Automotive Service Technician & Mechanic earn $50,620 nationally at the median. The middle 50% of workers fall between $38,900 and $70,430. Where you land depends on specialization, employer, and experience.
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
Also known as:
Automotive Service Technician & Mechanic earn $50,620 nationally, below average for bachelor's degree holders. The middle 50% of earners fall between $38,900 and $70,430. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and location.
Below average for bachelor's degree holders.
25th to 75th percentile. Most workers earn within this band.
O*NET data identifies 5 core activities and 5 measurable skills for Automotive Service Technician & Mechanic roles. Use this section to judge whether the day-to-day reality aligns with what you actually want to spend time doing.
Hands-on tasks, physical activity, or working with tools and real materials are central parts of the daily work here.
Success depends on precision and structured processes, where detail-oriented people who work consistently within established systems perform best.
This career demands analytical thinking: researching problems, interpreting data, and applying logical reasoning to find practical solutions.
What the physical and mental conditions of this job actually look like day to day, based on O*NET Work Context data collected from people working in this occupation.
Split between indoor and outdoor or field settings.
Mix of sitting and movement throughout the day.
High time pressure and significant consequences for errors. Deadline-driven or high-stakes decisions are common.
The BLS projects +4.2% employment change for Automotive Service Technician & Mechanic through 2034, roughly in line with the national average of +5%. About 70,000 openings per year keep the field accessible to new entrants.
About as fast as average.
New positions plus replacements for retirees and career-changers.
Total US employment as of BLS May 2024.
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics May 2024.
The five states below employ the most Automotive Service Technician & Mechanic professionals nationwide. State-level wages can differ significantly from the $50,620 national median. Research your specific market before committing to a program.
| # | State | Jobs | Median Wage | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 67,060 | $48,660 | -3.9% |
| 2 | California | 62,110 | $63,370 | +25.2% |
| 3 | Florida | 46,090 | $48,520 | -4.1% |
| 4 | New York | 31,790 | $51,650 | +2.0% |
| 5 | Pennsylvania | 29,020 | $49,790 | -1.6% |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Employment figures rounded. Read our methodology →
Most Automotive Service Technician & Mechanic positions require a postsecondary nondegree award to qualify. The 2 programs below are the most common academic pathways into this field, ranked by how many graduates they produce each year.
A medium amount of preparation is required, often an associate degree, certificate program, or apprenticeship, plus some related experience.
| # | Program | Graduates/yr | 4yr Median | Colleges |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vehicle Maintenance | 68,347 | $80,809 | 956 |
| 2 | Mechanical Engineering Tech | 5,841 | $82,073 | 321 |
Colleges offering the degree programs that lead to this career, ranked by UCD Score. A strong program plus solid outcomes is a good place to begin your search.
| # | College | UCD Score | Net Price | Salary 10yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States Military Academy West Point, NY | 96 | — | — |
| 2 | Victor Valley College Victorville, CA | 90 | $1,947 | $36,119 |
| 3 | Brazosport College Lake Jackson, TX | 88 | $4,732 | $45,910 |
| 4 | Chipola College Marianna, FL | 88 | $1,133 | $37,378 |
| 5 | Texas A&M University-Central Texas Killeen, TX | 87 | $1,300 | — |
| 6 | South Georgia Technical College Americus, GA | 86 | $1,164 | $30,364 |
Once you've sized up Automotive Service Technician & Mechanic, these tools turn the numbers into a plan. Estimate the real cost of a degree that leads here, weigh the long-term payoff, compare specific colleges side-by-side, and find programs that match your profile.
See if the degree that leads to Automotive Service Technician & Mechanic pays off. Weighs each college's cost against the earnings graduates see.
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The data on Automotive Service Technician & Mechanic shows 4 measurable strengths and 2 real trade-offs. All points are drawn from BLS wage data, employment projections, and IPEDS program completions.
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