Automotive Mechanic Apprenticeship in Illinois
Automotive mechanics diagnose and repair cars, SUVs, and light trucks — engines, brakes, transmissions, electrical systems, and the computer controls that tie it all together. Work happens in dealership service bays, independent repair shops, or fleet maintenance garages.
Automotive Mechanic Apprenticeship in Illinois: Quick Facts
What apprenticeship means here
A registered automotive mechanic apprenticeship in Illinois combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Programs typically run 4.0 years and follow a time-based structure. You earn wages from day one — apprentices are employees, not students.
Illinois pay vs. national
Median automotive mechanic wages in Illinois are $50,450/year, +2% above the national median of $49,670. Wages scale with experience — journey-level workers earn substantially more than apprentices.
Where to find programs
Illinois has 27 registered apprenticeship sponsors for automotive mechanic listed in the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov directory. The sponsor list further down includes joint labor-management programs (JATCs), individual employers, and contractor associations.
Job-market outlook
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 4.2% job growth for automotive mechanics nationally between 2024 and 2034, with approximately 70,000 annual openings each year (replacement plus growth combined). Apprenticeship demand tends to track local construction and infrastructure spending — Illinois-specific outlook can vary from national figures.
Illinois Wage Spread
Annual wages for Automotive Mechanics in Illinois across all experience levels.
Current Automotive Mechanic Apprenticeship Openings in Illinois
No automotive mechanic apprenticeship openings are currently listed on apprenticeship.gov for Illinois. The sponsors listed below accept applications on a rolling basis — contact them directly. Consider setting up an alert on apprenticeship.gov to be notified when new listings are posted.
Listings aggregated from apprenticeship.gov (US Dept. of Labor). Data refreshed daily.
Automotive Mechanic Apprenticeship Sponsors in Illinois
27 automotive mechanic-related registered sponsors identified in the DOL ApprenticeshipUSA directory for Illinois. Directory lists sponsor names only — contact each organization directly to confirm current automotive mechanic apprenticeship openings.
| Organization | City | |
|---|---|---|
| Magar/Team Automotive & Tire | Bloomington | |
| Sam Leman CJDRF/Mazda/BMW of Bloomington | Bloomington | |
| Sam Leman Chevy City | Bloomington | |
| Sam Leman Ford | Bloomington | |
| Sam Leman Toyota - Bloomington | Bloomington | |
| Jansen Ford | Breese | |
| Jansen Ford CDJR | Carmi | |
| CU Automotive LLC DBA Sam Leman Cadillac Leman Chevy | Champaign | |
| CU Imports LLC DBA Mercedes-Benz of Champaign | Champaign | |
| Sam Leman CJDRF - Champaign | Champaign | |
| Courtesy Ford of Danville | Danville | |
| Jim Whan's Automotive Central | East Moline | |
| Northside Ford | Effingham | |
| Heller Ford | El Paso | |
| Jansen Chevrolet | Germantown | |
| Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) | Hoffman Estates | |
| Gustafson Ford | Kewanee | |
| Gustafson Ford LLC | Kewanee | |
| MCLAUGHLIN BODY COMPANY/UNITED AUTO WORKERS LU 1414 | Moline | |
| McLaughlin Motors Inc. | Moline | |
| Sexton Ford Sales | Moline | |
| Zimmerman Honda | Moline | |
| Rick Ridings Ford | Monticello | |
| Fair Oaks Ford | Naperville | |
| Ray Dennison Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac | Pekin | |
| + 2 more sponsors in Illinois | ||
Filter by occupation code 49-3023 and state IL for the most relevant results.
Automotive Mechanic Apprenticeship in Illinois
Illinois has 27 registered sponsors our directory identifies as Automotive Mechanic-adjacent — a functional apprenticeship pipeline concentrated in metro areas. Union locals and joint apprenticeship committees account for most placements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Prefer Trade School Instead?
Apprenticeships pay from day one, but the classroom-first path may fit better for some. Automotive Mechanics also train through trade school programs — shorter timeline, more upfront cost.