DALLAS — Steve Louden, owner of 29-year-old Louden Motorcar Services in Dallas, sees a common thread among the mechanics and technicians he has trained:

"They have a mechanical aptitude and a knack for how things work." Also, he says, the good ones share a natural curiosity. They want to learn.

"Growing up," Louden says, "these people took apart their alarm clocks, bikes and, later, their dads' cars."

Louden, who holds a business degree from Florida State University, is a master certified technician who functions on the job more as a "coach than a doer." His shop, with its four techs (nine employees total), specializes in Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and Volvo models.

The main ingredients for success, he says, are street smarts and a no-fear attitude toward computers — and a desire to protect your reputation.

In the latter regard, he worries that the industry's image suffers because only a few states require licensing.

"You can't cut hair or do a manicure without being tested, but you can buy a few hundred dollars' worth of tools and put computer-controlled brakes on a car and send these cars back out on the road driving 60 miles per hour," he says. "Nobody ever died from a bad haircut."

But the industry does have a certification process, and it portends a rosy future for auto technicians, says Tony Molla, vice president of communications for the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, the automotive repair industry's certification agency.

"An ASE-certified automotive technician offers the opportunity for good earnings and secure job growth. You can't offshore an oil change," Molla says. "And the job is portable; technicians are needed in all parts of the country. Most careers can't match that."

The best path to finding work, Molla says, is via a National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence-certified automotive technology program offered though the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (www.natef.org). Graduates of these programs in secondary and postsecondary institutions are in the highest demand, he says.

Indeed, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that ASE certification has become a standard credential for automotive service technicians.

Certification is available in service areas such as electrical systems, engine repair, brake systems, suspension and steering, and heating and air conditioning.

For certification in each area, technicians must have at least two years' experience and pass a written exam.

Completion of an automotive training program in high school, vocational or trade school, or a community college may substitute for one year of experience. In some cases, graduates of ASE-certified programs achieve certification in up to three specialties.

The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence predicts that the need for automotive technicians will grow. Registered vehicles in the United States now outnumber licensed drivers.

Likewise, the service and repair industry has evolved into a $270 billion market, and that represents only the aftermarket (noncar dealer) service industry. It does not include new- and used-car sales or collision repairs.

Several avenues exist to enter the auto repair industry. Trish Serratore of the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation suggests investigating the auto tech classes at a community college. For-profit schools such as Lincoln Tech and Universal Technical Institute might be more expensive. "You should look at everything," she says.

Gaining experience working in a shop can be a challenge for someone new to the industry, Serratore says, but there are different approaches.

"There is job shadowing, where you are not paid but (you) watch; internships, where you work and are not paid; and co-ops, where you do the work and receive a little payment. Most auto technology programs have something like that," she says. "Sometimes, community college classes affiliated with manufacturer dealers and generic programs might send their students to a franchise or an independent repair shop."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that the median hourly wage of automotive service technicians and mechanics, including commission, was $14.71 in 2002.

The middle 50 percent earned between $10.61 and $19.84, the lowest 10 percent less than $8.14, and the highest 10 percent more than $25.21.

Median hourly earnings by industries employing the largest numbers of service technicians: local government, $18.04; automobile dealers, $17.66; gas stations, $13.04; automotive repair and maintenance, $12.77; automotive parts, accessories and tire stores, $12.

Most entry-level technicians will earn between $22,000 and $26,000 per year, says the ASE's Molla. Some experienced and highly qualified technicians can earn in excess of $100,000 per year.

Most technicians, he says, average $45,000 to $65,000 per year.

"Given the importance of the individual vehicle to our transportation system in the U.S., the future is bright," Molla says.

And he reminds that as vehicle technology advances, technicians must continuously upgrade their skills. "Auto technicians never really stop training."