Entry Level Body Shop Technician — Paid Training, $18–$22/hr | Mechanically Inclined? We'll Teach You the Trade
Matthews Motor Company | Covington, PA
Full-time · Hourly, with a defined path to flat rate
You already work on vehicles. We'll teach you to repair them for a living.
Maybe you've turned wrenches in a service shop. Maybe you keep the farm equipment running, rebuild small engines, do brakes and suspension in your own garage, or spend weekends on a project truck. You're mechanically inclined, you're good with your hands, and you'd rather be paid to do this than to do whatever you're doing now.
You don't need collision experience. You need to know your way around a vehicle and be willing to learn the rest.
We've built this position specifically to develop someone into a full collision technician, and we've budgeted the training time to do it properly.
Be straight with you about the first months
This job starts at the bottom and works up. Early on you'll be cleaning vehicles, helping the painter prep parts, tearing down damaged vehicles, and yes — sweeping the floor and keeping the shop in order.
That's not busywork. Teardown is how you learn how a vehicle goes together. Prep work is how you learn what a proper finish requires. Every good technician in this building started with the same tasks.
As you demonstrate you can handle it, you'll start performing minor repairs under a senior technician, and the work gets more interesting from there.
Where you'd be learning
We recently completed a new 12,000 sq ft climate-controlled collision center — in-ground lifts at every stall, Pro Spot welders, Car-O-Liner frame equipment, Symach paint and process systems, I-CAR Gold Class certified.
You'll learn on current equipment, alongside experienced technicians who repair vehicles to manufacturer specification. The habits you build here will be the right ones, and the certifications you earn follow you for your entire career.
It's also air conditioned. If you've spent a July in a metal building, you understand why that made the list.
The path StageTimeline What it looks like
Apprentice Start$18–$22/hr hourly. Vehicle cleanup, paint prep, teardown, shop upkeep, then minor repairs under supervision. I-CAR coursework on the clock.
B-Tech~12–24 monthsYour own light-hit work — bumpers, panel replacement, minor collision repair. Transition toward flat rate.
Flat Rate Technician~2–4 yearsFull repair capability. Our experienced flat rate technicians have the opportunity to earn $60,000–$80,000+ annually.
Specialist Beyond OEM certifications, structural and frame work, aluminum, ADAS calibration. We fund the training.
Raises are tied to skills you demonstrate, not to how long you've been here.
What we're looking for
- Hands-on mechanical experience with vehicles — automotive service, farm or heavy equipment, small engine, fleet maintenance, or serious personal work on your own vehicles
- Genuine interest in learning collision repair as a career
- Reliable and coachable — willing to be taught the correct way rather than the fast way
- Comfortable with physical work and keeping a clean, organized shop
- Basic hand tools to start (we offer toolbox financing to help you build from there)
- Valid driver's license
Collision experience is not required. If you're mechanically capable and want to learn this trade, apply.
What we offer
- $18–$22/hr starting, with milestone-based raises
- Paid I-CAR training and certifications
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- 401(k) with company match
- Paid time off and paid holidays
- Tool and toolbox financing assistance
- Uniforms provided
- Monday–Friday schedule
- Employee vehicle purchase pricing
- A 30-year reputation in this community and a team that's genuinely good to work with
Location
Covington, PA (Tioga County). Easy drive from Mansfield, Blossburg, Wellsboro, Troy, Liberty, Tioga, Canton, and the Corning/Painted Post area.
Apply
Apply through Indeed. If you're currently working somewhere else, your application stays entirely between us.
Pay: $18.00 - $22.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid time off
- Paid training
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
