Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Salary in California
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in California earn a median $64,980 a year, +28% against the national median of $50,620; they and rank 2nd of 51 states by median. Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics earn 12% more than the median across all occupations in California ($58,240). California pays more than every neighbouring state: Oregon, Arizona and Nevada range from $48,290 in Nevada to $58,520 in Oregon. California employs 65,420 automotive service technicians and mechanics, 3.59 per 1,000 jobs, the 2nd largest count of any state. A location quotient of 0.79 means it is less common in California than nationally.
California vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $18.36 | $22.39 | $31.24 | $37.05 | $45.81 | $31.47 | 65,420 | 3.59 | 0.79 |
| Annual | $38,180 | $46,580 | $64,980 | $77,060 | $95,280 | $65,470 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $16.66 | $18.70 | $24.34 | $33.86 | $39.32 | $27.13 | 704,640 | – | – |
| Annual | $34,660 | $38,900 | $50,620 | $70,430 | $81,790 | $56,420 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 2nd of 51 states
- Rank by employment
- 2nd of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 0.79
- Jobs per 1,000
- 3.59
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of California's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in California
25 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching California publish a row for automotive service technicians and mechanics, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | $37.42 | $77,840 | $47,090 | $101,760 | 3,040 | 2.68 | 0.59 |
| Napa, CA | $36.75 | $76,450 | $43,520 | $92,850 | 160 | 2.11 | 0.47 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $36.55 | $76,030 | $45,210 | $108,070 | 7,270 | 3.06 | 0.68 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA | $36.10 | $75,080 | $45,540 | $98,940 | 1,000 | 4.87 | 1.07 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA | $34.63 | $72,020 | $41,040 | $96,030 | 4,870 | 4.50 | 0.99 |
| Vallejo, CA | $33.51 | $69,710 | $44,490 | $98,530 | 760 | 5.25 | 1.16 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | $31.33 | $65,160 | $38,020 | $97,200 | 1,450 | 4.47 | 0.99 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $30.92 | $64,320 | $38,830 | $86,660 | 4,910 | 3.19 | 0.70 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $30.87 | $64,210 | $36,380 | $93,860 | 7,680 | 4.47 | 0.99 |
| Hanford-Corcoran, CA | $30.81 | $64,090 | $39,010 | $77,080 | 170 | 3.54 | 0.78 |
| Chico, CA | $30.32 | $63,070 | $37,550 | $93,070 | 320 | 4.08 | 0.90 |
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | $30.21 | $62,840 | $35,930 | $81,510 | 1,310 | 4.53 | 1.00 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $30.20 | $62,820 | $36,520 | $90,890 | 22,330 | 3.56 | 0.79 |
| Modesto, CA | $30.18 | $62,770 | $38,370 | $95,680 | 1,030 | 5.26 | 1.16 |
| Salinas, CA | $30.18 | $62,770 | $39,740 | $96,740 | 620 | 3.33 | 0.73 |
| Bakersfield-Delano, CA | $30.02 | $62,450 | $38,760 | $92,810 | 1,250 | 3.69 | 0.81 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA | $29.63 | $61,620 | $37,600 | $78,010 | 520 | 4.30 | 0.95 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA | $29.38 | $61,110 | $36,760 | $90,190 | 700 | 3.47 | 0.77 |
| Merced, CA | $28.55 | $59,390 | $36,670 | $77,530 | 330 | 4.16 | 0.92 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA | $28.30 | $58,860 | $36,580 | $84,760 | 450 | 4.56 | 1.01 |
| Yuba City, CA | $28.17 | $58,580 | $36,690 | $82,090 | 280 | 5.44 | 1.20 |
| El Centro, CA | $26.12 | $54,330 | $38,800 | $77,370 | 320 | 4.87 | 1.07 |
| Fresno, CA | $25.00 | $52,000 | $37,790 | $77,400 | 1,890 | 3.97 | 0.88 |
| Redding, CA | $24.16 | $50,260 | $38,260 | $78,490 | 380 | 5.27 | 1.16 |
| Visalia, CA | $22.25 | $46,280 | $35,880 | $75,610 | 700 | 4.07 | 0.90 |
| North Valley-Northern Mountains Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $30.88 | $64,240 | $43,610 | $82,700 | 440 | 4.22 | 0.93 |
| North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $28.67 | $59,630 | $41,710 | $80,640 | 500 | 4.61 | 1.02 |
| Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area | $25.65 | $53,360 | $41,530 | $79,090 | 240 | 3.82 | 0.84 |
Neighbouring states
See the national page for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (every state ranked) and the California wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS California estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.