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Automotive technician salary
Average automotive technician salary
$40,910
Understanding Automotive Technician Salaries
The salary for automotive technicians varies based on several factors, including experience, location, and specialization. As of October 2025, the average salary stands at $40,910 annually, translating to approximately $20 per hour. Entry-level technicians can expect to earn less, while those with advanced skills may see significant increases in their pay.
In terms of location, states such as California and Texas offer higher salaries due to demand and cost of living. For example, automotive technicians in California earn an average of $45,000 annually, while those in Texas average around $39,000.
Additionally, specialized roles such as diesel mechanics or those working in high-performance auto shops may command even higher wages. Technicians who invest in certifications and continuous education can enhance their earning potential significantly.
Opportunities for Advancement
For automotive technicians looking to advance their careers, pursuing further education and certifications can lead to higher-paying positions. Many employers offer incentives for technicians who specialize in areas like hybrid technology or advanced diagnostics, which are increasingly relevant in today’s automotive landscape.
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Where can an Automotive Technician earn more?
Automotive technician salaries by experience level
| Experience level | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Entry-level automotive technician | $24,000 | $11.52 |
| Mid-level automotive technician | $38,700 | $18.59 |
| Senior-level automotive technician | $53,500 | $25.71 |
Automotive technician salary estimates from across the web
Average automotive technician salary by state
The highest-paying states for automotive technicians are California, Maryland, and Washington. The lowest average automotive technician salary states are Kentucky, Mississippi, and Maine.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for automotive technicians
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $43,559 | $20.94 |
| 2 | Utah | $42,994 | $20.67 |
| 3 | Maryland | $48,007 | $23.08 |
| 4 | Washington | $47,927 | $23.04 |
| 5 | Nevada | $40,169 | $19.31 |
| 6 | Michigan | $41,088 | $19.75 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $44,497 | $21.39 |
| 8 | Tennessee | $38,165 | $18.35 |
| 9 | North Dakota | $40,517 | $19.48 |
| 10 | Arizona | $40,732 | $19.58 |
| 11 | New Jersey | $44,441 | $21.37 |
| 12 | Virginia | $44,881 | $21.58 |
| 13 | California | $48,512 | $23.32 |
| 14 | Colorado | $42,112 | $20.25 |
| 15 | Georgia | $39,336 | $18.91 |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | $40,721 | $19.58 |
| 17 | Nebraska | $38,588 | $18.55 |
| 18 | Wisconsin | $38,592 | $18.55 |
| 19 | Indiana | $37,773 | $18.16 |
| 20 | New Hampshire | $40,300 | $19.38 |
| 21 | District of Columbia | $49,802 | $23.94 |
| 22 | Illinois | $41,396 | $19.90 |
| 23 | Wyoming | $39,697 | $19.09 |
| 24 | Louisiana | $38,224 | $18.38 |
| 25 | Alaska | $40,601 | $19.52 |
| 26 | Ohio | $38,096 | $18.32 |
| 27 | Idaho | $38,856 | $18.68 |
| 28 | Texas | $38,923 | $18.71 |
| 29 | Minnesota | $40,076 | $19.27 |
| 30 | New York | $41,726 | $20.06 |
| 31 | Oklahoma | $37,631 | $18.09 |
| 32 | North Carolina | $37,533 | $18.04 |
| 33 | Rhode Island | $39,580 | $19.03 |
| 34 | Alabama | $36,860 | $17.72 |
| 35 | Iowa | $36,297 | $17.45 |
| 36 | South Carolina | $36,860 | $17.72 |
| 37 | Massachusetts | $41,566 | $19.98 |
| 38 | South Dakota | $37,084 | $17.83 |
| 39 | Florida | $36,668 | $17.63 |
| 40 | Delaware | $37,438 | $18.00 |
| 41 | Montana | $34,872 | $16.77 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $34,396 | $16.54 |
| 43 | Missouri | $37,618 | $18.09 |
| 44 | Vermont | $35,721 | $17.17 |
| 45 | Maine | $33,237 | $15.98 |
| 46 | Mississippi | $33,246 | $15.98 |
| 47 | Kansas | $36,517 | $17.56 |
| 48 | Arkansas | $35,186 | $16.92 |
| 49 | West Virginia | $32,780 | $15.76 |
| 50 | Hawaii | $30,816 | $14.82 |
| 51 | New Mexico | $31,628 | $15.21 |
Highest paying cities for automotive technicians
The highest-paying cities for automotive technicians are Los Angeles, CA, Baltimore, MD, and Seattle, WA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles, CA | $48,230 | $23.19 |
| 2 | Baltimore, MD | $48,212 | $23.18 |
| 3 | Seattle, WA | $48,045 | $23.10 |
| 4 | Alexandria, VA | $46,121 | $22.17 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $43,510 | $20.92 |
| 6 | Colorado Springs, CO | $42,190 | $20.28 |
| 7 | New York, NY | $41,779 | $20.09 |
| 8 | Chicago, IL | $41,590 | $20.00 |
| 9 | Newton, MA | $41,511 | $19.96 |
| 10 | Philadelphia, PA | $40,941 | $19.68 |
| 11 | Phoenix, AZ | $40,765 | $19.60 |
| 12 | Grand Rapids, MI | $40,643 | $19.54 |
| 13 | Manchester, NH | $40,295 | $19.37 |
| 14 | Minneapolis, MN | $40,078 | $19.27 |
| 15 | Las Vegas, NV | $40,044 | $19.25 |
| 16 | Atlanta, GA | $39,339 | $18.91 |
| 17 | San Antonio, TX | $39,110 | $18.80 |
| 18 | Cleveland, OH | $38,975 | $18.74 |
| 19 | Madison, WI | $38,423 | $18.47 |
| 20 | Greenville, NC | $38,415 | $18.47 |
Automotive Technicians are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Automotive technician salary details
An automotive technician's salary ranges from $29,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $57,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is an automotive technician's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $57,000 | $4,750 | $27 |
| 75th Percentile | $48,000 | $4,000 | $23 |
| Average | $40,910 | $3,409 | $20 |
| 25th Percentile | $34,000 | $2,833 | $16 |
| 10th Percentile | $29,000 | $2,417 | $14 |
Highest paying automotive technician jobs
The highest paying types of automotive technicians are master technician, certified technician, and truck mechanic.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanic Helper | $31,892 | $2,658 | $15.33 | 48,546 |
| Light Wheel Mechanic | $41,948 | $3,496 | $20.17 | 90,297 |
| Truck Mechanic | $50,169 | $4,181 | $24.12 | 80,942 |
| Equipment Mechanic | $45,435 | $3,786 | $21.84 | 50,409 |
| Shop Mechanic | $47,377 | $3,948 | $22.78 | 100,379 |
| Instrument Technician Apprentice | $39,849 | $3,321 | $19.16 | 130,235 |
Top companies hiring automotive technicians now:
Which companies pay automotive technicians the most?
