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Car Tuning Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Sr. Analyst, Retail Data Strategy

Richmond, VA · On-site

$85K - $107K/yr

We prioritize maintaining the culture of integrity which has set CarMax apart in the used car ... Advanced SQL proficiency, including complex transformations, performance tuning, and business logic ...

Sr. Analyst, Retail Data Strategy

Richmond, VA · On-site

$85K - $107K/yr

We prioritize maintaining the culture of integrity which has set CarMax apart in the used car ... Advanced SQL proficiency, including complex transformations, performance tuning, and business logic ...

We prioritize maintaining the culture of integrity which has set CarMax apart in the used car ... Advanced SQL proficiency, including complex transformations, performance tuning, and business logic ...

Car Tuning information

See Virginia salary details

$9

$18

$47

How much do car tuning jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 29, 2026, the average hourly pay for car tuning in Virginia is $18.44, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $11.92 and $17.40 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is car tuning?

Car tuning is the process of modifying a vehicle to improve its performance, appearance, or handling. This can include adjustments to the engine, suspension, exhaust system, or computer software to boost power, increase fuel efficiency, or create a customized driving experience. Car enthusiasts often tune their vehicles for better speed, acceleration, or unique styling. Tuning can range from simple upgrades like replacing air filters to complex modifications like engine remapping.

What is the difference between Car Tuning vs Car Mechanics?

AspectCar TuningCar Mechanics
CredentialsOften no formal certification, but specialized tuning coursesCertified automotive technician or mechanic license
Work EnvironmentPerformance shops, custom garages, racing teamsAuto repair shops, service centers, dealerships
Industry UsageEnhancing vehicle performance and aestheticsMaintaining and repairing vehicles
Common Search IntentPerformance upgrades, ECU tuning, custom modificationsDiagnostics, repairs, routine maintenance

Car tuning focuses on modifying vehicles to improve performance, aesthetics, and customization, often involving ECU remapping and parts upgrades. Car mechanics perform general repairs, diagnostics, and maintenance to ensure vehicle safety and functionality. While both roles work within the automotive industry, tuning emphasizes performance enhancement, whereas mechanics focus on repair and upkeep.

What Are Car Tuning Jobs?

Car tuning jobs involve modifying the engine or body of a car to prepare it for a race or exhibition. An auto technician, or performance technician, alters the car’s engine or software to increase the car's speed, handling, or other measurable performance. Auto body specialists make cosmetic additions or changes to the body of the vehicle, such as body kits, spoilers, and side skirts. They may also add visuals using vinyl wraps, paint, or stencils. Car tuners often choose to specialize; they may focus on engine or body modifications, or they may specialize further and only modify certain manufacturers or types of cars.

How much money can you make tuning cars?

Car tuning professionals can earn anywhere from $30,000 to over $80,000 annually, depending on experience, skill level, location, and whether they work independently or for a shop. Skilled tuners with specialized knowledge of engine modifications and performance parts often command higher wages, especially if they build a strong reputation or run their own business.

Can auto techs make 200k?

Auto technicians typically do not earn $200,000 annually, as their average salaries are lower and depend on experience, specialization, and location. High earnings are more common for experienced or specialized auto techs working in high-end or custom tuning shops, often supplemented by bonuses or profit sharing. Reaching a $200,000 income usually requires advanced skills, certifications, and a strong reputation in the industry.

What are some common challenges car tuners face when working on modern vehicles?

Car tuners often face challenges when working on modern vehicles due to the complexity of electronic control units (ECUs) and integrated software systems. Many newer cars require specialized tools and up-to-date knowledge of proprietary software to safely modify performance settings without causing drivability issues or voiding warranties. Additionally, tuners must stay informed about evolving emission standards and legal regulations, which can vary by region and impact the types of modifications allowed. Working collaboratively with other automotive professionals, such as mechanics and diagnostic technicians, is often necessary to ensure optimal results and compliance.

Is car tuning a career?

