Pay by state · 54 areas
Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic Salary by State (2026)
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics earn the most in District of Columbia at $68,660 a year and the least in West Virginia at $37,660 (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The national median is $50,620. The table below covers all 50 states, DC, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, with a cost-of-living adjusted column.
- Highest median
- $68,660District of Columbia
- National median
- $50,620BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Lowest median
- $37,660West Virginia
- Areas reporting
- 54of 54 OEWS areas
Top and bottom
Highest- and lowest-paying states for automotive service technicians and mechanics
Ranked on the state median among the 50 states and DC. After cost of living, North Dakota comes out ahead instead. Territories are in the full table but not ranked here.
Highest median pay
- 1District of Columbia$68,660
- 2California$64,980
- 3Colorado$61,280
- 4Alaska$60,840
- 5Massachusetts$60,760
Lowest median pay
- 1West Virginia$37,660
- 2Mississippi$37,820
- 3Arkansas$44,160
- 4Kentucky$44,890
- 5Alabama$45,640
All states
Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic salary in every state
Sort by any column. Employment is the number of automotive service technicians and mechanics OEWS estimates in that state; blank cells are estimates BLS suppressed because the sample was too small.
| # | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | DCDistrict of Columbia | $68,660 | $56,530 | $78,770 | 310 | $62,474 |
| 2 | CACalifornia | $64,980 | $46,580 | $77,060 | 65,420 | $58,689 |
| 3 | COColorado | $61,280 | $46,170 | $78,300 | 12,300 | $59,465 |
| 4 | AKAlaska | $60,840 | $49,340 | $79,560 | 1,420 | $59,438 |
| 5 | MAMassachusetts | $60,760 | $45,560 | $78,560 | 12,710 | $57,452 |
| 6 | CTConnecticut | $60,220 | $45,410 | $74,500 | 6,960 | $58,122 |
| 7 | VAVirginia | $59,330 | $45,080 | $76,540 | 17,880 | $58,682 |
| 8 | NHNew Hampshire | $59,020 | $46,600 | $73,010 | 4,840 | $56,660 |
| 9 | MTMontana | $58,740 | $47,230 | $72,270 | 2,900 | $62,064 |
| 10 | OROregon | $58,520 | $47,780 | $77,780 | 6,990 | $56,617 |
| 11 | DEDelaware | $58,410 | $45,830 | $71,750 | 1,910 | $58,522 |
| 12 | MNMinnesota | $58,390 | $46,620 | $73,250 | 11,980 | $59,206 |
| 13 | MDMaryland | $57,520 | $40,500 | $76,340 | 14,230 | $54,802 |
| 14 | NDNorth Dakota | $57,360 | $43,330 | $63,560 | 2,140 | $64,479 |
| 15 | WAWashington | $57,270 | $45,740 | $76,960 | 12,930 | $53,517 |
| 16 | NJNew Jersey | $56,610 | $40,030 | $75,410 | 17,640 | $52,029 |
| 17 | WIWisconsin | $54,350 | $44,550 | $69,570 | 12,270 | $57,761 |
| 18 | MIMichigan | $54,120 | $43,680 | $67,100 | 22,280 | $56,248 |
| 19 | NYNew York | $54,120 | $45,550 | $73,320 | 32,020 | $50,148 |
| 20 | HIHawaii | $52,160 | $39,520 | $67,160 | 2,710 | $47,439 |
| 21 | MEMaine | $52,040 | $46,040 | $61,970 | 3,390 | $53,622 |
| 22 | RIRhode Island | $51,770 | $37,930 | $62,400 | 2,530 | $50,616 |
| 23 | VTVermont | $51,630 | $47,700 | $62,570 | 1,610 | $52,706 |
| 24 | WYWyoming | $51,330 | $41,480 | $64,500 | 1,560 | $55,378 |
| 25 | SDSouth Dakota | $51,160 | $44,790 | $61,610 | 2,010 | $57,752 |
| 26 | NENebraska | $50,560 | $42,580 | $62,710 | 4,560 | $56,114 |
| 27 | IAIowa | $50,510 | $39,340 | $67,200 | 7,610 | $57,553 |
| 28 | TNTennessee | $50,290 | $38,300 | $63,790 | 16,210 | $54,740 |
| 29 | PAPennsylvania | $49,800 | $40,010 | $62,780 | 29,400 | $51,039 |
| 30 | AZArizona | $49,570 | $37,760 | $65,360 | 16,400 | $49,237 |
