Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Salary in Chicago, IL (2024)
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn a median of $58,340 per year ($28.05 per hour) based on 18,180 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +17.5% against the national median of $49,670 for this occupation.
Pay distribution
The median is a single point on a wide curve. The table below shows where automotive service technicians and mechanics actually sit across the pay range in Chicago, IL, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $16.81 | $34,960 | |
| 25th percentile | $18.91 | $39,340 | |
| Median | $28.05 | $58,340 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $38.09 | $79,230 | |
| 90th percentile | $44.07 | $91,670 | |
| Average (mean) | $28.71 | $59,710 |
How Chicago, IL compares
The local median of $58,340 runs +17.5% above the US median of $49,670 for this occupation; it pays 13.3% more than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($51,510); within the metro it ranks 410th of 700 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL — this occupation | $58,340 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $49,670 | +17.5% |
| Chicago, IL — all occupations | $51,510 | +13.3% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $74,590 | -21.8% |
The location quotient of 0.91 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
High confidence The relative standard error on this estimate is 1.9%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 410th of 700 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Chicago, IL
To put $58,340 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 410th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $234,440 | 1,420 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $221,790 | 80 |
| Physicians, All Other | $215,680 | 14,850 |
| Pediatricians, General | $198,440 | 1,120 |
| Air Traffic Controllers | $184,930 | 840 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $182,830 | 1,200 |
| Dentists, General | $175,140 | 3,980 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $168,230 | 21,760 |
| Lawyers | $166,090 | 28,380 |
| Financial Managers | $164,470 | 41,170 |
Where automotive service technicians and mechanics earn the most
Across the 25 metro areas with released data for this occupation, medians run from $47,560 to $74,590. These are the top markets.
| Metro area | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | $74,590 | 7,620 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA | $63,590 | 7,420 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | $62,970 | 11,920 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | $62,820 | 19,620 |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI | $61,780 | 8,070 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | $61,040 | 5,180 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | $60,450 | 7,230 |
| Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO | $60,240 | 6,060 |
| Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH | $59,390 | 9,220 |
| Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA | $59,390 | 4,060 |
See the full national picture on the Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics salary by metro page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median salary for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Chicago, IL?
The median annual wage is $58,340, or $28 per hour. That means half of the automotive service technicians and mechanics working in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $59,710.
What do the highest and lowest paid automotive service technicians and mechanics in Chicago, IL earn?
The bottom 10% earn $34,960 or less, while the top 10% earn $91,670 or more — a spread of $56,710 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $39,340 and $79,230.
Is automotive service technicians and mechanics pay in Chicago, IL above the local average?
Yes, it is 13.3% above the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $51,510. That comparison is the fairer one for judging local purchasing power, because it holds the metro's overall cost and wage level constant.
How does Chicago, IL pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $58,340 the metro median is 17.5% higher than the US median of $49,670 for automotive service technicians and mechanics. Across the 25 metro areas covered here, this occupation ranges from $47,560 to $74,590.
How many automotive service technicians and mechanics work in Chicago, IL?
BLS counts about 18,180 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 4.06 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 0.91 is close to 1.0: the occupation's share of local employment tracks the national average.
About these figures
Figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey for 2024 (employment relative standard error 4.9%). OEWS measures what employers pay, not what any individual earns; it excludes self-employed workers, and it does not adjust for local cost of living.
Read the full methodology, or the original data at bls.gov/oes.