Jetted FoxCareers · Car & truck repair
Automotive service technicians and mechanics
Find and fix problems with cars and light trucks: brakes, engines, electrical systems and routine maintenance. No college degree needed.
Start after 6–12 months of a certificate program
Starting pay ranges from about $15.69/hr in Mississippi to $27.18/hr in Washington, DC.
Pay in every state
| State | Start | 2 years |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $14.92–17.81/hr | $21.94/hr |
| Alaska | $21.19–23.72/hr | $29.25/hr |
| Arizona | $16.66–18.16/hr | $23.83/hr |
| Arkansas | $14.58–17.19/hr | $21.23/hr |
| California | $18.36–22.39/hr | $31.24/hr |
| Colorado | $19.01–22.20/hr | $29.46/hr |
| Connecticut | $18.48–21.83/hr | $28.95/hr |
| Delaware | $17.64–22.03/hr | $28.08/hr |
| Florida | $15.37–17.81/hr | $23.20/hr |
| Georgia | $16.14–18.14/hr | $23.59/hr |
| Hawaii | $17.48–19/hr | $25.08/hr |
| Idaho | $16.62–19.03/hr | $23.28/hr |
| Illinois | $16.44–18.42/hr | $23.64/hr |
| Indiana | $17.21–18.51/hr | $23.73/hr |
| Iowa | $17.36–18.91/hr | $24.28/hr |
| Kansas | $15.37–18.34/hr | $22.98/hr |
| Kentucky | $14.53–17.30/hr | $21.58/hr |
| Louisiana | $14.53–17.74/hr | $22.31/hr |
| Maine | $18.47–22.14/hr | $25.02/hr |
| Maryland | $17.28–19.47/hr | $27.66/hr |
| Massachusetts | $18.45–21.91/hr | $29.21/hr |
| Michigan | $17.36–21/hr | $26.02/hr |
| Minnesota | $18.42–22.41/hr | $28.07/hr |
| Mississippi | $13.77–15.69/hr | $18.18/hr |
| Missouri | $16.80–18.47/hr | $23.63/hr |
| Montana | $18.35–22.71/hr | $28.24/hr |
| Nebraska | $17.68–20.47/hr | $24.31/hr |
| Nevada | $16.11–18.69/hr | $23.22/hr |
| New Hampshire | $18.42–22.40/hr | $28.38/hr |
| New Jersey | $16.11–19.25/hr | $27.22/hr |
| New Mexico | $14.61–17.55/hr | $22.74/hr |
| New York | $17.05–21.90/hr | $26.02/hr |
| North Carolina | $15.14–17.60/hr | $23.17/hr |
| North Dakota | $18.08–20.83/hr | $27.58/hr |
| Ohio | $16.40–17.88/hr | $23.42/hr |
| Oklahoma | $14.14–17.36/hr | $22.38/hr |
| Oregon | $19.03–22.97/hr | $28.14/hr |
| Pennsylvania | $17.11–19.24/hr | $23.94/hr |
| Rhode Island | $15.32–18.24/hr | $24.89/hr |
| South Carolina | $15–17.99/hr | $23.12/hr |
| South Dakota | $18.59–21.53/hr | $24.60/hr |
| Tennessee | $16.74–18.41/hr | $24.18/hr |
| Texas | $14.12–17.62/hr | $23.23/hr |
| Utah | $14.65–17.86/hr | $22.39/hr |
| Vermont | $19.47–22.94/hr | $24.82/hr |
| Virginia | $17.57–21.67/hr | $28.53/hr |
| Washington | $18.98–21.99/hr | $27.54/hr |
| Washington, DC | $22.23–27.18/hr | $33.01/hr |
| West Virginia | $13.59–16.89/hr | $18.11/hr |
| Wisconsin | $17.59–21.42/hr | $26.13/hr |
| Wyoming | $16.44–19.94/hr | $24.68/hr |
Estimates, May 2025. Start = what the lowest-paid 10–25% earn; 2 years = the median. US Bureau of Labor Statistics
What it takes
Before you're hired
Also: Driver's license
Once you're hired
State mechanic certification (Michigan): required in some states. It lets you do specified vehicle repairs for pay in Michigan. Rules differ by state; check your state's licensing board.
Other way in: Lube tech, trained on the job.
A normal day
You work in a shop bay with a lift, a scan tool and your own toolbox. Work orders come in through the service desk: oil changes, brakes and tires, plus cars with warning lights you have to diagnose. You talk mostly to other techs and the service writer, and the pace follows how many cars are waiting.
The good parts
Huge number of openings in every town. Skills you use on your own car and family's cars too.
The hard parts
Many shops pay flat rate: you earn per job, so slow days mean low pay. You buy your own tools, which costs thousands over the first years. Standing on concrete, bending under hoods and lying under cars wears on backs and knees.
Where it leads
Shop or maintenance supervisor (after 3–5 years). lube tech to general tech, then ASE master tech, shop foreman, service manager or owning a repair shop.
Quick answers
Do automotive service technicians and mechanics need a college degree?
No. Start after 6–12 months of a certificate program.
How long is the training for automotive service technicians and mechanics?
6–12 month certificate, then 1–2 years in a shop, then a national exam after 2 years of work.
How much do automotive service technicians and mechanics make?
About $16.66–18.70 an hour to start and $24.34 an hour at the median across the US (May 2025).
Is it a fit for you?
Answer a few questions and see your paths. Free, about 7 minutes.
Last updated October 13, 2026. Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025. Jobs: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35. Training, costs and requirements: Jetted Fox research (estimates). This site includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. Jetted Fox has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Facts, not advice.