Mostly Resilient
Last Update: 8/30/2026
AI Resilience Score for Tire Repairers & Changers:
56.2%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Med
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Med
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
There are a reasonable number of sources for this result, but there is some disagreement between them.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forTire Repairers and Changers
$37,710 median salary•12,900 annual openings•SOC Code: 49-3093.00
Tire Repairers and Changers are somewhat more resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 6 sources.
Tire repairing and changing is labeled "Mostly Resilient" because while AI and robotics are starting to show up in shops (like the SmartBay robot that can handle mounting and balancing), humans are still needed for the hands-on, judgment-based parts of the job, like patching casings, handling tricky repairs, and talking with customers. The bigger story here is augmentation, not replacement, meaning the technology is designed to help one technician manage more bays at once, not to eliminate the technician entirely.
Learn more about how you can thrive in this position
View analysis
Chat with Coach
Latest news
More career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreThis role is mostly resilient
Tire repairing and changing is labeled "Mostly Resilient" because while AI and robotics are starting to show up in shops (like the SmartBay robot that can handle mounting and balancing), humans are still needed for the hands-on, judgment-based parts of the job, like patching casings, handling tricky repairs, and talking with customers. The bigger story here is augmentation, not replacement, meaning the technology is designed to help one technician manage more bays at once, not to eliminate the technician entirely.
Read full analysisLearn more about how you can thrive in this position
View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Tire Repairers & Changers
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Tire Repairers & Changers jobs?
The tire service world is having a big AI moment right now, but it's not the "robots replacing everyone" story you might expect. In May 2026, a Boston-based startup called Automated Tire, Inc. unveiled SmartBay, described by The Robot Report as an AI-powered robotic platform that automates tire changes and vehicle inspections [1] using computer vision. The system changes two tires at a time without removing the wheels from the car, and Fox News reports that SmartBay handles mounting, balancing and inspections with minimal human intervention [2].
A human is still needed to remove the old tire, position the new one, connect the air line, and install balance weights — so this is really augmentation, not full replacement. The trade publication Tire Business calls the machine an AI-powered, tire-changing, wheel-balancing robot promising accuracy and automation [3] for busy shops. Beyond the flashy robot, Tire Review notes that autonomous inspection systems collect data as vehicles pass over a plate, and voice-powered repair assistants provide service info without technicians stepping away [4] — quietly boosting tasks like tire inspection and size ID.
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Tire Repairers & Changers?
Adoption pressure is real because the industry is desperate for workers. Tomorrow's Technician reports that automotive needs 70,865 new technicians per year while projected supply sits at 50,085, leaving 20,780 positions unfilled annually [5]. SmartBay directly targets this gap — Axios notes it lets one technician oversee up to three service bays at once, cutting a tire job to about 30 minutes [6].
But adoption will likely be gradual: the machines are expensive, only a few vendors exist, and earlier attempts flopped — RoboTire went bankrupt in 2023 after raising millions. The good news for young workers: hands-on skills like patching casings, gluing rubber, and assisting mechanics remain hard to automate, and shops still need humans to supervise robots, talk with customers, and handle the tricky, judgment-based repairs that machines can't touch yet.
Sources
Will AI replace Tire Repairers & Changers?
No. We don't think AI will replace Tire Repairers and Changers, though we do expect the job to change.
That view is backed by our 56.2% AI Resilience Score, which puts this career in "Mostly Resilient" territory. Yes, automation is arriving. A robotic platform called SmartBay can now handle mounting, balancing, and inspections with minimal human help [2], and autonomous inspection tools are quietly taking over routine tasks like tire sizing [4]. But "arriving" is not the same as "taking over." RoboTire went bankrupt in 2023 after raising millions, which is a reminder that flashy tech does not always stick.
The stronger story here is augmentation, not replacement. SmartBay still needs a human to remove the old tire, position the new one, and connect the air line [2]. One technician can now oversee up to three bays at once [6], which actually makes skilled workers more valuable, not less. Patching casings, handling tricky repairs, and talking with customers are all things machines cannot reliably do yet.
Demand also supports the case for humans. The automotive industry needs roughly 20,780 more technicians per year than training programs currently produce [5]. Robots are being built to fill that gap, not to push people out of it.
Sources
Help us improve this report.
Tell us if this analysis feels accurate or we missed something.
Share your feedback
Latest AI news for Tire Repairers & Changers
Not enough relevant articles found for this career field.
Not enough relevant articles found for this career field.
More Career Info
Career: Tire Repairers and Changers
They fix or replace car tires to ensure vehicles run smoothly and safely on the road.
Parent Careers
Similar Careers
Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$37,710
Jobs (2025)
112,200
Growth (2025-35)
+3.4%
Annual Openings
12,900
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-2035
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Assist mechanics and perform various mechanical duties, such as changing oil or checking and replacing batteries.
2
Glue tire patches over ruptures in tire casings, using rubber cement.
3
Seal punctures in tubeless tires by inserting adhesive material and expanding rubber plugs into punctures, using hand tools.
4
Replace valve stems and remove puncturing objects.
5
Patch tubes with adhesive rubber patches or seal rubber patches to tubes, using hot vulcanizing plates.
6
Reassemble tires onto wheels.
7
Remount wheels onto vehicles.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
