Entry Level Body Shop Technician — Paid Training, $18–$22/hr | We'll Teach You the Trade
Matthews Motor Company | Covington, PA
Full-time · Hourly, with a defined path to flat rate
If you've been holding the flashlight, this is your way out.
Maybe you've spent a year or two in a body shop as a helper, a prepper, a detailer, or in parts. You've torn down more bumpers than you can count. You've watched the techs do the actual repair work and thought, more than once, I could learn this if anybody bothered to show me.
Nobody has. That's the industry's problem, not yours — most shops are too busy to train, so they hire finished techs and leave the helpers where they are.
We're doing it differently. We're building this position specifically to develop someone into a full collision technician, and we've budgeted the training time to do it right.
Where you'd be learning
We recently completed a new 12,000 sq ft climate-controlled collision center — in-ground lifts, Pro Spot welders, Car-O-Liner frame equipment, Symach paint and process systems, I-CAR Gold Class certification.
For you, that means you'll learn on equipment that's current, working alongside experienced technicians who repair vehicles to manufacturer specification. The habits you build here will be the right ones, and the certifications you earn will follow you for your entire career.
Also: it's air conditioned. If you've done a July in a metal building, you understand.
The path
We'd rather show you the whole ladder than just the first rung.
Stage Timeline What it looks like
Apprentice Start$18–$22/hr hourly. R&I, disassembly and reassembly, prep, assisting senior techs, structured I-CAR coursework on the clock.
B-Tech~12–24 months Handling your own light-hit work — bumpers, panel replacement, minor repairs.
Flat Rate Technician~2–4 years Full 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 in whatever direction you grow.
Raises are tied to skills you demonstrate, not to how long you've been here.
What the job actually involves
- Assisting technicians with teardown, repair, and reassembly
- R&I of parts, panel prep, and moving vehicles through the repair process
- Learning welding, panel replacement, dent repair, and structural fundamentals under supervision
- Completing I-CAR coursework — paid, on the clock
- Keeping your area clean, safe, and organized
What we need from you
- 1–2+ years in a body shop or auto repair environment in any capacity — helper, prepper, detailer, parts, porter
- Real interest in becoming a collision technician
- Reliable, coachable, and willing to be taught the correct way rather than the fast way
- Basic hand tools to start (we offer toolbox financing to help you build from there)
- Valid driver's license
If you don't check every box, apply anyway. We're weighing attitude and reliability more heavily than resume polish.
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
Location
Covington, PA (Tioga County). Easy drive from Mansfield, Blossburg, Wellsboro, Troy, Liberty, Tioga, Canton, and the Corning/Painted Post area.
Apply
Currently working at another shop? Your application stays entirely between us. Apply through Indeed.
Pay: $18.00 - $22.00 per hour
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Bereavement leave
- Dental insurance
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Opportunities for advancement
- Paid sick time
- Paid time off
- Paid training
- Profit sharing
- Vision insurance
Work Location: In person
