Pay Scale

• The average salary for automotive service technicians with an associate degree or otherwise was $38,200 per year in 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau indicates that the median salary of those employed in this field was $35,790, with the highest-paid technicians earning a salary of $59,590 or more per year. The lowest-paid technicians made $20,200 or less per year. Those in the middle half of the pay scale earned between $26,320 and $47,280.
  
  

Employers

• Auto mechanics work for a variety of employers. Who the employer works for provides an indication of what the technician expects to make. For example, the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the largest portion of those working in this field were employed by automotive repair shops and made an average salary of $35,200 per year in 2010. Those who worked for automobile dealers, on the other hand, made $42,830. Those who worked for courier service companies made even more at $61,300 per year.
  
  

Location

• Where in the U.S. the automotive service technician works can also provide some indication of how much he can expect to make. According to the BLS, the highest paid technicians made an average salary of $51,870 per year working in Alaska. The next highest paid group worked in the District of Columbia, earning $47,180 per year. California technicians made an average salary of $47,180, while those working in New York could expect to make $37,930 on an annual basis.
  
  

Job Outlook

• The number of jobs for automotive service technicians should grow by about 5 percent from 2008 to 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau indicates that growth in this field will largely occur for those who work as entry-level technicians providing basic services. Due to increased quality in vehicle manufacturing, jobs for those in more advanced areas of service and repair will be somewhat limited as vehicles and their constituent parts last longer.