Car tuning can be a career for individuals interested in modifying and optimizing vehicle performance. It often involves skills in mechanics, electronics, and software, and may require certifications or training. Many tuners work in auto shops, racing teams, or run their own businesses, with schedules that can include evenings and weekends.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Car Tuning Specialist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Car Tuning Specialist, you need in-depth automotive knowledge, mechanical aptitude, and experience with engine management systems, often supported by relevant technical training or automotive certifications. Familiarity with diagnostic tools, ECU tuning software, and performance measurement systems is essential for effective modifications. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and strong customer communication skills help ensure client satisfaction and high-quality results. These skills and qualities are crucial for optimizing vehicle performance safely and meeting customer expectations in a specialized automotive field.

How hard is it to become a car tuner?

Becoming a car tuner requires technical knowledge of vehicle systems, experience with engine modifications, and familiarity with tuning software and tools. Gaining skills through hands-on practice, certifications, or training programs can help, but the difficulty varies based on prior mechanical experience and technical aptitude.
What are the most commonly searched types of Car Tuning jobs in Virginia? The most popular types of Car Tuning jobs in Virginia are:
Infographic showing various Car Tuning job openings in Virginia as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $38,348 per year, or $18.4 per hour.
Sr. Analyst, Retail Data Strategy

Sr. Analyst, Retail Data Strategy

CarMax, Inc.

Richmond, VA • On-site

$85K - $107K/yr

Full-time

PTO

Posted 2 days ago


CarMax rating

8.0

Company rating: 8.0 out of 10

Based on 370 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

26th of 728 rated retailers


Job description

8116 - Midtown Office - 2220 W. Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23220
CarMax, the way your career should be!
About The Team
The Retail & Human Resources Strategy team is a world-class community of analysts who work in a collaborative environment that leverages a variety of strategic and technical skillsets to help drive CarMax's $20B retail sales business and guide decisions impacting the workforce of more than 25,000 Associates. CarMax's retail business is undergoing an exciting eCommerce & omnichannel transformation which is helping us extend our market leadership while positioning us for future growth. The Strategy team is at the center of this transformation, and the Retail Data Strategy team serves as its data foundation, building and maintaining the analytics infrastructure, governing data assets, and reporting pipelines that power the team's work. From navigating large-scale data migrations to enabling self-service analytics, the Retail Data Strategy team ensures that every part of the organization can make decisions grounded in reliable, trusted data.
Our team tackles this work while ensuring we are a great representation of CarMax's 4 core values:
Do the Right Thing: We prioritize maintaining the culture of integrity which has set CarMax apart in the used car industry, and promote a respectful and inclusive environment at work
Put People First: We're focused on nurturing associate development and on maintaining a healthy work culture, while also making sure our customers are offered a great experience
Win Together: Teamwork is essential to what we do; we regularly learn from each other and draw on each other's expertise and perspectives
Go for Greatness: We continually improve our abilities and the products that we support, to reinforce CarMax's position as the industry leader
About The Role
Buying a car is a major, exciting purchase for customers which involves many steps & considerations from researching vehicles online, to understanding financing, to ultimately buying that perfect car - Each year, millions of customers come to CarMax searching for their perfect car. The Retail & HR Strategy team leverages data, analytics, and strategy to help ensure customers receive a great experience today while driving CarMax's eCommerce & omnichannel transformation.
The Retail Data Strategy team leverages data, analytics, and strategy to help ensure customers receive a great experience today while driving CarMax's eCommerce & omnichannel transformation. This role sits at the intersection of data engineering and business analytics, partnering across Data Engineering, Technology and Product, and Strategy Analysts to build and maintain the data foundation the team depends on. It requires a stronger technical foundation than a traditional strategy or data analyst position, and is well-suited for someone who wants to see their work directly reflected in how the business understands and acts on its data.
What You Will Do - Essential Responsibilities
  • Partner across technology and business teams to understand the customer and associate experience, identify key analytical questions, and translate those needs into clear data requirements and contracts, bridging technical and non-technical audiences throughout the process
  • Design, build, and maintain governed data models, views, and tables in Snowflake that serve as the foundation for Retail Strategy's reporting and analysis
  • Own the business logic layer, translating business definitions into consistent, documented SQL transformations and metric definitions that analysts and stakeholders can trust
  • Monitor data transformation performance and data quality; proactively identify and resolve issues before they impact reporting or stakeholders
  • Build and optimize Power BI reporting infrastructure, including semantic layer development and data source integration giving stakeholders timely and reliable visibility into key metrics
  • Lead the evaluation and implementation of emerging AI-powered analytical tooling to accelerate insight delivery across the team

