Automotive Technology Salary
In eras before the microchip, working on automobiles took little more than mechanical aptitude and some experience. With computerized control systems integrated into many of modern vehicles' systems, automotive repairs require advanced technical knowledge as well. Automotive technicians combine classic auto technician abilities with the diagnostic and technical skills needed to work on electronic systems as well as mechanical ones.
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Average Salary
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The average hourly wage for automotive technicians as of May 2009 is $17.03, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. The middle 50 percent of workers employed as automotive technicians earned hourly wages between $12.44 and $22.64 per hour. Those earning median wages earned the equivalent of an annual salary of $35,420.
Experience
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Automotive technicians may expect a gradual but steady increase in earnings as they become more experienced. Although technicians with less than a year's experience earned hourly wages between $8.31 and $12.77 per hour as of December 2010, according to PayScale, that wage range climbs to $13,84 to $19.97 per hour for technicians with five to nine years' experience. Automotive technicians with 20 or more years in the business may expect to earn hourly wages between $17.83 and $25.01.
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High-Paying Metropolitan Areas
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Automotive technicians with an eye on maximizing their earning potential might think about relocating to areas where median incomes are well above the national average. Technicians who work in Texarkana, (on the border of the Texas-Arkansas border), enjoy the highest median income level, with yearly median earnings at $54,790 as of May 2009, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Those employed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Danbury, Connecticut, Anchorage, Alaska and the San Jose/Sunnyvale/Santa Clara, California metroplex all earn median incomes above $50,000 annually.
By Industry
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Automotive technicians are employed in several industries, from fleet maintenance of government vehicles and automobile dealerships to gas stations and automotive parts stores. Those who work for a local government boast the highest median hourly wage as of May 2008, earning $20.07, according to the Occupational Outlook Handbook. Technicians employed at car dealerships made an average wage nearly as high, earning $19.61 hourly, while those who work out of a parts store tend to earn the least in their field, earning on average $14.90 hourly.
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References
- Photo Credit vehicle maintenance list and tools image by Warren Millar from Fotolia.com
