Salary Range & Percentiles
Pay distribution across experience levels
- 10th Percentile — Entry Level$34,660
- 25th Percentile — Junior$38,900
- 50th Percentile — Median$50,620
- 75th Percentile — Senior$70,430
- 90th Percentile — Top Earners$81,790
The top 10% of Automotive Service Technicians earn $81,790 or more per year. Entry-level professionals can expect to start around $34,660, with significant growth over the first 5 years.
What Automotive Service Technicians Do
Role, training and entry requirements
Automotive service technicians and mechanics inspect, maintain, and repair cars and light trucks. They diagnose problems with computerized equipment, replace parts, perform routine maintenance, and explain repairs to customers.
How to become one
Many complete a postsecondary training program in automotive technology, and some start with on-the-job training. ASE certification is the industry standard, and EPA certification is required to work on air-conditioning systems.
Salary by State
Geographic salary comparison
| State | Avg Salary | vs National |
|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $67,910 | +20.4% |
| Alaska | $65,620 | +16.3% |
| California | $65,470 | +16.0% |
| Colorado | $63,980 | +13.4% |
| Oregon | $63,210 | +12.0% |
| Massachusetts | $62,960 | +11.6% |
| Washington | $62,460 | +10.7% |
| Virginia | $61,600 | +9.2% |
| New Hampshire | $60,690 | +7.6% |
| Connecticut | $60,160 | +6.6% |
| Maryland | $59,380 | +5.2% |
| Montana | $59,310 | +5.1% |
| Minnesota | $59,300 | +5.1% |
| New York | $59,110 | +4.8% |
| New Jersey | $58,830 | +4.3% |
| Delaware | $58,500 | +3.7% |
| Vermont | $58,030 | +2.9% |
| North Dakota | $58,000 | +2.8% |
| Wisconsin | $56,900 | +0.9% |
| Illinois | $56,680 | +0.5% |
| Georgia | $56,600 | +0.3% |
| Michigan | $56,490 | +0.1% |
| Hawaii | $56,180 | -0.4% |
| Nevada | $56,090 | -0.6% |
| Arizona | $55,680 | -1.3% |
| South Dakota | $55,660 | -1.3% |
| Nebraska | $55,430 | -1.8% |
| Iowa | $55,310 | -2.0% |
| Wyoming | $55,300 | -2.0% |
| Maine | $55,200 | -2.2% |
| Ohio | $54,590 | -3.2% |
| Tennessee | $54,590 | -3.2% |
| Pennsylvania | $54,340 | -3.7% |
| Rhode Island | $54,310 | -3.7% |
| Idaho | $53,990 | -4.3% |
| Missouri | $53,950 | -4.4% |
| Florida | $53,740 | -4.8% |
| Indiana | $53,710 | -4.8% |
| North Carolina | $53,510 | -5.2% |
| Texas | $52,980 | -6.1% |
| Kansas | $52,760 | -6.5% |
| South Carolina | $52,420 | -7.1% |
| Oklahoma | $52,080 | -7.7% |
| New Mexico | $51,790 | -8.2% |
| Utah | $51,690 | -8.4% |
| Alabama | $51,020 | -9.6% |
| Louisiana | $50,650 | -10.2% |
| Arkansas | $48,420 | -14.2% |
| Kentucky | $47,990 | -14.9% |
| Mississippi | $45,650 | -19.1% |
| West Virginia | $44,080 | -21.9% |
What Factors Affect Automotive Service Technicians Salary?
Key factors affecting compensation
Pay for Automotive Service Technicians is influenced by geographic location, years of experience, employer type, and educational background. Location alone is a large factor: District of Columbia pays an average of $67,910, while West Virginia pays $44,080 — a gap of $23,830 per year.
Many technicians are paid on a flat-rate basis per job, so speed and skill directly affect earnings. Dealership technicians, those with ASE master certification, and specialists in diagnostics or electric and hybrid vehicles tend to earn the most.
These figures are the wages employers report to BLS: base pay plus commissions, production bonuses and tips. They exclude overtime pay, shift differentials, year-end bonuses, benefits and self-employed workers, so total compensation can be higher than the numbers shown.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OES) · May 2025
Compare with Similar Jobs
Related career salary benchmarks
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- Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians $84,740/yr United States +50.2% vs this role
- Bus and Truck Mechanics $64,320/yr United States +14.0% vs this role
- Farm Equipment Mechanics $57,290/yr United States +1.5% vs this role
- Industrial Machinery Mechanics $68,460/yr United States +21.3% vs this role
- Registered Nurses $101,420/yr United States +79.8% vs this role
- Nurse Practitioners $137,300/yr United States +143.4% vs this role
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this salary
What is the average salary for Automotive Service Technicians?
The average salary for Automotive Service Technicians in the United States is $56,420 per year, with a median of $50,620.
What is the starting salary for Automotive Service Technicians?
Entry-level Automotive Service Technicians typically earn between $34,660 and $38,900 per year depending on location and employer.
What state pays Automotive Service Technicians the most?
District of Columbia pays Automotive Service Technicians the most at $67,910 per year on average, followed by Alaska ($65,620) and California ($65,470).
How much do Automotive Service Technicians make per hour?
Based on the average annual salary of $56,420, Automotive Service Technicians earn approximately $27.12 per hour (based on 2,080 working hours/year).
Is Automotive Service Technicians a good career in 2026?
BLS counts 704,640 Automotive Service Technicians jobs in the United States, with a mean annual wage of $56,420 and a median of $50,620 (OEWS May 2025). This site does not publish job-growth projections; the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook covers the outlook for each occupation.
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