Where there are cars, there are car mechanics.
Auto repair men, also known as auto mechanics, inspect, repair and maintain all types of automobiles and other vehicles. These workers specialize in knowing about car systems, using their knowledge to diagnose problems and then repair the vehicle. Car mechanics can be found almost anywhere, and their salaries differ widely.
National Averages
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there were about 606,990 auto mechanics in 2009, earning a national average salary of $18.21 per hour, or about $37,880 per year. Auto repair personnel in the top 10th percentile of earners made an average of $28.81 per hour, or about $59,920 per year, while those in the lowest 10th percentile earned an average of $9.54 per hour, or $19,840 per year.
Most Common Industries
The "automotive repairs and maintenance" sector of the industry employed the highest number of car mechanics in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The estimated 226,170 repair personnel in this sector earned an average of $16.74 per hour, or about $34,820 per year. Those employed in the "automobile dealers" sector of the industry, the second-most common sector, earned an average of $20.75 per hour, or about $43,160 per year.
Highest-Paying Sectors
Auto mechanics employed in the "aerospace product and parts manufacturing" sector of the industry had the highest average salaries out of any sector in 2009, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These workers earned an average wage nearly twice the the national average, earning about $31.87 per hour, or about $66,290 per year. The second-highest paying sector, "couriers and express delivery drivers," paid auto mechanics an average salary of about $29.73 per hour, or about $61,840 per year.
Geographic Differences
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that auto repair workers in Alaska, the District of Columbia, Connecticut, Maryland and Massachusetts had the highest average salaries out of all states in 2009. Repair personnel in Alaska had an average salary of $23.74 per hour, or about $49,370 per year, while those in Massachusetts made about $20.48 an hour, or about $42,600 per year. Mechanics in Texarkana, Texas, had the highest average income out of any city, taking in an average of $26.34 per hour, or about $54,790 per year.
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