Automotive Technician Hourly Pay & Requirements (2026)
Advertised pay, starting pay, skills and experience from 31,522 US job postings by 3,239 employers. Data as of October 2026.
What US employers post for automotive technicians: advertised pay, the skills and experience they ask for, and the job titles they use, from 31,522 open job postings (October 2026).
- The median advertised pay for automotive technicians in US job postings is $25.00 an hour (11,850 postings from 851 employers, October 2026).
- The middle half of those postings offer $19.00 to $35.00 an hour.
- Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $23.00 an hour (413 postings).
- The skills that most set automotive technician postings apart are electronic diagnostic equipment, friendly attitude.
- Postings that state a minimum ask for a median of 2 years of experience.
Automotive Technician job postings in the US, October 2026
- $25.00/hr
- Median advertised pay (11,850 postings)
- $19.00–$35.00
- Middle 50% of postings
- $23.00/hr
- Starting pay (postings asking up to 1 year)
- 31,522
- US job postings from 3,239 employers
How much does an automotive technician make an hour?
The median advertised pay is $25.00 an hour, from 11,850 US job postings by 851 employers that state pay. That is about $57,000 a year at 2,080 hours.
Advertised pay in 11,850 US automotive technician job postings: median $57,000 a year ($25.00 an hour), middle half $42,000 to $80,000.
- Median: $57,000 ($25.00/hr)
- 25th percentile: $42,000
- 75th percentile: $80,000
The figures as a table
| Annual pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| $20K–$30K | 2.5% |
| $30K–$40K | 19.2% |
| $40K–$50K | 18.5% |
| $50K–$60K | 12.1% |
| $60K–$70K | 9.8% |
| $70K–$80K | 12.8% |
| $80K–$90K | 9.7% |
| $90K–$100K | 6.1% |
| $100K–$110K | 5.8% |
| $110K–$120K | 1.4% |
| $120K–$130K | 0.6% |
| $130K–$140K | 1.2% |
Midpoint of each posting's pay range, hourly pay × 2,080 hours; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
| Median | Middle 50% | Postings | Most common titles | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Postings that state an hourly rate | $25.00 | $19.00–$35.00 | 2,019 | Automotive Technician, Automotive Service Technician, Lube Technician |
| Postings that state an annual salary | $77,000 | $61K–$100K | 571 | Automotive Technician, Automotive Service Technician, Experienced Automotive Technician |
| All pay postings, annualised | $57,000 | $42K–$80K | 11,850 | – |
For comparison, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the national median annual wage of Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (49-3023) at $51,000 (May 2025). Postings advertise pay; the BLS measures what people earn, across all employers and levels.
What is the starting salary for an automotive technician?
Postings that ask for up to 1 year of experience advertise a median of $23.00 an hour (413 postings).
| Experience asked | Median advertised pay | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1 years | $23.00/hr | 413 |
| 2-4 years | $34.00/hr | 1,954 |
| 5+ years | $39.19/hr | 5,848 |
Automotive technician levels and pay
Levels as they appear in job titles, ordered by the median experience asked.
| Level in title | Share of postings | Median experience asked | Median pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| No level in title | 97.4% | 2 years | $27.00/hr |
| Experienced | 1.6% | 2 years | $37.00/hr |
Highest-paying automotive technician jobs
Specializations with at least 250 postings that state pay.
| Specialization | Median pay | Postings with pay | Employers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Master Technician | $40.00/hr | 5,922 | 133 |
| Automotive Service Technician | $34.00/hr | 403 | 191 |
| Automotive Technician (general) | $32.50/hr | 2,940 | 408 |
| Tire Technician | $20.00/hr | 1,070 | 66 |
| Lube Technician | $18.00/hr | 385 | 189 |
| General Service Technician | $18.00/hr | 466 | 41 |
Automotive technician pay by state
Single-location US postings; states with at least 100 postings that state pay. States with pay-transparency laws (such as California, Colorado, New York and Washington) are over-represented among postings that state pay.
