Automotive Technicians Salary 2025: $54,808 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
- Official U.S. BLS OEWS data (May 2025)
- No login or sign-up
- Not self-reported estimates
$54,808 per year is the national median annual wage for automotive technicians (BLS OEWS, May 2025 reference period). That works out to about $26/hour, with a 10th–90th percentile range of $47,090 to $101,760. The Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies this role under SOC code 49-3023.
Key Facts (BLS OEWS, May 2025)
- Median annual wage
- $54,808
- Median hourly wage
- $26/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $59,110
- Total US employment
- 398,610
- Top-paying metro
- San Jose, CA, CA ($77,840)
- BLS SOC code
- 49-3023
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.
Get Automotive Technician's next BLS pay update
Subscribe for Automotive Technician pay updates by email. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
The national median wage for automotive technicians (BLS SOC 49-3023) is $54,808 per year — about $26/hour — across 398,610 workers in 70 U.S. metros in the BLS OEWS May 2025 release. The mean wage of $59,110 sits above the median, which means a minority of high earners pulls the average up — the median is the more honest benchmark for a typical offer.
Experience drives the range as much as anything: the 10th percentile earns $35,492 while the 90th earns $87,165 — a 2.5× gap from entry-level to the top of the field. Most automotive technicians land in the $43,521–$71,365 band (25th–75th percentile), which is the right anchor when you size up an offer.
Location matters too. San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median at $77,840, versus $46,080 in Lexington, KY, KY — a 69% gap. But adjusted for cost of living, Des Moines, IA delivers the strongest real purchasing power ($64,812 in national-average dollars), which can flip the nominal ranking for anyone weighing a move.
BLS OEWS reports base wage for this Trades role; bonuses, commissions, and equity are excluded, so total compensation for many automotive technicians runs meaningfully above the figures shown — particularly at the senior end of the distribution.
Automotive Technicians Salary by Experience Level (2025)
BLS OEWS doesn’t publish wages by years of experience, but its national percentile bands map cleanly to career stages. Here’s what automotive technicians earn from entry-level to the top of the field.
| Career stage | Typical experience | BLS percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry-level | 0–2 years | 10th | $35,492 |
| Junior / early-career | 2–5 years | 25th | $43,521 |
| Mid-career | 5–10 years | 50th (median) | $55,565 |
| Senior | 10–15 years | 75th | $71,365 |
| Top earners | 15+ years | 90th | $87,165 |
Experience bands are SalaryTruth’s interpretation of BLS OEWS percentiles, not a separate BLS series. Actual pay varies by employer, specialization, and region.
Salary Range (BLS Percentiles)
Automotive Technicians salaries range from $46,080 to $77,840 median across cities, depending on location, experience, and industry.
Automotive Technicians Salary by City (BLS OEWS)
| City | 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | COL-Adjusted | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose, CA | $47,090 | $59,390 | $77,840 | $89,800 | $101,760 | $39,755 | 3,040 |
| San Francisco, CA | $45,210 | $57,538 | $76,030 | $92,050 | $108,070 | $42,333 | 7,270 |
| Sacramento, CA | $41,040 | $53,432 | $72,020 | $84,025 | $96,030 | $57,755 | 4,870 |
| San Diego, CA | $38,830 | $49,026 | $64,320 | $75,490 | $86,660 | $40,150 | 4,910 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino, CA | $36,380 | $47,512 | $64,210 | $79,035 | $93,860 | $52,459 | 7,680 |