| 31 | INIndiana | $49,360 | $38,500 | $62,710 | 16,480 | $52,888 |
| 32 | ILIllinois | $49,170 | $38,310 | $73,640 | 29,510 | $49,191 |
| 33 | MOMissouri | $49,160 | $38,420 | $63,240 | 17,210 | $54,131 |
| 34 | GAGeorgia | $49,060 | $37,740 | $65,530 | 22,070 | $50,949 |
| 35 | OHOhio | $48,710 | $37,200 | $63,840 | 22,640 | $52,504 |
| 36 | IDIdaho | $48,420 | $39,590 | $62,660 | 5,030 | $50,705 |
| 37 | TXTexas | $48,310 | $36,650 | $62,270 | 69,750 | $49,775 |
| 38 | NVNevada | $48,290 | $38,870 | $73,790 | 7,420 | $48,300 |
| 39 | FLFlorida | $48,260 | $37,040 | $62,990 | 49,930 | $46,667 |
| 40 | NCNorth Carolina | $48,200 | $36,600 | $63,170 | 26,510 | $51,099 |
| 41 | SCSouth Carolina | $48,100 | $37,430 | $63,610 | 13,420 | $51,307 |
| 42 | KSKansas | $47,790 | $38,150 | $63,000 | 6,240 | $53,060 |
| 43 | NMNew Mexico | $47,300 | $36,500 | $63,050 | 5,080 | $51,295 |
| 44 | UTUtah | $46,570 | $37,140 | $62,400 | 9,350 | $47,105 |
| 45 | OKOklahoma | $46,560 | $36,110 | $64,260 | 8,870 | $53,004 |
| 46 | LALouisiana | $46,400 | $36,900 | $62,060 | 8,620 | $52,604 |
| 47 | ALAlabama | $45,640 | $37,050 | $61,560 | 9,040 | $51,383 |
| 48 | KYKentucky | $44,890 | $35,980 | $59,990 | 11,140 | $49,790 |
| 49 | ARArkansas | $44,160 | $35,760 | $57,910 | 7,310 | $50,795 |
| 50 | GUGuam | $39,220 | $29,460 | $48,120 | 220 | N/A |
| 51 | VIU.S. Virgin Islands | $39,170 | $31,970 | $54,560 | 120 | N/A |
| 52 | MSMississippi | $37,820 | $32,630 | $55,000 | 7,410 | $43,495 |
| 53 | WVWest Virginia | $37,660 | $35,130 | $49,740 | 4,490 | $42,080 |
| 54 | PRPuerto Rico | $22,680 | $21,840 | $28,780 | 3,800 | N/A |
Method
How the cost-of-living adjustment works
The adjusted column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity (RPP) and multiplies by 100. RPPs measure how much a fixed basket of goods, services and rents costs in one state relative to the national average, so the result restates local pay in national-average dollars.
For automotive service technicians and mechanics, that changes the ranking: District of Columbia leads on raw pay at $68,660, while North Dakota leads once prices are taken into account at $64,479.
Source: BEA Regional Price Parities by State, 2024 (public domain). The adjustment is NueCareer's calculation, not a BLS or BEA published statistic.
Questions
Automotive Service Technician and Mechanic pay by state: FAQ
Which state pays automotive service technicians and mechanics the most?
District of Columbia reports the highest median wage for automotive service technicians and mechanics at $68,660 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025), followed by California ($64,980) and Colorado ($61,280).
Which state pays automotive service technicians and mechanics the least?
Among the 50 states and DC, West Virginia reports the lowest median for automotive service technicians and mechanics at $37,660 a year, $31,000 below the highest-paying state (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Among the territories, Guam reports $39,220, U.S. Virgin Islands reports $39,170 and Puerto Rico reports $22,680.
Is the highest-paying state the best for automotive service technicians and mechanics after cost of living?
Not on this data. District of Columbia pays the most on paper ($68,660) but ranks 2nd of 51 once each median is divided by the state's BEA Regional Price Parity ($62,474). North Dakota leads after that adjustment at $64,479, from a raw median of $57,360. BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024; the adjustment is NueCareer's calculation.