BLS May 2025
Mechanic Salary in Alabama
Mechanic pay in Alabama tops that of only 4 states. For automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023), the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 median is $45,640 a year, $4,980 below the national median of $50,620, and 9,040 wage and salary jobs sit behind it. The wider gap is between trades: aircraft mechanics hit $82,260, 80 percent above automotive technicians.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group
At a Glance
- 46th of 50 states on median pay for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023), $45,640 against $50,620 nationally.
- $82,260 for aircraft mechanics, 80 percent over automotive technicians.
- 13 ranked programs, led by George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville in Hanceville, AL.
Aircraft Mechanics Out-Earn Auto Mechanics by $36,620 in Alabama
The top trade, aircraft mechanics, pays $82,260 with 4,310 jobs behind it, a $36,620 premium over automotive technicians ($45,640). That leaves automotive technicians last among 5 trades.
| Trade | Alabama median | U.S. median | Rank of 50 | Jobs | Best metro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanic | $82,260 | $79,870 | 15th | 4,310 | Mobile, AL, $82,260 |
| Heavy Equipment Mechanic | $63,850 | $65,510 | 33rd | 4,640 | Birmingham, AL, $67,200 |
| Collision Repair Technician | $52,040 | $54,890 | 25th | 1,810 | Birmingham, AL, $56,860 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $50,470 | $61,770 | 49th | 6,130 | Huntsville, AL, $55,110 |
| Auto Mechanic | $45,640 | $50,620 | 46th | 9,040 | Columbus, GA-AL, $48,830 |
Collision repair technicians ($52,040, -$2,850) and diesel mechanics ($50,470, -$11,300) fall short of their national medians.
Level with the nation: aircraft mechanics ($82,260, +$2,390) and heavy equipment mechanics ($63,850, -$1,660).
Diesel mechanics rank 49th of 50 at $50,470, the trade that trails other states most.
Mobile, AL is the best metro for aircraft mechanics here, at $82,260.
Columbus, GA-AL Leads Mechanic Pay in Alabama
13 metropolitan areas are priced. Birmingham, AL, Huntsville, AL and Mobile, AL hold 4,050 jobs, and the largest of them pays $2,190 more than the $45,640 state median.
Columbus, GA-AL has the top pay at $48,830, $3,760 over Tuscaloosa, AL at $45,070 among areas with at least 500 jobs.
Rural pay sits below the state median of $45,640: 4 nonmetropolitan areas, 1,660 jobs, $37,630 to $44,610.
1 of the 13 areas, led by Columbus, GA-AL, extend into GA and carry one figure for the whole area.
| Area | Median | Against Alabama | 10th to 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham, AL | $47,830 | +$2,190 | $33,630 to $88,150 | 2,220 |
| Huntsville, AL | $46,840 | +$1,200 | $33,830 to $82,860 | 940 |
| Mobile, AL | $47,330 | +$1,690 | $30,340 to $75,980 | 890 |
| Montgomery, AL | $47,030 | +$1,390 | $30,100 to $78,430 | 670 |
| Columbus, GA-AL | $48,830 | +$3,190 | $30,420 to $76,200 | 630 |
| Tuscaloosa, AL | $45,070 | -$570 | $32,160 to $78,230 | 530 |
| Daphne-Fairhope-Foley, AL | $45,720 | +$80 | $31,100 to $82,910 | 470 |
| Auburn-Opelika, AL | $47,250 | +$1,610 | $29,860 to $78,500 | 300 |
| Dothan, AL | $44,170 | -$1,470 | $28,510 to $71,310 | 300 |
| Decatur, AL | $45,740 | +$100 | $30,100 to $74,890 | 290 |
| Florence-Muscle Shoals, AL | $39,800 | -$5,840 | $29,920 to $77,860 | 240 |
| Anniston-Oxford, AL | $44,590 | -$1,050 | $29,710 to $75,410 | 200 |
| Gadsden, AL | $42,200 | -$3,440 | $29,510 to $77,120 | 170 |
| Northeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $37,630 | -$8,010 | $29,960 to $61,990 | 650 |
| Southeast Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $44,610 | -$1,030 | $29,970 to $75,980 | 420 |
| Northwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $42,980 | -$2,660 | $31,370 to $65,200 | 330 |
| Southwest Alabama nonmetropolitan area | $39,350 | -$6,290 | $30,240 to $65,470 | 260 |
13 Ranked Mechanic Programs in Alabama
George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville in Hanceville, AL tops a field of 13 ranked programs (6 automotive, 3 diesel, 1 collision repair and 3 aviation maintenance) with 64.4 out of 100 in diesel, spread over 9 schools.