| State | Median pay | Middle 50% | Postings with pay | Share of postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $34.86/hr | $21.48–$42.50 | 293 | 1.7% |
| Kentucky | $34.10/hr | $18.50–$40.05 | 252 | 1.9% |
| California | $30.55/hr | $21.48–$37.67 | 668 | 5.0% |
| New York | $30.00/hr | $21.09–$39.50 | 267 | 3.5% |
| Pennsylvania | $29.77/hr | $23.00–$40.21 | 195 | 3.6% |
| Washington | $29.61/hr | $21.76–$37.50 | 448 | 2.5% |
| Virginia | $28.50/hr | $21.80–$39.17 | 176 | 2.5% |
| Texas | $28.00/hr | $23.00–$38.49 | 1,611 | 11.9% |
| Oklahoma | $28.00/hr | $25.00–$62.50 | 427 | 2.3% |
| Arizona | $27.60/hr | $20.00–$45.00 | 231 | 2.6% |
| Colorado | $27.39/hr | $20.00–$39.00 | 333 | 2.6% |
| Ohio | $27.25/hr | $18.50–$36.80 | 218 | 3.0% |
| North Carolina | $27.00/hr | $20.00–$37.17 | 267 | 3.3% |
| Tennessee | $26.92/hr | $18.00–$40.87 | 234 | 2.6% |
| Iowa | $26.50/hr | $23.00–$62.50 | 121 | 1.1% |
| Indiana | $26.44/hr | $17.25–$36.17 | 264 | 2.4% |
| Florida | $25.48/hr | $19.00–$37.98 | 235 | 4.9% |
| Missouri | $24.50/hr | $18.25–$43.50 | 174 | 2.3% |
| Louisiana | $23.00/hr | $17.71–$43.57 | 147 | 1.4% |
Skills employers ask for in automotive technician job postings
| Skill | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| Communication | 27% |
| Customer service | 24% |
| Attention to detail | 19% |
| Problem-solving | 12% |
| Positive attitude | 9% |
| Electronic diagnostic equipment | 9% |
| Team player | 8% |
| Positive | 8% |
| Diagnostic | 8% |
| Work independently | 8% |
Skills named in the posting text; at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026. Methodology.
Skills that set automotive technicians apart
- Electronic diagnostic equipment92.8× as often as in all postings · 9%
- Friendly attitude45.2× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Diagnostic41.3× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Repair and service procedures and specifications94.5× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Positive7.4× as often as in all postings · 8%
- Mechanical10.5× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Troubleshooting skills9.6× as often as in all postings · 6%
- Basic computer skills4× as often as in all postings · 7%
- Strong work ethic3.6× as often as in all postings · 5%
Skills named in at least 5% of these postings and at least 3 times as often as in job postings overall.
Have a automotive technician job posting in front of you? See which of its skills your resume is missing.
What does an automotive technician do?
Employers post these jobs as Automotive Service Technician, Lube Technician, Quick Lube Technician, Automotive Mechanic, Experienced Automotive Technician and other titles. The largest specializations are Lube Technician (8%), Automotive Service Technician (6%), Master Technician (22%), Express Technician (2%), Tire Technician (15%), General Service Technician (5%).
The closest official occupation is Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (49-3023.00). Its most important tasks:
- Follow checklists to ensure all important parts are examined, including belts, hoses, steering systems, spark plugs, brake and fuel systems, wheel bearings, and other potentially troublesome areas.
- Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
- Perform routine and scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications, and tune-ups.
- Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made.
- Align wheels, axles, frames, torsion bars, and steering mechanisms of automobiles, using special alignment equipment and wheel-balancing machines.
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (CC BY 4.0).
How much experience do you need to be an automotive technician?
Among 2,741 postings that state a minimum, the median is 2 years. Under 1% say 0 years and 27% ask for 1 year or less.
Minimum experience asked in 2,741 US automotive technician job postings: median 2 years, and 27% ask for 1 year or less.
