring the exterior looks as it did before the damage. They work with various paints, including sealers and primers and perform tasks such as sanding, blending and color matching.

- The daily responsibilities of a refinish technician include inspecting vehicles for paint jobs, reading repair estimates, maintaining painting tools and equipment, mixing paints to exact specifications, buffing out paint imperfections and ensuring colors match and blend perfectly with the vehicle's original paint.

- To become a refinish technician, training and education are crucial. Trade schools like Universal Technical Institute (UTI) offer Collision Repair & Refinish Technology (CRRT) programs that cover essential topics such as vehicle preparation for painting, finish applications and custom paint fundamentals providing a strong foundation for a career in this field.¹

- The job outlook for refinish technicians is tied to the broader field of automotive body and related repairers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for this category was $48,740 in May 2023, with factors like experience, employer and location affecting earnings.²⁸ Demand for skilled refinishing technicians is supported by body repair shops, from dealerships to independent centers, that require their expertise in restoring and painting vehicles.

- UTI offers a comprehensive CRRT program that can be completed in 51 to 54 weeks, equipping graduates with the skills sought by employers. This program is available at UTI campuses in Houston, Texas, and Long Beach, California, providing a pathway for those interested in pursuing a career as a refinish technician.

Accidents happen on the road every day. Thanks to collision repair technicians, many of the vehicles involved in those accidents are repaired and able to function as they once did.

Those who enjoy working with their hands and have an eye for detail might be interested in becoming a refinish technician, which is closely related to collision repair. Refinish technicians prepare and apply paint to repaired vehicles. They help ensure a vehicle’s exterior appears like it did before an accident.

Refinish technicians apply various kinds of paints, including sealers and primers. They mix colors and complete processes that include sanding and blending.

If a career as a refinish technician sounds interesting, keep reading to learn more about the steps you can take to become one!

Refinish Technician Job Description

Having a general idea of the duties and responsibilities of a refinish technician can help if you’re considering it as a career. It’s important for the exterior of a vehicle to look new after a collision or accident, and it’s the job of a refinish technician to restore them.

Daily tasks can include:

• Inspecting vehicles and parts that require paint.
• Reading estimates and documenting repairs.
• Maintaining painting tools and equipment.
• Mixing paints and primers to exact specifications.
• Buffing paint imperfections.
• Matching and blending colors.
• Following quality standards to minimize defects.
• Working with other departments and technicians to ensure on-time delivery.

This is a sampling of the daily tasks a refinishing technician might perform. Those who are detail oriented and find a sense of joy in seeing a project move from start to finish would fit well in the role of a refinish technician.

Skills required to excel as an Auto Body Refinish Technician

To succeed in a career as a refinish technician, a blend of technical skills, attention to detail and strong work ethic are required. Some of the most important skills to have include:

• Knowledge of refinishing techniques, including paint application, color matching and surface preparation.
• Familiarity with refinishing tools and equipment, from mixing systems to sanding tools.
• Knowledge of automotive materials (metal, plastic, fiberglass) and how to work with them in the refinishing process.
• Attention to detail, as precision is critical when applying paint and checking for imperfections.
• Safety and environmental awareness that includes a knowledge of workplace safety, hazardous materials and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Customer service and communication skills to be able to talk to customers daily and offer guidance and updates during the repair process.

Pros and Cons of Refinish Technician Jobs

A career as a refinish technician has different benefits and challenges to consider before you decide to pursue a role. Some benefits include:

• The ability to perform hands-on, creative work: refinishing technicians use their skills to improve the appearance of vehicles with an eye for detail and aesthetics.
• Demand for trained refinish technicians: there is a steady demand for refinish technicians in the auto repair industry, as car accidents and wear and tear create a need to refinish vehicles.
• Variety in work: each job is unique as technicians work on different types of vehicles and repair issues.
• Opportunities for specialization: refinish technicians may have an opportunity to specialize in certain types of restorations and custom paint jobs.

Some cons to the career may include:

• Physical demands: the job of a refinishing technician requires long hours of standing, bending and manual labor, which can be challenging over time.
• Time pressure: there are tight deadlines to repair jobs, which can create pressure to complete work quickly.
• Repetitive work: while there may be variety in the types of jobs a refinish technician has, there are some aspects of the job like sanding, priming and spraying that may become repetitive.

How to Become a Refinish Technician

Training and education are important for becoming a refinish technician. Knowing how to prepare and apply paint is critical to ensure vehicles look as good as they did before an accident.

A trade school like Universal Technical Institute (UTI) can be a good place to get a foundational education that can be applied to the industry. UTI’s Collision Repair & Refinish Technology (CRRT) program teaches skills that are needed to restore a range of vehicles.¹

Courses in the CRRT program cover several topics, including those that can be more specifically applied to refinish technician jobs:

• Introduction to Refinishing
• Vehicle Preparation for Painting
• Finish Applications
• Custom Paint Fundamentals

Training with industry tools and equipment can help ease the transition from school to the workforce and give you confidence when applying for jobs.

Refinish Technician Salary and Job Outlook

Having a general idea of the salary and job outlook for automotive refinish technicians can help you plan for the future. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) can be a great place to look, although there is no specific information for refinish technicians. BLS data does address the expected median salary for automotive body and related repairers, which is a closely related field.

According to the BLS, the median annual salary for automotive body and related repairers in the United States was $48,740 in May 2023.²⁸ This means half of collision repair technicians earned more and half earned less. Keep in mind that salary depends on several factors, including experience, employer, demand and cost of living in the area.

Body repair shops ranging from dealerships to independent repair centers rely on experienced automotive refinish technicians who know how to restore and paint vehicles. This helps contribute to the demand for these technicians.

Get a Background in Collision Repair at UTI

If you’re interested in taking the first step toward a potential career as a refinish technician, training at a trade school like UTI is a good place to start. The CRRT program can help give you a background in collision repair that could eventually lead to a more specific position in refinishing.

You could graduate in 51 to 54 weeks with the skills employers are looking for. With the right education and hard work, you can work toward a role as a refinish technician. Find out more by visiting our program page or by requesting more information today.

UTI Campuses That Offer Collision Repair Training

• Long Beach, California
• Houston, Texas