Qualifications and Requirements
  • Two or more years of experience in an analytical or strategic role (Data Analyst, Data Engineer, Data Scientist, etc.)
  • Advanced SQL proficiency, including complex transformations, performance tuning, and business logic implementation
  • Experience with version control (Git/GitHub) and CI/CD concepts for data workflows
  • Experience with job scheduling and orchestration tools
  • Proficiency with enterprise BI tools including data source integration; Power BI, Report Builder, Tableau preferred
  • Ability to translate between technical and business audiences; strong documentation skills
  • Track record of working cross-functionally with both technical teams and business stakeholders

Preferred
  • Experience with transformation frameworks (dbt or similar)
  • Experience with Snowflake or a similar cloud data warehouse platform
  • Experience implementing data quality testing and monitoring
  • Hands-on experience designing dimensional or relational data models
  • Familiarity with data governance and self-service BI enablement practices
  • Background in retail or similarly complex data environments

Work Location and Arrangement: This role will be based out of the CarMax Midtown Office (Richmond, VA) and associates will work onsite 4 days per week.
Work Authorization: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Sponsorship will not be considered for this specific role.
About CarMax
CarMax disrupted the auto industry by delivering the honest, transparent and high-integrity experience customers want and deserve. This innovative thinking around the way cars are bought and sold has helped us become the nation's largest retailer of used cars, with over 200 locations nationwide.
Our amazing team of more than 25,000 associates work together to deliver iconic customer experiences. Along the way, we help every associate grow their career and achieve their best, at work and in their community. We are recognized for our commitment to training and diversity and are one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For®.
Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:
CarMax is committed to bringing together people from different backgrounds and perspectives, providing employees with a safe, welcoming, and inclusive work environment.
CarMax is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, and any other characteristics protected by law.
The annual salary for this position is:
$88,400.00 - $132,600.00
May be eligible for bonus and equity.
Benefits:
Except as otherwise required by state law, CarMax Associates are entitled to the following paid sick, vacation, and holiday time.
Associates that are considered full-time hourly or commission/incentive eligible:
  • To earn up to 48 hours of sick time per year accrued on a per pay period basis and between 80 hours and 200 hours per year of vacation time after a 90 day waiting period depending on years of continuous service with the Company.
  • For 8 hours of pay for each of a total of 6 paid scheduled holidays per year plus 1 floating holiday. If such an Associate does work on a scheduled holiday due to business need, they are eligible for Holiday Premium Pay.

Associates considered full-time salaried are entitled to paid time away with no specified limit as needed for sick, vacation, bereavement, jury duty, holidays, floating holiday, etc. subject to manager approval.
For more details about benefits, please visit our CarMax Benefits website.
Upon an applicant's request, CarMax will consider reasonable accommodation to complete the CarMax Job Application.

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About CarMax

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

CarMax disrupted the auto industry by delivering the honest, transparent and high-integrity experience customers want and deserve. This innovative thinking around the way cars are bought and sold has helped us become the nation's largest retailer of used cars, with over 200 locations nationwide. Our amazing team of more than 25,000 associates work together to deliver iconic customer experiences. Along the way, we help every associate grow their career and achieve their best, at work and in their community. We are recognized for our commitment to training and diversity and are one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For®.

Industry

Automobile dealers and finance and insurance

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Henrico, VA, US