How much do auto mechanics make?
Auto mechanics make $50,620 a year at the national median, and the middle half earn between $38,900 and $70,430.[onet_auto][oews] BLS counts automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023) at dealers, independent shops, tire and parts chains and fleets, 704,640 jobs in May 2025.[oews_api]
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $34,660 | $16.66 | $30,029 |
| 25th | $38,900 | $18.70 | $33,436 |
| Median (50th) | $50,620 | $24.34 | $42,853 |
| 75th | $70,430 | $33.86 | $58,378 |
| 90th | $81,790 | $39.32 | $66,369 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
A $60,000 salary sits around the 62nd percentile for auto techs nationally. Pay depends heavily on the shop’s pay plan: many dealers pay flat rate per book hour, which BLS reports as an hourly equivalent.[oews_faq]
Auto mechanic hourly pay by experience level
The 10th percentile, $16.66 an hour, is the closest public figure to a new or lube-and-tire tech’s rate; the 75th percentile, $33.86, is typical of experienced, certified line technicians; and the 90th, $39.32, of master or diagnostic techs.[onet_auto] BLS does not survey certification levels, so the labels are a rough guide, not data.
| Percentile | Hourly | Weekly (40 h) | Yearly | Take-home* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | $16.66 | $667 | $34,660 | $30,029 |
| 25th | $18.70 | $748 | $38,900 | $33,436 |
| Median | $24.34 | $973 | $50,620 | $42,853 |
| 75th | $33.86 | $1,354 | $70,430 | $58,378 |
| 90th | $39.32 | $1,573 | $81,790 | $66,369 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax and FICA, before state tax.
Auto mechanic salary by state
District of Columbia pays auto mechanics the most at a median of $68,660, followed by California ($64,980) and Colorado ($61,280); West Virginia pays the least at $37,660.[onet_auto][oews_api] The two largest states for the job are California (65,420 jobs, $64,980 median) and Florida (49,930 jobs, $48,260).
| State | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. District of Columbia | $68,660 | $33.01 | $46,230 | $89,960 | 310 |
| 2. California | $64,980 | $31.24 | $38,180 | $95,280 | 65,420 |
| 3. Colorado | $61,280 | $29.46 | $39,550 | $93,830 | 12,300 |
| 4. Alaska | $60,840 | $29.25 | $44,060 | $94,600 | 1,420 |
| 5. Massachusetts | $60,760 | $29.21 | $38,370 | $95,090 | 12,710 |
| 6. Connecticut | $60,220 | $28.95 | $38,430 | $79,930 | 6,960 |
| 7. Virginia | $59,330 | $28.52 | $36,540 | $92,570 | 17,880 |
| 8. New Hampshire | $59,020 | $28.38 | $38,310 | $82,250 | 4,840 |
| 9. Montana | $58,740 | $28.24 | $38,170 | $78,460 | 2,900 |
| 10. Oregon | $58,520 | $28.13 | $39,590 | $92,090 | 6,990 |
| 11. Delaware | $58,410 | $28.08 | $36,700 | $82,280 | 1,910 |
| 12. Minnesota | $58,390 | $28.07 | $38,310 | $83,180 | 11,980 |
| 13. Maryland | $57,520 | $27.65 | $35,940 | $84,420 | 14,230 |
| 14. North Dakota | $57,360 | $27.58 | $37,610 | $83,860 | 2,140 |
| 15. Washington | $57,270 | $27.53 | $39,470 | $95,620 | 12,930 |
| 16. New Jersey | $56,610 | $27.22 | $33,500 | $91,210 | 17,640 |
| 17. Wisconsin | $54,350 | $26.13 | $36,590 | $78,140 | 12,270 |
| 18. Michigan | $54,120 | $26.02 | $36,110 | $79,060 | 22,280 |
| 19. New York | $54,120 | $26.02 | $35,470 | $91,490 | 32,020 |
| 20. Hawaii | $52,160 | $25.08 | $36,360 | $79,090 | 2,710 |
| 21. Maine | $52,040 | $25.02 | $38,420 | $74,650 | 3,390 |
| 22. Rhode Island | $51,770 | $24.89 | $31,860 | $80,780 | 2,530 |
| 23. Vermont | $51,630 | $24.82 | $40,500 | $78,690 | 1,610 |
| 24. Wyoming | $51,330 | $24.68 | $34,200 | $79,470 | 1,560 |
| 25. South Dakota | $51,160 | $24.60 | $38,670 | $80,500 | 2,010 |
| 26. Nebraska | $50,560 | $24.31 | $36,770 | $79,990 | 4,560 |
| 27. Iowa | $50,510 | $24.28 | $36,100 | $77,400 | 7,610 |
| 28. Tennessee | $50,290 | $24.18 | $34,820 | $79,930 | 16,210 |
| 29. Pennsylvania | $49,800 | $23.94 | $35,600 | $77,630 | 29,400 |
| 30. Arizona | $49,570 | $23.83 | $34,660 | $79,330 | 16,400 |
| 31. Indiana | $49,360 | $23.73 | $35,800 | $78,580 | 16,480 |
| 32. Illinois | $49,170 | $23.64 | $34,190 | $91,200 | 29,510 |
| 33. Missouri | $49,160 | $23.63 | $34,950 | $76,870 | 17,210 |
| 34. Georgia | $49,060 | $23.59 | $33,580 | $84,360 | 22,070 |
| 35. Ohio | $48,710 | $23.42 | $34,110 | $79,690 | 22,640 |
