How To Become A Parts Runner: What It Is and Career Path

What is a parts runner and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Parts runners are responsible for delivering parts to clients and picking up parts for their employer's shop. Their daily routine involves making delivery routes, so a driver's license is a must. Aside from keeping track of transactions made during their run, they are also in charge of taking their vehicle to regular maintenance check-ups.

You don't need a college education to become a parts runner. A high school diploma and GED is often enough to get you through the door. However, degrees in automotive technology, business, and accounting do make your resume more appealing to employers. Prior experience in sales, driving, or delivery is also a significant advantage in the job market.

A parts runners in the United States earns an average yearly salary of roughly about $27,000. However, top earners can make more in the right company. In particular, employers like Teledyne Technologies pay their parts runners a highly competitive, above-average salary of $39,396 or more on average.

ScoreParts RunnerUS Average

Salary

2.5

Avg. Salary $31,562

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

6.6

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.39%

Asian 1.75%

Black or African American 4.46%

Hispanic or Latino 19.43%

Unknown 4.23%

White 69.75%

Gender

female 24.04%

male 75.96%

Age - 46

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 46

Stress Level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level

5.1

Complexity Level is intermediate

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance

6.0

Work Life balance is fair

6.4 - fair

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Key steps to become a parts runner

Explore parts runner education requirements

Most common parts runner degrees

High School Diploma

53.6 %

Associate

17.3 %

Diploma

12.7 %

Start to develop specific parts runner skills

Skills	Percentages
Phone Calls	16.42%
Customer Service	14.94%
Inventory Control	9.45%
HVAC	8.20%
DOT	6.35%

Complete relevant parts runner training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New parts runners learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a parts runner based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real parts runner resumes.

Research parts runner duties and responsibilities

Manage DIY services including battery installation, testing, wiper installs, etc.
Develop relationships with personnel from other Chrysler dealerships to participate in a mutually beneficial parts purchase and delivery co op.
Deliver items to customers, whether they are a dealership, bodyshop or regular customer.

Prepare your parts runner resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your parts runner resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a parts runner resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose From 10+ Customizable Parts Runner Resume templates

Build a professional Parts Runner resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Parts Runner resume.

Apply for parts runner jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a parts runner job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams