Automotive Technicians Salary 2025: $54,808 Median Pay (BLS OEWS)
$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.
Automotive Technician (SOC 49-3023) sits in the lower-paying U.S. occupations on BLS OEWS data: national median wage of $54,808 across 398,610 reported workers.
Cross-city wage variation runs moderate — $46,080 to $77,840 median across 70 cities, about 69% above the floor. The spread is large enough to matter for relocation decisions but not large enough to dominate them. Automotive Technician is in the {{category}} category. BLS OEWS captures base wage but not bonuses, equity compensation, or commissions; total compensation for many roles runs meaningfully above the reported wage.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
The national median salary for Automotive Technician is $54,808 as of 2025. The national mean (average) is $59,110. Salaries range from $46,080 to $77,840 depending on city and cost of living.
Automotive Technician salaries vary significantly by metro area. The highest-paying cities offer median salaries well above the national average of $54,808, though cost of living should be factored in. Check the city breakdown table above for COL-adjusted figures.
There are approximately 398,610 Automotive Technician positions in the US across 70 metropolitan areas tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Automotive Technician positions at the 90th percentile earn significantly more than the median, suggesting strong income growth potential with experience and specialization. The gap between the 10th and 90th percentile indicates the impact that skills, location, and seniority have on compensation.
Salary data from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. COL adjustments use BEA Regional Price Parities.
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2026.