Post job

Automotive mechanic salary

Average automotive mechanic salary

$42,864

$20.61 hourly rate

Entry-level automotive mechanic salary
$30,000 yearly salary
Updated January 8, 2025

Average Automotive Mechanic Salary

The average salary for an automotive mechanic stands at $42,864 annually. This figure can fluctuate based on various factors such as geographic location, years of experience, and the type of automotive repair services provided. For instance, mechanics in urban areas typically earn more due to a higher cost of living and greater demand for services.

Experience Level Impact

Entry-level mechanics usually start with lower salaries, but as they gain experience and specialized skills, their earning potential increases significantly. Those with certifications or advanced training often command higher wages.

State-by-State Salary Variation

Salary estimates vary widely across the United States. States like California and New York tend to offer the highest salaries due to increased demand and higher living costs. Conversely, mechanics in states with lower living expenses may earn less but enjoy a lower cost of living.

Job Opportunities

Automotive mechanics can explore various niches, including diesel mechanics, auto body repair, and specialized diagnostics, which can lead to higher-paying positions. Continuous training and certification in advanced technologies can further enhance job prospects and salary potential.

On this page
Automotive mechanic salary by: 

Let Zippi find your next automotive mechanic job

Floating question marks illustration

Let Zippi find your next automotive mechanic job

Floating question marks illustration

Where can an Automotive Mechanic earn more?

Compare salary by location
Vs
88k
68k
48k
28k
8k
Columbus, OH$59,864
Philadelphia, PA$37,512
Compare salary by company
Vs
79k
59k
39k
19k
Eversource Energy$65,164
ALS, LLC$49,138

Automotive mechanic salaries by experience level

Experience levelAvg. salaryHourly rate
Entry-level automotive mechanic$25,100$12.07
Mid-level automotive mechanic$40,500$19.48
Senior-level automotive mechanic$56,000$26.94

Automotive mechanic salary estimates from across the web

Based on the latest salary information compiled by Zippia, Salary.com, Indeed, Glassdoor, Ziprecruiter and Comparably, the average salary for an automotive mechanic typically falls between $42,864 and $65,019.
zippia
$42,864yearly
glassdoor[1]
$65,019yearly
indeed[2]
$54,595yearly
comparably[3]
$46,247yearly
Salary.com[4]
$56,565yearly
ZipRecruiter[5]
$54,533yearly

Average automotive mechanic salary by state

The highest-paying states for automotive mechanics are Colorado, California, and New Jersey. The lowest average automotive mechanic salary states are Hawaii, Alabama, and Georgia.

  • State view
  • County view
Average salary:

Highest paying states for automotive mechanics

RankStateAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Kentucky$48,940$23.53
2Wyoming$50,216$24.14
3Colorado$59,170$28.45
4Idaho$48,589$23.36
5Iowa$47,211$22.70
6Washington$50,916$24.48
7Minnesota$51,818$24.91
8Wisconsin$46,231$22.23
9Maine$47,365$22.77
10North Dakota$44,941$21.61
11Alaska$47,107$22.65
12West Virginia$50,954$24.50
13New Jersey$52,006$25.00
14Nebraska$45,541$21.89
15Vermont$46,854$22.53
16Michigan$45,802$22.02
17California$52,464$25.22
18Ohio$43,702$21.01
19Tennessee$41,706$20.05
20Maryland$46,298$22.26
21Utah$42,752$20.55
22Massachusetts$48,620$23.38
23Kansas$44,086$21.20
24Arkansas$40,845$19.64
25New Hampshire$45,055$21.66
26Montana$39,902$19.18
27Virginia$45,474$21.86
28Oregon$41,718$20.06
29Illinois$42,374$20.37
30Indiana$37,603$18.08
31Mississippi$37,483$18.02
32New Mexico$42,203$20.29
33Oklahoma$39,896$19.18
34Missouri$40,187$19.32
35New York$40,818$19.62
36Arizona$38,179$18.36
37Nevada$37,232$17.90
38Alabama$35,231$16.94
39Delaware$38,615$18.56
40Rhode Island$39,980$19.22
41Texas$38,642$18.58
42Pennsylvania$37,274$17.92
43South Dakota$38,631$18.57
44Connecticut$38,681$18.60
45Louisiana$33,145$15.94
46North Carolina$37,453$18.01
47Florida$33,420$16.07
48Georgia$34,080$16.38
49South Carolina$32,927$15.83
50Hawaii$35,254$16.95
51District of Columbia$37,644$18.10

Highest paying cities for automotive mechanics

The highest-paying cities for automotive mechanics are Greeley, CO, Bakersfield, CA, and Belleville, NJ.

RankCityAvg. salaryHourly rate
1Greeley, CO$59,864$28.78
2Bakersfield, CA$52,804$25.39
3Belleville, NJ$52,197$25.09
4Saint Paul, MN$51,874$24.94
5Lakewood, WA$51,235$24.63
6Boston, MA$48,658$23.39
7Baltimore, MD$46,570$22.39
8Grand Rapids, MI$45,715$21.98
9Omaha, NE$45,701$21.97
10Rochester, NH$44,710$21.50
11Columbus, OH$43,290$20.81
12Melrose Park, IL$42,564$20.46
13Albuquerque, NM$42,400$20.38
14New York, NY$40,823$19.63
15Saint Louis, MO$40,384$19.42
16Tulsa, OK$40,042$19.25
17El Paso, TX$39,403$18.94
18Wilmington, DE$38,807$18.66
19Raleigh, NC$37,952$18.25
20Philadelphia, PA$37,512$18.03

Automotive mechanic salary details

An automotive mechanic's salary ranges from $30,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $59,000 at the 90th percentile.