Automotive technician salaries at Orange County Sheriff's Office and Mitsubishi Motors are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average automotive technician salary at companies like Ressler Motors and Castriota Chevrolet are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Orange County Sheriff's Office | $58,239 | $28.00 |
| 2 | Mitsubishi Motors | $57,261 | $27.53 |
| 3 | Ressler Motors | $56,727 | $27.27 |
| 4 | Castriota Chevrolet | $55,426 | $26.65 |
| 5 | Passport Auto Group | $55,379 | $26.62 |
| 6 | Crain Kia | $54,863 | $26.38 |
| 7 | Progressive Auto Group | $54,613 | $26.26 |
| 8 | Mike Bass Ford | $54,438 | $26.17 |
| 9 | NVIDIA | $53,572 | $25.76 |
| 10 | El Paso County | $53,146 | $25.55 |
| 11 | Autocar Truck | $52,686 | $25.33 |
| 12 | Boch Automotive | $52,651 | $25.31 |
| 13 | Subaru | $52,548 | $25.26 |
| 14 | Koons Ford Lincoln of Annapolis | $52,252 | $25.12 |
| 15 | Friendly Chevrolet | $52,236 | $25.11 |
| 16 | BMW of Alexandria | $52,014 | $25.01 |
| 17 | L. B. Smith Ford-Lincoln, Inc. | $51,469 | $24.74 |
| 18 | DARCARS Automotive Group | $51,199 | $24.61 |
| 19 | Private Practice | $50,630 | $24.34 |
| 20 | Ourisman | $50,612 | $24.33 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Automotive Technician salary by industry
The average automotive technician salary varies across industries:
- The average automotive technician salary in the automotive industry is $39,614, the highest of any industry.
- The average automotive technician salary in the finance industry is $38,188.
- Automotive technicians in the manufacturing industry earn an average salary of $37,742, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for automotive technicians
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Automotive | $39,614 | $19.05 |
| 2 | Finance | $38,188 | $18.36 |
| 3 | Retail | $38,147 | $18.34 |
| 4 | Manufacturing | $37,742 | $18.15 |
High paying automotive technician jobs
Automotive technician salary trends
The average automotive technician salary has risen by $7,309 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average automotive technician earned $33,601 annually, but today, they earn $40,910 a year. That works out to a 15% change in pay for automotive technicians over the last decade.
Compare automotive technician salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average automotive technician salary over time
Compare automotive technician salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Automotive technician salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $40,900 | $19.67 | +4.4% |
| 2024 | $39,100 | $18.79 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | $37,800 | $18.18 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | $36,700 | $17.66 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $35,700 | $17.18 | +1.6% |
Recently added automotive technician salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| at&T | Limited Term Automotive Technician | Grand Rapids, MI | 06/30/2025 | $59,072 |
| Aaamidatlantic | Automotive Technician Signing Bonus | Crofton, MD | 06/30/2025 | $59,208 |
| Gobeacon | Automotive Technician | Chicago, IL | 06/30/2025 | $39,653 |
| Aaamidatlantic | Automotive Technician B | Manassas, VA | 06/30/2025 | $55,201 |
| Aaamidatlantic | Fleet Automotive Technician | Cincinnati, OH | 06/30/2025 | $41,740 |
| Monro | Automotive Technician/Mechanic | Las Vegas, NV | 06/29/2025 | $41,740 |
| Monro | Automotive Technician | Louisville, KY | 06/29/2025 | $33,392 |
| Monro | Automotive Technician-Technician | Worcester, MA | 06/29/2025 | $33,392 |
| Monro | Automotive Technician | Bloomington, IL | 06/29/2025 | $33,392 |
| Monro | Automotive Technician/Mechanic | San Diego, CA | 06/29/2025 | $37,566 |
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