The figures as a table
| Minimum experience asked | Share of postings |
|---|---|
| 0 yr | 1% |
| 1 yr | 26% |
| 2 yrs | 36% |
| 3-4 yrs | 20% |
| 5-7 yrs | 15% |
| 8-9 yrs | under 1% |
| 10+ yrs | under 1% |
Postings that state a minimum (required or preferred); at most 20 postings per employer; US, October 2026.
We do not show a degree figure: in our checks, degree requirements in posting text were found too rarely to publish one. Why.
Full-time 95%, Part-time 5% of the 1,332 postings that state working hours.
Other names for an automotive technician: job titles employers use
| Job title | Employers using it |
|---|---|
| Automotive Technician | 995 (30.7%) |
| Automotive Service Technician | 482 (14.9%) |
| Lube Technician | 323 (10.0%) |
| Quick Lube Technician | 172 (5.3%) |
| Automotive Mechanic | 143 (4.4%) |
| Experienced Automotive Technician | 125 (3.9%) |
| General Service Technician | 114 (3.5%) |
| Tire Technician | 111 (3.4%) |
| Automotive Lube Technician | 98 (3.0%) |
| Lube Tech | 97 (3.0%) |
| Master Technician | 95 (2.9%) |
| Express Technician | 93 (2.9%) |
| Used Car Technician | 85 (2.6%) |
| Express Service Technician | 70 (2.2%) |
| Automotive Technician/Mechanic | 67 (2.1%) |
| Auto Technician | 67 (2.1%) |
| Auto Mechanic | 61 (1.9%) |
| Senior Master Technician | 55 (1.7%) |
| Service Technician | 53 (1.6%) |
| Transmission Technician | 52 (1.6%) |
Titles read in our audit and used by at least 3 employers.
Automotive technician job titles compared
The titles people search for most, from the US job postings that use each exact title (October 2026).
| Job title | Open postings | Employers | Median pay | Median experience | Skills named most |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lube Technician | 931 | 323 | – | – | communication, customer service, attention to detail |
Automotive Technician compared with similar careers
| Career | Median pay | Median experience | Postings | Shares N of top 25 skills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive Technician | $25.00/hr | 2 years | 31,522 | – |
| Field Service Technician | $30.30/hr | 2 years | 16,764 | 13 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $32.50/hr | 2 years | 13,542 | 12 |
| Auto Body Technician | $64K | 2 years | 5,208 | 13 |
| HVAC Technician | $33.50/hr | 3 years | 11,503 | 10 |
Similar careers
| Career | Shares N of the top 25 skills | Median pay |
|---|---|---|
| Field Service Technician | 13 | $30.30/hr |
| Diesel Mechanic | 12 | $32.50/hr |
| Auto Body Technician | 13 | $64K |
| HVAC Technician | 10 | $33.50/hr |
| Service Advisor | 10 | $65K |
| Automotive Detailer | 11 | $17.50/hr |
Applying for automotive technician jobs?
- Automotive technician resume examples: one-page examples for these roles
- Match your resume to a job: paste a posting and see the skills your resume is missing
- Check your resume: see how an applicant tracking system reads it
- Find automotive technician jobs: search open postings
Frequently asked questions
What is the starting salary for an automotive technician?
What are the automotive technician levels?
Source and method
Open US job postings collected from employers' applicant tracking systems, de-duplicated, counted only when their job title was read in our audit. Shares count at most 20 postings per employer, and franchise locations of one brand count as one employer. Pay uses hourly and annual figures only; a figure is shown when leaving out the largest employer moves it by 10% or less. Every figure states its number of postings. Methodology and measured accuracy.
Accuracy check: we read 20 randomly chosen postings counted on this page in full; 20 of them were this career or a closely related one (October 2026).
Download the figures on this page (CSV): every number above with its count of postings. Aggregate figures are licensed CC BY 4.0; cite the page when you reuse them.