Average automotive mechanic salary graph
Average automotive mechanic salary graph, trends, and summary

What is an automotive mechanic's salary?

PercentileAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rate
90th Percentile$59,000$4,917$28
75th Percentile$50,000$4,167$24
Average$42,864$3,572$21
25th Percentile$36,000$3,000$17
10th Percentile$30,000$2,500$14

Highest paying automotive mechanic jobs

The highest paying types of automotive mechanics are mobile equipment mechanic, industrial mechanic, and truck mechanic.

Job titleAnnual salaryMonthly salaryHourly rateJob openings
Mechanic Helper$31,892$2,658$15.3348,546
Shop Technician$36,798$3,066$17.69150,349
Mobile Equipment Mechanic$72,190$6,016$34.71105,687
Diesel Technician$46,868$3,906$22.53128,944
Tire Technician$38,376$3,198$18.45110,586
Lube Technician$29,959$2,497$14.40131,008

Top companies hiring automotive mechanics now:

  1. Lear jobs (23)
  2. First Student jobs (17)
  3. First Transit jobs (58)
  4. UPS jobs (11)
  5. CarMax jobs (14)

Which companies pay automotive mechanics the most?

Automotive mechanic salaries at Eversource Energy and City of Baltimore are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average automotive mechanic salary at companies like Marin Water and Blue Bird are highly competitive.

RankCompanyAverage salaryHourly rate
1Eversource Energy$65,164$31.33
2City of Baltimore$61,090$29.37
3Marin Water$60,849$29.25
4Blue Bird$58,136$27.95
5Fred Beans Ford$56,350$27.09
6Jacobs Engineering Group$56,118$26.98
7Kemp Technologies$56,090$26.97
8Arlington County, VA$55,548$26.71
9City of Louisville$55,377$26.62
10Patterson Auto$55,368$26.62
11Autocar Truck$55,140$26.51
12Belle Tire$54,673$26.29
13Subaru$53,885$25.91
14A. O. Smith$53,457$25.70
15Denton County$52,815$25.39
16Rich Ford$51,533$24.78
17FIRST$49,660$23.88
18Monster Products$49,467$23.78
19Asbury Automotive Group$49,245$23.68
20ALS, LLC$49,138$23.62

Wage gap by gender, race and education

$43,000$42,400$41,800$41,200$40,600$40,000
MaleFemale

Automotive Mechanic salary by industry

The average automotive mechanic salary varies across industries:

  • The average automotive mechanic salary in the manufacturing industry is $51,398, the highest of any industry.
  • The average automotive mechanic salary in the finance industry is $42,242.
  • Automotive mechanics in the government industry earn an average salary of $40,978, the lowest of any industry.

Highest paying industries for automotive mechanics

RankIndustryAverage salaryHourly rate
1Manufacturing$51,398$24.71
2Insurance$42,242$20.31
3Automotive$42,161$20.27
4Government$40,978$19.70

High paying automotive mechanic jobs

Automotive mechanic salary trends

The average automotive mechanic salary has risen by $7,658 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average automotive mechanic earned $35,206 annually, but today, they earn $42,864 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for automotive mechanics over the last decade.

Compare automotive mechanic salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.

Average automotive mechanic salary over time

Compare automotive mechanic salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.

Automotive mechanic salary by year

YearAvg. salaryHourly rate% Change
2025$42,900$20.61+4.4%
2024$41,000$19.69+3.3%
2023$39,600$19.05+2.8%
2022$38,500$18.50+2.7%
2021$37,400$18.00+1.6%

Recently added automotive mechanic salaries

CompanyJobLocationDate addedSalary
Sun Auto Tire and ServiceAutomotive MechanicSan Antonio, TX06/29/2025$56,349
Meineke Car Care CentersLead Automotive Mechanic WantedAndover, MN06/28/2025$65,000
Car GuysAutomotive MechanicDalton, GA06/28/2025$41,740
Goodyear Tire & Rubber CompanyAutomotive Mechanic-ST. LouisHazelwood, MO06/27/2025$58,436
Meineke Car Care CentersAutomotive Technician/Mechanic Advanced Lube Tech or B TechWest Allis, WI06/27/2025$45,914
State of PennsylvaniaAutomotive MechanicAllentown, PA06/27/2025$48,841
Fleet Service Auto & Truck RepairAutomotive MechanicEverett, WA06/27/2025$52,175
Monro Muffler Brake & ServiceAutomotive Mechanic/TechnicianTrenton, NJ06/26/2025$52,175
Cox EnterprisesAutomotive Mechanic Technician II New Tool BonusFairfield, NJ06/26/2025$53,886
Transdev Services, Inc.Automotive MechanicSandusky, OH06/26/2025$54,262

Automotive mechanic salary FAQs

Search for automotive mechanic jobs

Browse installation, maintenance and repair jobs