| Boston, MA | $39,490 | $48,918 | $63,060 | $81,125 | $99,190 | $41,460 | 9,360 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $36,520 | $47,040 | $62,820 | $76,855 | $90,890 | $37,843 | 22,330 |
| Milwaukee, WI | $36,940 | $47,176 | $62,530 | $75,885 | $89,240 | $64,199 | 3,170 |
| Bakersfield, CA | $38,760 | $48,236 | $62,450 | $77,630 | $92,810 | $62,078 | 1,250 |
| Bridgeport, CT | $42,640 | $50,560 | $62,440 | $73,850 | $85,260 | $45,411 | 1,460 |
| Denver, CO | $41,010 | $49,390 | $61,960 | $78,475 | $94,990 | $54,929 | 6,340 |
| Washington, DC | $38,110 | $47,610 | $61,860 | $79,660 | $97,460 | $40,484 | 12,030 |
| Richmond, VA | $36,550 | $46,534 | $61,510 | $71,680 | $81,850 | $60,245 | 2,930 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $38,060 | $47,120 | $60,710 | $75,275 | $89,840 | $58,096 | 1,600 |
| Madison, WI | $37,440 | $46,724 | $60,650 | $71,070 | $81,490 | $58,430 | 1,270 |
| Minneapolis, MN | $39,310 | $47,782 | $60,490 | $76,485 | $92,480 | $56,959 | 7,180 |
| Des Moines, IA | $36,900 | $46,328 | $60,470 | $69,520 | $78,570 | $64,812 | 1,870 |
| Portland, OR | $40,040 | $48,204 | $60,450 | $76,880 | $93,310 | $46,464 | 4,180 |
| Anchorage, AK | $39,580 | $47,700 | $59,880 | $74,835 | $89,790 | $47,150 | 850 |
| Seattle, WA | $43,750 | $49,966 | $59,290 | $79,240 | $99,190 | $39,685 | 6,860 |
| Hartford, CT | $38,510 | $46,670 | $58,910 | $68,465 | $78,020 | $52,318 | 2,160 |
| Nashville, TN | $36,540 | $45,404 | $58,700 | $70,190 | $81,680 | $58,524 | 5,150 |
| Rochester, NY | $36,840 | $45,516 | $58,530 | $68,465 | $78,400 | $63,003 | 2,310 |
| Philadelphia, PA | $36,130 | $45,062 | $58,460 | $70,065 | $81,670 | $49,375 | 12,700 |
| St. Louis, MO | $36,280 | $45,044 | $58,190 | $68,165 | $78,140 | $64,656 | 7,590 |
| New York, NY | $34,740 | $43,948 | $57,760 | $76,040 | $94,320 | $30,855 | 28,420 |
| Baltimore, MD | $35,290 | $44,226 | $57,630 | $69,215 | $80,800 | $50,464 | 6,340 |
| Columbus, OH | $34,420 | $43,112 | $56,150 | $70,870 | $85,590 | $60,311 | 3,920 |
| Detroit, MI | $37,080 | $44,648 | $56,000 | $68,620 | $81,240 | $58,885 | 9,520 |
| Albany, NY | $37,400 | $44,640 | $55,500 | $66,035 | $76,570 | $55,114 | 2,140 |
| Chicago, IL | $34,520 | $42,840 | $55,320 | $73,890 | $92,460 | $51,556 | 20,140 |
| Spokane, WA | $37,880 | $44,664 | $54,840 | $69,960 | $85,080 | $56,304 | 1,100 |
| Omaha, NE | $37,760 | $44,348 | $54,230 | $67,415 | $80,600 | $59,074 | 2,250 |
| Kansas City, MO | $36,030 | $43,134 | $53,790 | $67,320 | $80,850 | $56,384 | 5,380 |
| Charlotte, NC | $34,470 | $42,146 | $53,660 | $70,895 | $88,130 | $55,491 | 7,990 |
| Fresno, CA | $37,790 | $43,474 | $52,000 | $64,700 | $77,400 | $49,289 | 1,890 |
| Providence, RI | $31,860 | $39,904 | $51,970 | $65,840 | $79,710 | $43,526 | 3,700 |
| Jacksonville, FL | $34,430 | $41,270 | $51,530 | $65,035 | $78,540 | $54,185 | 4,160 |
| Atlanta, GA | $36,050 | $42,210 | $51,450 | $71,485 | $91,520 | $51,865 | 12,310 |
| Houston, TX | $29,380 | $38,004 | $50,940 | $67,060 | $83,180 | $52,788 | 14,910 |
| Austin, TX | $33,350 | $40,254 | $50,610 | $72,380 | $94,150 | $49,136 | 5,210 |
| Raleigh, NC | $34,650 | $41,030 | $50,600 | $66,905 | $83,210 | $50,701 | 3,650 |
| Indianapolis, IN | $36,100 | $41,872 | $50,530 | $65,295 | $80,060 | $56,082 | 5,600 |
| Memphis, TN | $34,930 | $41,154 | $50,490 | $66,430 | $82,370 | $60,107 | 2,980 |
| Reno, NV | $36,730 | $42,114 | $50,190 | $65,310 | $80,430 | $47,127 | 1,580 |
| Phoenix, AZ | $36,120 | $41,708 | $50,090 | $66,330 | $82,570 | $49,742 | 11,340 |
| Dallas, TX | $30,280 | $38,056 | $49,720 | $71,490 | $93,260 | $47,762 | 17,690 |
| Miami, FL | $34,360 | $40,436 | $49,550 | $65,520 | $81,490 | $40,252 | 11,970 |
| New Orleans, LA | $31,640 | $38,660 | $49,190 | $64,815 | $80,440 | $51,293 | 1,610 |