Among 13 priced programs the range is $4,272 per year, in-state at Gadsden State Community College (Gadsden, AL) to $5,278 annually, in-state at Snead State Community College (Boaz, AL).
1 ranked program is in Birmingham, AL, where the median is $47,830.
- George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville Hanceville, AL, diesel, score 64.4, #13 of 76
- Enterprise State Community College Enterprise, AL, aviation maintenance, score 58.3, #44 of 148
- George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville Hanceville, AL, automotive, score 53.3, #181 of 415
- Shelton State Community College Tuscaloosa, AL, diesel, score 52.7, #46 of 76
- John C Calhoun State Community College Tanner, AL, automotive, score 52.6, #189 of 415
- Snead State Community College Boaz, AL, aviation maintenance, score 52.5, #73 of 148
- Shelton State Community College Tuscaloosa, AL, automotive, score 48.2, #257 of 415
- Gadsden State Community College Gadsden, AL, collision repair, score 46.2, #47 of 59
- Coastal Alabama Community College Bay Minette, AL, aviation maintenance, score 42.8, #116 of 148
- Lawson State Community College Birmingham, AL, automotive, score 40.9, #362 of 415
- Lurleen B Wallace Community College Andalusia, AL, automotive, score 40.8, #363 of 415
- Gadsden State Community College Gadsden, AL, automotive, score 40.5, #365 of 415
Best Mechanic Schools in Alabama lists all 13 with scores
Where 9,040 Mechanics Work in Alabama
4.3 of every 1,000 jobs are technician jobs, within 6 percent of the national rate, a location quotient of 0.94. That puts Alabama 38th among 50 states on concentration.
The most concentrated trade is aircraft mechanics at 2.29 on 4,310 jobs, and collision repair technicians the least at 0.89. They are far more common here than nationally.
Mechanic Salary in Alabama Trails the National Median by $4,980
The pay floor of $31,030 runs $3,630 behind national pay and the ceiling of $79,230 runs $2,560 behind national pay. The $48,200 spread from bottom tenth to top tenth comes close to the national gap. Alabama ranks 41st of 50 states at the 10th percentile.
| Measure | Alabama | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31,030 | $34,660 | -$3,630 |
| 25th percentile | $37,050 | $38,900 | -$1,850 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $45,640 | $50,620 | -$4,980 |
| 75th percentile | $61,560 | $70,430 | -$8,870 |
| 90th percentile | $79,230 | $81,790 | -$2,560 |
| Mean | $51,020 | $56,420 | -$5,400 |
| Wage and salary jobs | 9,040 | 704,640 |
Half of Alabama mechanics fall between $37,050 and $61,560, behind the national middle half at both edges (-$1,850 and -$8,870).
The average, $51,020, sits $5,380 above the median, lifted by top earners.
The 10th percentile figure of $31,030 says where the bottom tenth ends, not what a beginner is paid.
Alabama Between Louisiana and Kentucky on Mechanic Pay
Kentucky is the closest, $44,890 ($750 below); Louisiana follows above at $46,400, $760 away.
8 states land within $2,500 of $45,640, and 4 of them within $1,000. The order is tightly packed here.
Questions About Mechanic Salary in Alabama
What is the mechanic salary in Alabama?
Half make more than $45,640 a year ($21.94 an hour), $4,980 below the nation. At the bottom tenth it is $31,030, at the top tenth $79,230.
What is the pay gap between aircraft mechanics and auto mechanics in Alabama?
A premium of $36,620: $82,260 compared with $45,640 for automotive technicians, on 4,310 jobs.
Which mechanic school in Alabama ranks highest?
George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville in Hanceville, AL, scoring 64.4 among 13 ranked programs.
The figures here are the Bureau of Labor Statistics median for wage and salary workers, so the mechanic salary in Alabama for any one job depends on the employer, the metro area and the trade.
Sources for Mechanic Salary in Alabama
- BLS OEWS, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics May 2025, read October 23, 2026.
- BLS OEWS technical notes Wage and salary workers only.