Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Occupation-level safety SOC 49-3023

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics

Occupation-specific BLS fatality and injury rates set the reading order for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, then wages beside peers such as Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers, Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines, Avionics Technicians, Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment.

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers ($95K) , Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines ($66K) , Avionics Technicians ($82K) , Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment ($74K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 49-3023 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made
  2. 2. Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computeri…
  3. 3. Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications
  4. 4. Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes
  5. 5. Review work orders and discuss work with supervisors
  6. 6. Conduct visual inspections of compressed natural gas fuel systems to identify cracks, gouges, abrasions, discoloration, broken fibers, lo…
  7. 7. Estimate costs of vehicle repair
  8. 8. Confer with customers to obtain descriptions of vehicle problems and to discuss work to be performed and future repair requirements
  9. 9. Align vehicles' front ends
  10. 10. Align wheels, axles, frames, torsion bars, and steering mechanisms of automobiles, using special alignment equipment and wheel-balancing…
  11. 11. Tear down, repair, and rebuild faulty assemblies, such as power systems, steering systems, and linkages
  12. 12. Perform routine and scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications, and tune-ups

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics: O*NET ranks Repairing first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 49-3023 - lead skill Repairing at 3.8 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Repairing 3.8
  2. 2. Troubleshooting 3.6
  3. 3. Critical Thinking 3.5
  4. 4. Operations Monitoring 3.5
  5. 5. Equipment Maintenance 3.4
  6. 6. Active Listening 3.3
  7. 7. Monitoring 3.3
  8. 8. Operation and Control 3.3

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 4.8
  2. 2. Customer and Personal Service 3.3
  3. 3. Computers and Electronics 3.3
  4. 4. Engineering and Technology 3.0
  5. 5. English Language 2.9
  6. 6. Transportation 2.8
Occupation safety grade
B
Safe
Transparent derived index from BLS CFOI/SOII, not an official BLS rating · formula
National median still $50,620/yr
$51K
National median
↑ +4%
Growth 2024-2034
70,000
Annual openings
704,640
Estimated US jobs
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $95K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Top Paying States for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics

1. District of Columbia $68,660
2. Massachusetts $60,760
3. Alaska $60,840
4. Virginia $59,330
5. New Hampshire $59,020
6. Oregon $58,520
7. Montana $58,740
8. Colorado $61,280
9. California $64,980
10. Connecticut $60,220

Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations titles

  1. 1. Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers $95,320
  2. 2. Avionics Technicians $82,280
  3. 3. Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment $74,090
  4. 4. Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines $65,510
  5. 5. Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers $74,330
  6. 6. First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers $79,860

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics carries an occupation-specific WageDex safety grade of B from BLS CFOI/SOII rates. The national OEWS median is $50,620 inside Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (SOC 49-3023).

Employment Projections expect +4% change between 2024 and 2034 (about as fast as average vs baseline 3.1%). About 70,000 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements.

Highest published state median in this ranking: District of Columbia at $68,660. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers at $95,320. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics pay-rank #38 in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

On the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations median table (51 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics lands at #38, in the lower third. That rank is a table position, not a statement about individual workers.

Other lower-third titles · closest medians

Full Salary Details Compare this role

Data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Projections from BLS Employment Projections program, 2024-2034.

SOC 49-3023 · national median $50,620 · lower third of Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (#38/51). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 49-3023

District of Columbia · top state for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics

$69K published median

Massachusetts · #2 state pay

$61K · behind District of Columbia

Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics · $95K

Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines

Lower-pay peer beside Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics · $66K

Compare Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics with another occupation →

Safety and risk next reads

Safest Occupations

Roles with the strongest published safety grades

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics full wage map

State and metro pay after the safety lead

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics land on the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations median table? ▼
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics is pay-rank #38 of 51 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Home Appliance Repairers ($51K), Locksmiths and Safe Repairers ($51K), Maintenance and Repair Workers, General ($50K), Recreational Vehicle Service Technicians ($52K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do automotive service technicians and mechanics do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. Leading ones include: Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made; Test drive vehicles and test components and systems, using equipment such as infrared engine analyzers, compression gauges, and computeri…; Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications; Repair, reline, replace, and adjust brakes. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for automotive service technicians and mechanics? ▼
For SOC 49-3023, O*NET importance scores lead with Repairing (3.8), Troubleshooting (3.6), Critical Thinking (3.5), Operations Monitoring (3.5). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $50,620 as the national median for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. The published 10th-90th range is $34,660 to $81,790. Beside Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers ($95,320), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics is +4%. Projected annual openings: about 70,000. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: about as fast as average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics? ▼
BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics? ▼
District of Columbia ($68,660), Massachusetts ($60,760), Alaska ($60,840) lead this ranking. The table does not identify why those state estimates differ.

Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Wage and state figures use BLS OEWS May 2025; growth and education use BLS Employment Projections for 2024-2034; safety fields cite BLS CFOI/SOII; task statements cite O*NET where shown. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.

Disclaimer: Wage and outlook figures on this page are provided for informational purposes only and do not constitute career, financial, or salary-negotiation advice. Actual pay varies by employer, experience, and local conditions; consult a career counselor or the hiring employer for guidance specific to your situation.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025

Federal sources on this Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 49-3023. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. onetcenter.org
  • BLS Employment Projections - 2024-2034 change and openings for this occupation. bls.gov/emp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - demographic and labor-force context for state and metro geography. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) - payroll-tax aggregate context for wage comparisons. irs.gov/statistics