BLS May 2025
Mechanic Salary: Automotive Service Technician Pay
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (SOC 49-3023) earned a median of $50,620 a year in the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 estimates, and the middle 80 percent earned between $34,660 and $81,790. 704,640 wage and salary jobs sit behind those figures, and the highest state median is $64,980 in California.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group
At a Glance
- $50,620 median annual wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023), BLS May 2025, or $24.34 an hour.
- $34,660 to $81,790 from the 10th to the 90th percentile.
- 704,640 jobs in the occupation, wage and salary workers only.
- California has the highest state median at $64,980; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA leads the metropolitan areas at $77,840.
Auto Mechanic Salary Percentiles
Annual wages for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) across the United States, BLS OEWS May 2025. Percentiles are points in the wage distribution, not stages of a career, so the 10th percentile is not a starting salary.
| Measure | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,660 |
| 25th percentile | $38,900 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $50,620 |
| 75th percentile | $70,430 |
| 90th percentile | $81,790 |
| Mean | $56,420 |
| Median hourly wage | $24.34 |
| Wage and salary jobs | 704,640 |
Auto Mechanic Salary by State
The ten highest state medians for automotive service technicians and mechanics show where a auto mechanic salary runs highest, among states with at least 500 jobs in the occupation. The states with the most jobs are Texas (69,750), California (65,420), Florida (49,930) and New York (32,020).
| State | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| California | $64,980 | 65,420 |
| Colorado | $61,280 | 12,300 |
| Alaska | $60,840 | 1,420 |
| Massachusetts | $60,760 | 12,710 |
| Connecticut | $60,220 | 6,960 |
| Virginia | $59,330 | 17,880 |
| New Hampshire | $59,020 | 4,840 |
| Montana | $58,740 | 2,900 |
| Oregon | $58,520 | 6,990 |
| Delaware | $58,410 | 1,910 |
State pages carry the percentiles, the metropolitan areas and the five trades side by side for each of the 50 states, starting from the salary hub.
Auto Mechanic Salary by Metro Area
The ten highest medians among the metropolitan areas with at least 1,000 jobs in the occupation. A metropolitan area that crosses state lines has one figure for the whole area.
| Metropolitan area | Median | Jobs |
|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $77,840 | 3,040 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $76,030 | 7,270 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $75,080 | 1,000 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $72,020 | 4,870 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $65,160 | 1,450 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $64,320 | 4,910 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $64,210 | 7,680 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $63,060 | 9,360 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $62,840 | 1,310 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $62,820 | 22,330 |
The largest metropolitan areas by jobs are New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ (28,420 jobs, median $57,760), Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA (22,330 jobs, median $62,820), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (20,140 jobs, median $55,320) and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX (17,690 jobs, median $49,720).
Auto Mechanic Salary Compared With Other Trades
The auto mechanic salary beside the other four mechanic trades, each its own BLS occupation, May 2025.
| Trade | Median | 10th to 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auto Mechanic SOC 49-3023 | $50,620 | $34,660 to $81,790 | 704,640 |
| Diesel Mechanic SOC 49-3031 | $61,770 | $44,530 to $88,740 | 289,960 |
| Aircraft Mechanic SOC 49-3011 | $79,870 | $48,780 to $128,890 | 138,090 |
| Collision Repair Technician SOC 49-3021 | $54,890 | $36,910 to $87,940 | 149,310 |
| Heavy Equipment Mechanic SOC 49-3042 | $65,510 | $46,820 to $94,460 | 176,600 |
What Shapes an Auto Mechanic Salary
BLS lists automobile dealers (32 percent of jobs) and automotive mechanical and electrical repair and maintenance shops (25 percent) as the largest employers of automotive service technicians. Another 15 percent are self-employed, and the OEWS wage figures do not cover them.
BLS says employers may require or prefer certified technicians, that some will pay for certifications, and that industry certifications demonstrate competence and may bring higher pay. OEWS wages are straight-time gross pay, so overtime is not in the median.
Training and Career Guide for Auto Mechanic
The auto mechanic career guide covers what the job is, the training routes and the credentials that apply. The accredited programs that train for it are ranked on this site.
Mechanic Salary in Every State
Each page gives one state's median, percentiles, metropolitan areas and ranked schools.
- Alabama $45,640
- Alaska $60,840
- Arizona $49,570
- Arkansas $44,160
- California $64,980
- Colorado $61,280
- Connecticut $60,220
- Delaware $58,410
- Florida $48,260
- Georgia $49,060
- Hawaii $52,160
- Idaho $48,420
- Illinois $49,170
- Indiana $49,360
- Iowa $50,510
- Kansas $47,790
- Kentucky $44,890
- Louisiana $46,400
- Maine $52,040
- Maryland $57,520
- Massachusetts $60,760
- Michigan $54,120
- Minnesota $58,390
- Mississippi $37,820
- Missouri $49,160
- Montana $58,740
- Nebraska $50,560
- Nevada $48,290
- New Hampshire $59,020
- New Jersey $56,610
- New Mexico $47,300
- New York $54,120
- North Carolina $48,200
- North Dakota $57,360
- Ohio $48,710
- Oklahoma $46,560
- Oregon $58,520
- Pennsylvania $49,800
- Rhode Island $51,770
- South Carolina $48,100
- South Dakota $51,160
- Tennessee $50,290
- Texas $48,310
- Utah $46,570
- Vermont $51,630
- Virginia $59,330
- Washington $57,270
- West Virginia $37,660
- Wisconsin $54,350
- Wyoming $51,330
Questions About Auto Mechanic Salary
How much does an auto mechanic make?
BLS reports a May 2025 median of $50,620 a year for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023), or $24.34 an hour. The mean is $56,420.
What is the lowest and highest pay for auto mechanics?
BLS reports pay by percentile rather than by years of experience. In May 2025, the lowest-paid tenth of automotive service technicians and mechanics earned under $34,660 and the highest-paid tenth earned over $81,790. The 10th percentile is the occupation's low end, not a starting salary.
What is the average auto mechanic salary?
The median auto mechanic salary in the BLS May 2025 estimates is $50,620 a year, the middle of the distribution, and the mean is $56,420.
Which state pays auto mechanics the most?
Among states with at least 500 jobs in the occupation, California has the highest May 2025 median for automotive service technicians and mechanics, $64,980, followed by Colorado ($61,280) and Alaska ($60,840).
Do the figures include self-employed auto mechanics?
No. OEWS counts wage and salary jobs only, and BLS says its survey does not include the self-employed.
Sources for Auto Mechanic Salary Data
- Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics May 2025 national, state and metropolitan estimates, read October 23, 2026.
- BLS OEWS technical notes The survey covers wage and salary workers and not the self-employed.
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