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Automotive Engineering Technician

Engineering

Assist engineers in determining the practicality of proposed product design changes and plan and carry out tests on experimental test devices or equipment for performance, durability, or efficiency.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Mechanical Engineering

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Document test results, using cameras, spreadsheets, documents, or other tools.
  2. 2Set up mechanical, hydraulic, or electric test equipment in accordance with engineering specifications, standards, or test procedures.
  3. 3Read and interpret blueprints, schematics, work specifications, drawings, or charts.
  4. 4Inspect or test parts to determine nature or cause of defects or malfunctions.
  5. 5Monitor computer-controlled test equipment, according to written or verbal instructions.
  6. 6Analyze test data for automotive systems, subsystems, or component parts.
  7. 7Install equipment, such as instrumentation, test equipment, engines, or aftermarket products, to ensure proper interfaces.
  8. 8Perform or execute manual or automated tests of automotive system or component performance, efficiency, or durability.
  9. 9Maintain test equipment in operational condition by performing routine maintenance or making minor repairs or adjustments as needed.
  10. 10Analyze performance of vehicles or components that have been redesigned to increase fuel efficiency, such as camless or dual-clutch engines or alternative types of air-conditioning systems.
  11. 11Improve fuel efficiency by testing vehicles or components that use lighter materials, such as aluminum, magnesium alloy, or plastic.
  12. 12Fabricate new or modify existing prototype components or fixtures.
  13. 13Order new test equipment, supplies, or replacement parts.
  14. 14Recommend product or component design improvements, based on test data or observations.
  15. 15Recommend tests or testing conditions in accordance with designs, customer requirements, or industry standards to ensure test validity.
  16. 16Test performance of vehicles that use alternative fuels, such as alcohol blends, natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas, biodiesel, nano diesel, or alternative power methods, such as solar energy or hydrogen fuel cells.
  17. 17Participate in research or testing of computerized automotive applications, such as telemetrics, intelligent transportation systems, artificial intelligence, or automatic control.
  18. 18Build instrumentation or laboratory test equipment for special purposes.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • Lab Technician
  • Auto Technician
  • Auto Design Checker
  • Research Technician
  • Auto Test Technician
  • Durability Technician
  • Performance Technician
  • Automotive Engineering Technician
  • Automotive Engineering Technicians
  • Transportation Engineering Technician

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. 2

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. Typical entry

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationAssociate's degree

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

PhysicsDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Additional MathematicsDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Design & Technology (RBT)Draws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
InventionDraws directly on Engineering and Technology — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Mechanical Engineering StudiesDraws directly on Mechanical — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Engineering and Technology90%

    PhysicsAdditional MathematicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Mechanical84%

    Mechanical Engineering StudiesPhysicsDesign & Technology (RBT)

  • Computers and Electronics82%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Mathematics79%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

  • English Language76%

    English

  • Physics73%

    Physics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicHigh
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentEvery day
  • Time spent sittingA little

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

11%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Matriculation

One or two years, heavily subsidised with allowance. Competitive, quota-based entry.

12–24 months

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Automotive Engineering Technicians

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Public universities (UPU)

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue