Mobile and laptop repair
Last updated · Confirm dates, fees and eligibility on the official website before you apply.
Diagnosing and repairing phones, tablets and laptops, from screen and battery replacement through to board-level electronics work - a trade with genuine self-employment potential and low entry cost.
- Route in
- Typically ITI Electronics Mechanic. 1 course lead here
What the work involves
Day to day
Diagnosing faults and repairing them - screens, batteries, charging ports, water damage, software problems - and at the skilled end, component-level work on the circuit board itself using microscopes and rework stations.
Who this suits
Fit
People with fine motor skill and patience for diagnosis who want to work for themselves without much capital. Demand exists in every town, the tools are affordable, and a technician with a reputation for honest work and real board-level ability rarely looks for customers.
The honest reality
Read this one
Manufacturers restrict spare parts and diagnostic access, which limits what independent technicians can legally and practically repair, and that pressure is increasing. Screen-and-battery swapping is easy to learn and therefore poorly paid; board-level repair is what separates earnings, and few courses teach it properly. Training academies in this sector routinely overpromise, so ask to see what former students are actually doing.
The route in, step by step
6 steps from where you are now.
Class 10 Required
Open entry, and one of the shortest routes to self-employment on this site.
ITI Electronics Mechanic, or a mobile repair certificate Required
The ITI is two years and thorough. A three to six month repair course gets you earning far sooner but leaves gaps you will feel at component level.
Learn board-level repair Required
Micro-soldering, BGA rework, schematic reading and short-circuit tracing. Anyone can swap a screen; board-level repair is where the margin is and where the competition thins out.
Work in an existing shop or service centre Required
Authorised service centres teach process and give you brand exposure. Independent shops teach you the range of faults faster.
Set up your own counter Required
Shop registration, GST if you cross the threshold, spare parts supply, and a location with footfall. Parts sourcing reliability is what decides whether you make money.
Add data recovery, or take on trade repair work Optional
Data recovery carries high margins. Taking board-level jobs that other shops cannot handle turns your competitors into your customers.
Courses that lead here
1 mapped route into this career.
Common questions
The ones people actually ask about this work.
How much capital does this need to start?
Modest for basic repairs - tools and a workbench. Board-level work needs a microscope and rework station, which costs meaningfully more.
Is board-level repair worth learning?
It is what separates earnings. Screen and battery swaps are easy, competitive and poorly paid; component-level diagnosis is scarce and pays accordingly.
Are manufacturer restrictions a real obstacle?
Increasingly. Parts availability and diagnostic access are limited by design, which constrains what independent technicians can legally and practically repair.
How do I judge a repair training course?
Ask what former students are doing now and whether board-level work is genuinely taught. Many academies teach only swaps while promising more.
Test this against your own priorities
Pay, hours and entry route matter differently to different people. Compare this against the alternative you are actually weighing, rather than against the average.