| 36. Idaho | $48,420 | $23.28 | $34,570 | $77,710 | 5,030 |
| 37. Texas | $48,310 | $23.23 | $29,360 | $81,720 | 69,750 |
| 38. Nevada | $48,290 | $23.22 | $33,500 | $81,180 | 7,420 |
| 39. Florida | $48,260 | $23.20 | $31,970 | $79,180 | 49,930 |
| 40. North Carolina | $48,200 | $23.17 | $31,500 | $79,610 | 26,510 |
| 41. South Carolina | $48,100 | $23.13 | $31,200 | $78,030 | 13,420 |
| 42. Kansas | $47,790 | $22.98 | $31,970 | $77,340 | 6,240 |
| 43. New Mexico | $47,300 | $22.74 | $30,390 | $77,850 | 5,080 |
| 44. Utah | $46,570 | $22.39 | $30,460 | $77,320 | 9,350 |
| 45. Oklahoma | $46,560 | $22.38 | $29,410 | $81,480 | 8,870 |
| 46. Louisiana | $46,400 | $22.31 | $30,230 | $77,790 | 8,620 |
| 47. Alabama | $45,640 | $21.94 | $31,030 | $79,230 | 9,040 |
| 48. Kentucky | $44,890 | $21.58 | $30,210 | $73,910 | 11,140 |
| 49. Arkansas | $44,160 | $21.23 | $30,320 | $75,600 | 7,310 |
| 50. Mississippi | $37,820 | $18.18 | $28,650 | $74,000 | 7,410 |
| 51. West Virginia | $37,660 | $18.11 | $28,270 | $65,520 | 4,490 |
Jobs: BLS OEWS employment estimate, May 2025.
Highest-paying metro areas for mechanics
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA has the highest auto mechanic median, $77,840.[onet_auto]
| Area | Median | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 1. San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $77,840 | $37.42 |
| 2. Napa, CA | $76,450 | $36.75 |
| 3. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $76,030 | $36.55 |
| 4. Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $75,080 | $36.10 |
| 5. Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $72,020 | $34.63 |
| 6. Alaska nonmetropolitan area | $71,340 | $34.30 |
| 7. Vallejo, CA | $69,710 | $33.51 |
| 8. Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $65,160 | $31.33 |
| 9. San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $64,320 | $30.92 |
| 10. North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $64,240 | $30.88 |
Is moving from auto to diesel worth it?
Diesel technicians earn $11,150 more than auto techs at the medians, so a short diesel program can pay for itself quickly.[onet_diesel][onet_auto] BLS projects 5% growth for automotive technicians from 2025 to 2035, against 4% for diesel, with about 66,200 auto openings a year.[ooh_auto][ooh_diesel] Enter a program’s published price below; the defaults use the national medians of both jobs.
Auto to diesel payback calculator
Payback mathHow long a diesel program takes to pay for itself after the switch.
School payback · 2026 tax on the raise
Does not pay back
The new salary is not higher than your current pay, so the program never earns its cost back in money terms.
| Tuition, fees, books, exams | $15,000 |
|---|---|
| Pay given up while in school | $20,248 |
| Loan interest | $0 |
| Total cost | $35,248 |
| Raise after tax, per year | $0 |
After-tax share of the raise: 0.0% (single filer, federal + FICA). Nominal dollars, no discounting.
Planning figure, not a pay offer. Arithmetic on your inputs. The raise is taxed with 2026 federal income tax and FICA for a single filer.
See diesel mechanic salary for state figures, or compare more trades on the electrician salary page and HVAC technician salary.
Frequently asked questions
How much do auto mechanics make an hour?
$24.34 at the national median (BLS, May 2025); $16.66 at the 10th percentile and $39.32 at the 90th.
What state pays auto mechanics the most?
District of Columbia ($68,660 median), then California and Colorado. West Virginia pays the least.
How much do mechanics take home?
About $42,853 a year, or $3,571 a month, for a single filer at the national median after 2026 federal income tax and FICA.
Do diesel mechanics make more than auto mechanics?
Yes, $61,770 against $50,620 at the national medians.
Sources
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Diesel Service Technicians and Mechanics
- Local Wages: 49-3023.00 Automotive service technicians and mechanics (state and metro percentiles)
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates
- OEWS May 2025 employment and median wage series (OEUN/OEUS), Public Data API v2
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- Local Wages: 49-3031.00 Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists (state and metro percentiles)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)