Find a Job You Really Want In
Mechanics are one of the most common jobs in America. Additionally, a significant number of people work as mechanics in every state in the union — it’s not like they are all just concentrated in California or the South.
Since mechanics are such a prominent occupation, we at Zippia wanted to look at where mechanics have it the best: where there are plenty of jobs to go around and people get paid what they deserve during every phase of their career.
To that end, we dove into the numbers from the BLS to figure out which states have the best opportunities for mechanics.
After all the numbers had been crunched, we were left with this list of the best of best for America’s mechanics:
So there you have it — Bus And Truck Mechanics And Diesel Engine Specialists is the best of the best when it comes to being a mechanic.
How did Bus And Truck Mechanics And Diesel Engine Specialists end up here and does it really deserve this ranking? Read on to see how we completed our research on the best states for mechanics and for more on the top ten states.
If youĂÂre interested, you can read more about the job scene here:
- These Are The 10 Best Cities For Mechanics
- These Are The 100 Highest Paying Jobs In Wyoming
- These Are The 100 Largest Companies In Wyoming
How we determined the best states to be a mechanic
Here at Zippia, we talk to a lot of people of all different backgrounds looking for jobs. Our research has concluded that there are two common things people want in a job:
- Availability of jobs
- Higher Pay
So in order to find out the best states for mechanics in America we needed to figure out where the jobs are and how well mechanics get paid. This led to the following criteria taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’s Occupational Employment Statistics for 2018:
- Location quotient. A measure of how common a job is a given state.
- Average annual salary.
- Average annual salary for entry level work.
- Average annual salary for experienced professionals.
To make all the salary numbers more apples to apples across states, we compared the salary data relative to the state’s cost of living.
Applying this standardization allows us to account for that fact that it costs more to live in certain in states. For example, the average salary for mechanics in California is $56,830 and the average salary in Illinois is $53,290, but the Illinois salary actually goes further in paying for life’s essentials.
In order to develop and overall ranking, we ranked each state for each criteria from 1 to 50 where 1 was the best.
We then averaged all the rankings for a state into a Job Score with the state having the lowest overall Job Score earning the distinction of being the best state for mechanics in America.
So without further ado, let’s get into just what made each state so great for mechanics.
1. Wyoming
Total Jobs: 930
Average Annual Salary: $53,380
Average Entry Level Salary: $35,370
Average Experienced Salary: $76,800
Location Quotient: 1.88
2. North Dakota
Total Jobs: 1,360
Average Annual Salary: $54,080
Average Entry Level Salary: $36,020
Average Experienced Salary: $77,480
Location Quotient: 1.78
3. Texas
Total Jobs: 27,960
Average Annual Salary: $48,450
Average Entry Level Salary: $30,600
Average Experienced Salary: $69,670
Location Quotient: 1.26
4. Minnesota
Total Jobs: 7,020
Average Annual Salary: $51,480
Average Entry Level Salary: $34,390
Average Experienced Salary: $71,860
Location Quotient: 1.34
5. Montana
Total Jobs: 1,050
Average Annual Salary: $51,160
Average Entry Level Salary: $34,860
Average Experienced Salary: $70,620
Location Quotient: 1.24
6. Illinois
Total Jobs: 10,120
Average Annual Salary: $53,290
Average Entry Level Salary: $32,320
Average Experienced Salary: $79,080
Location Quotient: 0.92
7. Michigan
Total Jobs: 9,360
Average Annual Salary: $45,930
Average Entry Level Salary: $29,640
Average Experienced Salary: $63,570
Location Quotient: 1.18
8. Washington
Total Jobs: 6,120
Average Annual Salary: $55,830
Average Entry Level Salary: $35,520
Average Experienced Salary: $77,920
Location Quotient: 1.03
9. Nevada
Total Jobs: 1,740
Average Annual Salary: $57,250
Average Entry Level Salary: $37,480
Average Experienced Salary: $78,450
Location Quotient: 0.71
10. Indiana
Total Jobs: 8,230
Average Annual Salary: $44,660
Average Entry Level Salary: $29,500
Average Experienced Salary: $61,570
Location Quotient: 1.48
There You Have It – The Best States To Be A Mechanic
If you’re looking to start out your career as a mechanic these are the states that should be at the top of your list. You’ll find high pay, available jobs, and chances for career advancement.
If you’re curious, here are the worst states to be a mechanic in America:
Detailed List Of The Best States For mechanics
| Rank | State | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | $53,380 |
| 2 | North Dakota | $54,080 |
| 3 | Texas | $48,450 |
| 4 | Minnesota | $51,480 |
| 5 | Montana | $51,160 |
| 6 | Illinois | $53,290 |
| 7 | Michigan | $45,930 |
| 8 | Washington | $55,830 |
| 9 | Nevada | $57,250 |
| 10 | Indiana | $44,660 |
| 11 | Utah | $48,360 |
| 12 | Tennessee | $44,890 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | $44,340 |
| 14 | Alaska | $66,280 |
| 15 | Colorado | $52,350 |
| 16 | Alabama | $43,830 |
| 17 | Wisconsin | $48,070 |
| 18 | Ohio | $46,900 |
| 19 | Missouri | $45,320 |
| 20 | Georgia | $46,120 |
| 21 | Nebraska | $43,460 |
| 22 | Kansas | $44,170 |
| 23 | North Carolina | $45,310 |
| 24 | Arkansas | $40,440 |
| 25 | Iowa | $43,000 |
| 26 | Kentucky | $43,340 |
| 27 | Arizona | $46,640 |
| 28 | Delaware | $49,450 |
| 29 | Idaho | $42,770 |
| 30 | Virginia | $48,470 |
| 31 | Louisiana | $47,680 |
| 32 | Pennsylvania | $46,960 |
| 33 | Florida | $46,610 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $38,700 |
| 35 | West Virginia | $39,440 |
| 36 | New Mexico | $43,520 |
| 37 | New Jersey | $55,500 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $43,500 |
| 39 | South Carolina | $44,910 |
| 40 | New Hampshire | $52,240 |
| 41 | Oregon | $51,000 |
| 42 | Vermont | $46,700 |
| 43 | Maine | $44,530 |
| 44 | Connecticut | $58,060 |
| 45 | Massachusetts | $59,310 |
| 46 | New York | $55,340 |
| 47 | Maryland | $51,890 |
| 48 | California | $56,830 |
| 49 | Rhode Island | $49,620 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $57,490 |
Author
Chris Kolmar is a co-founder of Zippia and the editor-in-chief of the Zippia career advice blog. He has hired over 50 people in his career, been hired five times, and wants to help you land your next job. His research has been featured on the New York Times, Thrillist, VOX, The Atlantic, and a host of local news. More recently, he's been quoted on USA Today, BusinessInsider, and CNBC.
