Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations
BLS May 2025 wages Peer-group outlier SOC 49-3052

Motorcycle Mechanics

Median pay sits 35% below the mid peer in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (neighbors include Signal and Track Switch Repairers, Millwrights, Avionics Technicians, Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment).

Full salary details → About this data

Same-major-group titles next to Motorcycle Mechanics: Signal and Track Switch Repairers ($92K) , Millwrights ($66K) , Avionics Technicians ($82K) , Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment ($85K) . Hash-ordered per card so residual SOC siblings do not share an identical peer sentence.

What Motorcycle Mechanics publish as work

O*NET task statements for SOC 49-3052 - occupation-level descriptions, not every employer's posting. Sibling cards diverge here because the task set is entity-keyed.

  1. 1. Mount, balance, change, or check condition or pressure of tires
  2. 2. Replace defective parts, using hand tools, arbor presses, flexible power presses, or power tools
  3. 3. Dismantle engines and repair or replace defective parts, such as magnetos, carburetors, or generators
  4. 4. Connect test panels to engines and measure generator output, ignition timing, or other engine performance indicators
  5. 5. Listen to engines, examine vehicle frames, or confer with customers to determine nature and extent of malfunction or damage
  6. 6. Repair or replace other parts, such as headlights, horns, handlebar controls, gasoline or oil tanks, starters, or mufflers
  7. 7. Disassemble subassembly units and examine condition, movement, or alignment of parts, visually or using gauges
  8. 8. Repair or adjust motorcycle subassemblies, such as forks, transmissions, brakes, or drive chains, according to specifications
  9. 9. Reassemble frames and reinstall engines after repairs
  10. 10. Remove cylinder heads and grind valves to scrape off carbon and replace defective valves, pistons, cylinders, or rings, using hand and po…
  11. 11. Install motorcycle accessories
  12. 12. Reassemble and test subassembly units

Motorcycle Mechanics: O*NET ranks Troubleshooting first

Importance-ranked O*NET profile for SOC 49-3052 - lead skill Troubleshooting at 3.9 ; lead knowledge Mechanical. Sibling cards diverge here even when peer titles overlap.

Top skills

  1. 1. Troubleshooting 3.9
  2. 2. Repairing 3.9
  3. 3. Equipment Maintenance 3.5
  4. 4. Active Listening 3.1
  5. 5. Speaking 3.1
  6. 6. Critical Thinking 3.1
  7. 7. Active Learning 3.1
  8. 8. Monitoring 3.1

Knowledge areas

  1. 1. Mechanical 4.8
  2. 2. English Language 3.5
  3. 3. Customer and Personal Service 3.4
  4. 4. Computers and Electronics 3.3
  5. 5. Mathematics 3.1
  6. 6. Education and Training 3.1
Pay vs Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations peers
-35%
vs mid peer median $74,340
This role $48,580/yr
$49K
National median
↑ +5%
Growth 2024-2034
1,500
Annual openings
13,510
Estimated US jobs
Signal and Track Switch Repairers
Highest-pay peer · $92K

Typical Entry and Preparation Assignments

Entry education Postsecondary nondegree award

Top Paying States for Motorcycle Mechanics

1. Minnesota $58,280
2. California $57,040
3. Maryland $57,640
4. Nevada $60,450
5. New Hampshire $62,890
6. New Jersey $59,430
7. Oregon $58,040
8. New York $54,770
9. Texas $53,330
10. Colorado $56,850

Other Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations titles

  1. 1. Avionics Technicians $82,280
  2. 2. Signal and Track Switch Repairers $92,460
  3. 3. Electrical and Electronics Installers and Repairers, Transportation Equipment $84,890
  4. 4. Telecommunications Line Installers and Repairers $74,330
  5. 5. Control and Valve Installers and Repairers, Except Mechanical Door $74,340
  6. 6. Millwrights $65,700

Among Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations peers on this card, Motorcycle Mechanics sits 35% below the mid peer median ($74,340). Its own median is $48,580.