| Cincinnati, OH | $35,090 | $40,690 | $49,090 | $64,955 | $80,820 | $53,827 | 4,520 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $36,140 | $41,244 | $48,900 | $63,560 | $78,220 | $52,979 | 6,430 |
| Albuquerque, NM | $31,190 | $38,242 | $48,820 | $64,030 | $79,240 | $51,936 | 2,320 |
| Greensboro, NC | $29,720 | $37,340 | $48,770 | $63,340 | $77,910 | $53,417 | 2,110 |
| Boise, ID | $35,550 | $40,782 | $48,630 | $63,410 | $78,190 | $47,630 | 2,030 |
| Tucson, AZ | $32,000 | $38,640 | $48,600 | $62,400 | $76,200 | $50,943 | 2,150 |
| Buffalo, NY | $36,080 | $41,068 | $48,550 | $61,765 | $74,980 | $52,486 | 2,590 |
| Knoxville, TN | $31,580 | $38,364 | $48,540 | $64,110 | $79,680 | $53,754 | 2,280 |
| Greenville, SC | $32,810 | $38,934 | $48,120 | $62,350 | $76,580 | $53,407 | 2,310 |
| Tampa, FL | $31,050 | $37,782 | $47,880 | $63,750 | $79,620 | $48,072 | 7,380 |
| Orlando, FL | $33,350 | $39,150 | $47,850 | $62,900 | $77,950 | $46,411 | 6,480 |
| Birmingham, AL | $33,630 | $39,310 | $47,830 | $67,990 | $88,150 | $52,909 | 2,220 |
| Wichita, KS | $31,350 | $37,930 | $47,800 | $60,915 | $74,030 | $56,905 | 1,330 |
| Las Vegas, NV | $32,600 | $38,620 | $47,650 | $64,865 | $82,080 | $43,716 | 4,970 |
| Louisville, KY | $34,180 | $39,484 | $47,440 | $62,305 | $77,170 | $52,594 | 3,640 |
| Tulsa, OK | $29,540 | $36,688 | $47,410 | $65,435 | $83,460 | $54,620 | 2,430 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | $31,200 | $37,632 | $47,280 | $62,885 | $78,490 | $46,627 | 3,910 |
| San Antonio, TX | $29,860 | $36,668 | $46,880 | $63,860 | $80,840 | $51,235 | 6,320 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | $31,640 | $37,712 | $46,820 | $65,340 | $83,860 | $54,127 | 3,340 |
| Little Rock, AR | $30,770 | $36,914 | $46,130 | $62,205 | $78,280 | $52,302 | 2,160 |
| Lexington, KY | $31,550 | $37,362 | $46,080 | $60,350 | $74,620 | $50,471 | 1,530 |
Is your Automotive Technician salary fair?
Enter your salary to see exactly where you fall in the distribution.
Related Trades Roles
Automotive Technician & H-1B Prevailing Wage
Sponsoring or filing an H-1B, PERM, or E-3 case? See the DOL prevailing-wage levels (1–4) for Automotive Technician, including the 2026 proposed increase.
Automotive Technician prevailing wage in San Jose, CA →Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Automotive Technician is $54,808 as of 2025 (BLS OEWS). The national mean (average) is $59,110. Salaries range from $46,080 to $77,840 median depending on city and cost of living.
Entry-level automotive technicians (10th percentile) earn about $35,492 per year nationally. Pay rises with experience to a median of $54,808, $71,365 at the 75th percentile, and $87,165 for the top 10% of earners.
The median automotive technician earns about $26/hour, based on the $54,808 annual median over a standard 2,080-hour work year (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
San Jose, CA, CA posts the highest median for Automotive Technician at $77,840, well above the national median of $54,808. Cost of living matters, though — see the COL-adjusted column in the city table above, which can reorder the rankings.
There are approximately 398,610 Automotive Technician positions in the US across 70 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey.
The 90th percentile automotive technician earns $87,165 — about 2.5× the $35,492 entry-level wage. A spread that wide signals real income growth potential with experience, specialization, and location.
No. BLS OEWS reports base wages only — bonuses, commissions, overtime, and equity are excluded. For roles where variable pay is common, total compensation runs above the figures shown here.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 release.