More technicians said they can access the training they need in 2026, but many still reported gaps in course topics, training quality and time away from work, according to the 2026 Automotive Training Managers Council Training Benchmarks Survey.
The Automotive Service Excellence Training Managers Council survey drew 2,685 responses, up from 1,725 in 2025. According to the council’s press release, participation rose by about 65%.
Automotive repair technicians made up 71% of respondents. Instructors accounted for 13%, shop managers 10%, truck repair technicians 4% and collision repair technicians 0.5%.
The survey found 69% of respondents said they had access to the training they need. That was up from 59.37% in 2025.
Among respondents who said they did not have access to the training they need, 53% said the right topics were not available. Thirty-eight percent said quality training was not available. Twenty-nine percent said they could not take time off work, 22% said training cost too much and 17% said they would have to travel too far.
Access varied by workplace. Among original equipment manufacturer (OEM) dealership respondents, 72% said they had access to needed training. That fell to 55% among aftermarket and independent respondents and 44% among fleet respondents.
Electrical, electronic, hybrid, electric vehicle (EV) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) training ranked among the top needs.
Among automotive technicians, hybrid and EV systems led the list at 63%. Electrical/electronic systems followed at 60%. ADAS and advanced engine performance were each selected by 43%.
Among truck technicians, electrical/electronic training led at 64%. Automatic transmission followed at 49%, engine training at 47%, advanced engine performance at 44%, hybrid/EV training at 39% and ADAS at 36%.
Collision repair technicians listed several equal priorities. ADAS, paint and refinish, hybrid/EV systems and collision structural repair were each selected by 44.4% of collision technician respondents. Electrical/electronic training was selected by 33.3%. Collision estimating was selected by 22.2%.
The collision figures are based on a small group. Collision repair technicians made up 0.5% of total respondents.
The survey also found strong demand for instructor-led training.
Classroom, instructor-led training accounted for 15.5% of reported training methods in 2026. Self-paced e-learning accounted for 13.5%, video learning 12.6%, virtual classroom training 12% and hands-on instructor-led lab training 10.4%.
When asked what they wanted, respondents put classroom, instructor-led training at 19.8%. Hands-on instructor-led lab training rose to 16%.
“Year after year, this survey helps us better understand what technicians truly need to succeed in today’s rapidly changing automotive landscape,” said Matt Shepanek, president of the Automotive Training Managers Council. “The growth in participation this year is a strong signal that our industry is invested in shaping better training opportunities and that technicians continue to value instructor-led education with meaningful hands-on workshop experience that directly translates to real-world repair environments.”
Training hours varied widely. Seven percent of respondents reported no structured training in the past year. Sixteen percent reported one to eight hours. Thirteen percent reported nine to 16 hours. Eighteen percent reported more than 56 hours.
The survey also found a mismatch in the 33-to-40-hour range. About 22.5% of respondents said they needed that much structured training per year, while 12% said they received it.
OEM dealership respondents reported the highest training levels. More than 19% reported more than 56 hours of structured training per year. That compared with 12.5% of aftermarket and independent respondents and 10.1% of fleet respondents.
Employers paid for most training, but the share varied by workplace. Employer-paid training was reported by 85% of OEM dealership respondents, 56% of aftermarket and independent respondents and 74% of fleet respondents.
Pay structures also varied. Among OEM dealership respondents, 73% reported flat-rate pay. Among aftermarket and independent respondents, 33% reported flat rate, 32% reported hourly pay and 23% reported salary. Among fleet respondents, 84% reported hourly pay.
The survey also showed an experienced respondent pool. Thirty-nine percent of respondents reported 30 years or more in the industry. Twenty-one percent reported more than 20 years but less than 30. Another 21% reported more than 10 years but less than 20.
The survey was conducted to establish a benchmark for future surveys and help training providers compare offerings with the needs of training consumers.
