Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Salary in Washington, DC (2024)
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn a median of $62,970 per year ($30.28 per hour) based on 11,920 jobs counted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2024. That is +26.8% 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 Washington, DC, from the bottom decile to the top.
| Percentile | Hourly | Annual | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.19 | $37,840 | |
| 25th percentile | $22.54 | $46,890 | |
| Median | $30.28 | $62,970 | half earn more, half earn less |
| 75th percentile | $37.82 | $78,670 | |
| 90th percentile | $46.04 | $95,770 | |
| Average (mean) | $31.94 | $66,440 |
How Washington, DC compares
The local median of $62,970 runs +26.8% above the US median of $49,670 for this occupation; it pays 8.0% less than the metro-wide median across all jobs ($68,430); within the metro it ranks 387th of 703 detailed occupations by median pay.
| Benchmark | Median annual | Difference |
|---|---|---|
| Washington, DC — this occupation | $62,970 | — |
| US median, same occupation (all areas) | $49,670 | +26.8% |
| Washington, DC — all occupations | $68,430 | -8.0% |
| Highest metro in the US for this job | $74,590 | -15.6% |
The location quotient of 0.86 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 2.0%, which is a tight margin — the figure is stable enough to plan around.
Ranked 387th of 703 detailed occupations in the metro by median annual wage.
Highest-paying jobs in Washington, DC
To put $62,970 in context, these are the best-paid detailed occupations in the same metro area. This occupation sits 387th.
| Occupation | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse Anesthetists | $225,340 | 390 |
| Family Medicine Physicians | $224,330 | 1,900 |
| General Internal Medicine Physicians | $223,030 | 1,740 |
| Psychiatrists | $219,970 | 570 |
| Ophthalmologists, Except Pediatric | $218,490 | 230 |
| Dentists, All Other Specialists | $199,990 | 150 |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | $191,880 | 20,770 |
| Lawyers | $191,880 | 48,170 |
| Physicians, All Other | $191,880 | 11,170 |
| Nuclear Engineers | $189,770 | 300 |
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 Washington, DC?
The median annual wage is $62,970, or $30 per hour. That means half of the automotive service technicians and mechanics working in the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area earn more than this figure and half earn less. The average is $66,440.
What do the highest and lowest paid automotive service technicians and mechanics in Washington, DC earn?
The bottom 10% earn $37,840 or less, while the top 10% earn $95,770 or more — a spread of $57,930 between the two ends of the distribution. The middle half of workers sit between $46,890 and $78,670.
Is automotive service technicians and mechanics pay in Washington, DC above the local average?
Yes, it is 8.0% below the all-occupation median for the metro, which is $68,430. 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 Washington, DC pay compare with the rest of the US for this job?
At $62,970 the metro median is 26.8% 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 Washington, DC?
BLS counts about 11,920 people in this occupation in the metro area, or 3.82 jobs per 1,000 total jobs. The location quotient of 0.86 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 4.8%). 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.