Employment Projections expect +5% change between 2024 and 2034 (faster than average vs baseline 3.1%). About 1,500 annual openings are projected. BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as typical education needed for entry. These are occupation-level assignments, not universal requirements. BLS does not publish a separate occupation-specific safety rate for this role; its broad SOC-group rate is excluded from this career card's grade.

Highest published state median in this ranking: Minnesota at $58,280. The table records differences without proving causes. Highest-pay peer shown here: Signal and Track Switch Repairers at $92,460. Compare the same statistic in the relevant local wage area before treating the national median as a personal benchmark; OEWS excludes employer benefits.

Motorcycle Mechanics pay-rank #41 in Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations

On the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations median table (51 detailed occupations with OEWS medians), Motorcycle Mechanics lands at #41, 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 49-3052 · national median $48,580 · lower third of Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations (#41/51). Open the full OEWS map or a named state before treating the card median as a local ask.

Motorcycle Mechanics salary map

State, metro, and percentile for SOC 49-3052

Minnesota · top state for Motorcycle Mechanics

$58K published median

California · #2 state pay

$57K · behind Minnesota

Signal and Track Switch Repairers

Highest-pay peer vs Motorcycle Mechanics · $92K

Millwrights

Lower-pay peer beside Motorcycle Mechanics · $66K

Compare Motorcycle Mechanics

Head-to-head OEWS medians with another SOC
Compare Motorcycle Mechanics with another occupation →

Peer-comparison next reads

Compare Motorcycle Mechanics

Against another occupation

Signal and Track Switch Repairers card

Top peer in this major group

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Motorcycle Mechanics land on the Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations median table? ▼
Motorcycle Mechanics is pay-rank #41 of 51 in this major group, lower third of the median table. Closest lower-third titles: Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers, Motor Vehicles ($48K), Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other ($49K), Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics ($48K), Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers ($48K). That position is a table rank, not a worker percentile.
What do motorcycle mechanics do day to day? ▼
O*NET lists published task statements for Motorcycle Mechanics. Leading ones include: Mount, balance, change, or check condition or pressure of tires; Replace defective parts, using hand tools, arbor presses, flexible power presses, or power tools; Dismantle engines and repair or replace defective parts, such as magnetos, carburetors, or generators; Connect test panels to engines and measure generator output, ignition timing, or other engine performance indicators. These are occupation-level task descriptions, not every employer's job description.
Which O*NET skills rank highest for motorcycle mechanics? ▼
For SOC 49-3052, O*NET importance scores lead with Troubleshooting (3.9), Repairing (3.9), Equipment Maintenance (3.5), Active Listening (3.1). Knowledge areas emphasize Mechanical, English Language, Customer and Personal Service. These are occupation-level profiles, not a hiring checklist for every employer.
What is the OEWS national median for Motorcycle Mechanics? ▼
May 2025 OEWS reports $48,580 as the national median for Motorcycle Mechanics. The published 10th-90th range is $34,770 to $74,400. Beside Signal and Track Switch Repairers ($92,460), this is the occupation-level national figure, not a local offer.
What employment change does BLS publish for Motorcycle Mechanics? ▼
The 2024-2034 projection for Motorcycle Mechanics is +5%. Projected annual openings: about 1,500. Relative to the current all-occupations baseline of 3.1%: faster than average.
What typical entry education does BLS assign to Motorcycle Mechanics? ▼
BLS assigns Postsecondary nondegree award as the typical-education-needed-for-entry category for Motorcycle Mechanics. These are occupation-level labels, not every employer's hiring rule.
Which three states show the highest OEWS medians for Motorcycle Mechanics? ▼
Minnesota ($58,280), California ($57,040), Maryland ($57,640) 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 Motorcycle Mechanics card
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS / OES) - national median and percentiles for SOC 49-3052. bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET OnLine - task and skill statements for Motorcycle 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