Typical entry: Postsecondary nondegree award
Automotive technician
Automotive service technicians diagnose, repair, and maintain cars and light trucks: brakes, engines, electrical systems, and the diagnostic computers that now run most of it. Dealerships, independent shops, and fleets all hire them.
By the Degreeless Jobs research deskUpdated Sep 7, 2026Sources: BLS, O*NET
What an automotive technician makes
Median pay, May 2025, United States
$50,620
$24.34 an hour, median
- 25th percentile
- $38,900
- 75th percentile
- $70,430
- 90th percentile
- $81,790
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Wages of employed workers, not offers.
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- BLS
- Workers without a bachelor's
- Not published
- O*NET
- Growth, 2025 to 2035
- +5.0%
- BLS projections
- Openings a year
- 66,200
- BLS projections
How people get in without a degree
BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award as typical, meaning a trade-school or community-college program of six months to two years, but plenty of technicians still start as a lube tech or shop helper and learn on the job. What employers check is ASE certification, your own hand tools, and a clean driving record. Manufacturer programs run with dealers (Ford ASSET, GM ASEP, Toyota T-TEN) pay while you train and are the fastest route into brand work.
The work, as O*NET defines it: Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
The next step
ASE certification, usually alongside an automotive technology certificate
- Typical cost
- ASE tests about $60 each plus a $36 registration; certificate programs $5,000 to $20,000; manufacturer programs are often employer-paid
- Time to complete
- 6 months to 2 years of training, and 2 years of hands-on work before full ASE certification
ASE requires two years of experience, or one year plus a two-year degree, before it certifies you.
Where to start ASE test prep
Costs and durations are ranges gathered from provider and state sources; confirm the current price and your state's rules before you pay anything. Never pay a fee to apply for a job.
Pay by state
Median pay for automotive service technicians and mechanics by state, May 2025, sorted by annual median. States without a published estimate are omitted.
| State | Hourly median | Annual median | 25th to 75th | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | $33.01 | $68,660 | $56,530 to $78,770 | 310 |
| California | $31.24 | $64,980 | $46,580 to $77,060 | 65,420 |
| Colorado | $29.46 | $61,280 | $46,170 to $78,300 | 12,300 |
| Alaska | $29.25 | $60,840 | $49,340 to $79,560 | 1,420 |
| Massachusetts | $29.21 | $60,760 | $45,560 to $78,560 | 12,710 |
| Connecticut | $28.95 | $60,220 | $45,410 to $74,500 | 6,960 |
| Virginia | $28.53 | $59,330 | $45,080 to $76,540 | 17,880 |
| New Hampshire | $28.38 | $59,020 | $46,600 to $73,010 | 4,840 |
| Montana | $28.24 | $58,740 | $47,230 to $72,270 | 2,900 |
| Oregon | $28.14 | $58,520 | $47,780 to $77,780 | 6,990 |
| Delaware | $28.08 | $58,410 | $45,830 to $71,750 | 1,910 |
| Minnesota | $28.07 | $58,390 | $46,620 to $73,250 | 11,980 |
| Maryland | $27.66 | $57,520 | $40,500 to $76,340 | 14,230 |
| North Dakota | $27.58 | $57,360 | $43,330 to $63,560 | 2,140 |
| Washington | $27.54 | $57,270 | $45,740 to $76,960 | 12,930 |
| New Jersey | $27.22 | $56,610 | $40,030 to $75,410 | 17,640 |
| Wisconsin | $26.13 | $54,350 | $44,550 to $69,570 | 12,270 |
