The typical auto mechanic in the U.S. earns $24.34 an hour (2025 median). Where you live matters: mechanics in San Jose earn $37.42, 66% more than in Oklahoma City ($22.51). Because labor is often the biggest part of a repair bill, those wage differences show up in what shops charge per hour.
Median mechanic pay in 48 large metros
| # | Metro area | Median hourly wage | vs. U.S. median | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Jose | $37.42 | +54% | |
| 2 | San Francisco | $36.55 | +50% | |
| 3 | Sacramento | $34.63 | +42% | |
| 4 | San Diego | $30.92 | +27% | |
| 5 | Riverside | $30.87 | +27% | |
| 6 | Boston | $30.32 | +25% | |
| 7 | Los Angeles | $30.20 | +24% | |
| 8 | Milwaukee | $30.06 | +24% | |
| 9 | Denver | $29.79 | +22% | |
| 10 | Richmond | $29.57 | +21% | |
| 11 | Minneapolis | $29.08 | +19% | |
| 12 | Portland, OR | $29.06 | +19% | |
| 13 | Seattle | $28.50 | +17% | |
| 14 | Hartford | $28.32 | +16% | |
| 15 | Nashville | $28.22 | +16% | |
| 16 | Philadelphia | $28.11 | +15% | |
| 17 | Virginia Beach | $28.02 | +15% | |
| 18 | St. Louis | $27.98 | +15% | |
| 19 | New York | $27.77 | +14% | |
| 20 | Baltimore | $27.71 | +14% | |
| 21 | Columbus | $27.00 | +11% | |
| 22 | Detroit | $26.92 | +11% | |
| 23 | Chicago | $26.60 | +9% | |
| 24 | Kansas City | $25.86 | +6% | |
| 25 | Charlotte | $25.80 | +6% | |
| 26 | Providence | $24.99 | +3% | |
| 27 | Jacksonville | $24.77 | +2% | |
| 28 | Atlanta | $24.73 | +2% | |
| 29 | Houston | $24.49 | +1% | |
| 30 | Austin | $24.33 | -0% | |
| 31 | Raleigh | $24.33 | -0% | |
| 32 | Indianapolis | $24.30 | -0% | |
| 33 | Memphis | $24.27 | -0% | |
| 34 | Phoenix | $24.08 | -1% | |
| 35 | Dallas–Fort Worth | $23.90 | -2% | |
| 36 | Miami | $23.82 | -2% | |
| 37 | New Orleans | $23.65 | -3% | |
| 38 | Cincinnati | $23.60 | -3% | |
| 39 | Pittsburgh | $23.51 | -3% | |
| 40 | Buffalo | $23.34 | -4% | |
| 41 | Tampa | $23.02 | -5% | |
| 42 | Birmingham | $23.00 | -6% | |
| 43 | Orlando | $23.00 | -6% | |
| 44 | Las Vegas | $22.91 | -6% | |
| 45 | Louisville | $22.81 | -6% | |
| 46 | Salt Lake City | $22.73 | -7% | |
| 47 | San Antonio | $22.54 | -7% | |
| 48 | Oklahoma City | $22.51 | -8% |
Why a shop's labor rate is higher than the mechanic's wage
The hourly rate on your invoice covers much more than the technician's pay: the building, lifts and diagnostic equipment, insurance, service writers, and the hours a mechanic works but can't bill. That's why shop rates run several times the wage. The table is most useful for comparing places: if mechanics in your metro earn 20% above the national median, expect labor quotes to run high too.
Method
Median hourly wage for occupation code 49-3023 (Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics) from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, 2025 release, for each metropolitan statistical area. A metro is left out if BLS didn't publish a value for it. See also how fast repair prices are rising.
Source: BLS OEWS, SOC 49-3023, retrieved 2026-09-23. Free to cite with a link.