| Michigan | $26.02 | $54,120 | $43,680 to $67,100 | 22,280 |
| New York | $26.02 | $54,120 | $45,550 to $73,320 | 32,020 |
| Hawaii | $25.08 | $52,160 | $39,520 to $67,160 | 2,710 |
| Maine | $25.02 | $52,040 | $46,040 to $61,970 | 3,390 |
| Rhode Island | $24.89 | $51,770 | $37,930 to $62,400 | 2,530 |
| Vermont | $24.82 | $51,630 | $47,700 to $62,570 | 1,610 |
| Wyoming | $24.68 | $51,330 | $41,480 to $64,500 | 1,560 |
| South Dakota | $24.60 | $51,160 | $44,790 to $61,610 | 2,010 |
| Nebraska | $24.31 | $50,560 | $42,580 to $62,710 | 4,560 |
| Iowa | $24.28 | $50,510 | $39,340 to $67,200 | 7,610 |
| Tennessee | $24.18 | $50,290 | $38,300 to $63,790 | 16,210 |
| Pennsylvania | $23.94 | $49,800 | $40,010 to $62,780 | 29,400 |
| Arizona | $23.83 | $49,570 | $37,760 to $65,360 | 16,400 |
| Indiana | $23.73 | $49,360 | $38,500 to $62,710 | 16,480 |
| Illinois | $23.64 | $49,170 | $38,310 to $73,640 | 29,510 |
| Missouri | $23.63 | $49,160 | $38,420 to $63,240 | 17,210 |
| Georgia | $23.59 | $49,060 | $37,740 to $65,530 | 22,070 |
| Ohio | $23.42 | $48,710 | $37,200 to $63,840 | 22,640 |
| Idaho | $23.28 | $48,420 | $39,590 to $62,660 | 5,030 |
| Texas | $23.23 | $48,310 | $36,650 to $62,270 | 69,750 |
| Nevada | $23.22 | $48,290 | $38,870 to $73,790 | 7,420 |
| Florida | $23.20 | $48,260 | $37,040 to $62,990 | 49,930 |
| North Carolina | $23.17 | $48,200 | $36,600 to $63,170 | 26,510 |
| South Carolina | $23.12 | $48,100 | $37,430 to $63,610 | 13,420 |
| Kansas | $22.98 | $47,790 | $38,150 to $63,000 | 6,240 |
| New Mexico | $22.74 | $47,300 | $36,500 to $63,050 | 5,080 |
| Utah | $22.39 | $46,570 | $37,140 to $62,400 | 9,350 |
| Oklahoma | $22.38 | $46,560 | $36,110 to $64,260 | 8,870 |
| Louisiana | $22.31 | $46,400 | $36,900 to $62,060 | 8,620 |
| Alabama | $21.94 | $45,640 | $37,050 to $61,560 | 9,040 |
| Kentucky | $21.58 | $44,890 | $35,980 to $59,990 | 11,140 |
| Arkansas | $21.23 | $44,160 | $35,760 to $57,910 | 7,310 |
| Mississippi | $18.18 | $37,820 | $32,630 to $55,000 | 7,410 |
| West Virginia | $18.11 | $37,660 | $35,130 to $49,740 | 4,490 |
Questions
Do you need a degree to be an automotive technician?
No. BLS lists "postsecondary nondegree award" as the typical education for entry. The usual credential is ASE certification, usually alongside an automotive technology certificate.
How much does an automotive technician make?
The median pay was $50,620 a year ($24.34 an hour) in May 2025, according to BLS. The middle half earned between $38,900 and $70,430, and the top 10 percent earned more than $81,790.
How long does it take to become an automotive technician?
6 months to 2 years of training, and 2 years of hands-on work before full ASE certification. The typical cost is aSE tests about $60 each plus a $36 registration; certificate programs $5,000 to $20,000; manufacturer programs are often employer-paid.
Is automotive technician work growing?
BLS projects employment to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035 with about 66,200 openings a year from growth and from workers leaving the occupation.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, occupation code 49-3023.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35 (Table 1.2).
- O*NET 31.0 Database (USDOL/ETA), CC BY 4.0. The share without a bachelor’s degree is our summary of O*NET’s education distribution; USDOL/ETA has not approved or endorsed it.
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile