How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Tuscaloosa, AL?

The median hourly wage is $21.67. The middle half earn between $18.52 and $28.81 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Tuscaloosa, AL?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $15.46 an hour ($32,160 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.52.

Do auto mechanics make more in Tuscaloosa or Columbus?

Columbus pays more: the median is $45,070 in Tuscaloosa and $48,830 in Columbus, a 8% difference.

How does Tuscaloosa pay compare with the rest of Alabama?

The Tuscaloosa median of $45,070 is 1% less than the Alabama median of $45,640.

Auto mechanic salary in Tuscaloosa, AL

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Tuscaloosa, AL area earn a median of $45,070 a year, or $21.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,230. Across all of Alabama, the median is $45,640, so Tuscaloosa pays 1% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$45,070

Bottom 10% under$32,160Top 10% over$78,230

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $15.46/hr
Jobs in this area: 530
After cost of living: $51,380
Median hourly pay: $21.67/hr
vs U.S. median: −11%
vs Alabama median: −1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 46220, Tuscaloosa, AL). Excludes self-employed auto mechanics. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Entry-level to master auto mechanic pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Entry level	$32,160–$38,520$15.46–$18.52/hr
Experienced technician	$45,070$21.67/hr
Master / top earners	$59,930–$78,230$28.81–$37.61/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Tuscaloosa, AL compares

Tuscaloosa ranks 9th of 13 Alabama metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Tuscaloosa area as nationally: 4.9 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $78,230, is 2.4 times the 10th-percentile wage, $32,160: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Alabama metro areas

Other trades in Tuscaloosa, AL

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Lineman Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Heavy equipment operator Ironworker Millwright

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Tuscaloosa, AL?: Auto mechanics in the Tuscaloosa, AL area earn a median of $45,070 a year, or $21.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,230.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Tuscaloosa, AL?: The median hourly wage is $21.67. The middle half earn between $18.52 and $28.81 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Tuscaloosa, AL?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $15.46 an hour ($32,160 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.52.
Do auto mechanics make more in Tuscaloosa or Columbus?: Columbus pays more: the median is $45,070 in Tuscaloosa and $48,830 in Columbus, a 8% difference.
How does Tuscaloosa pay compare with the rest of Alabama?: The Tuscaloosa median of $45,070 is 1% less than the Alabama median of $45,640.

About this data

Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 49-3023 (Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics), area code 46220 (Tuscaloosa, AL). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed auto mechanics and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (87.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures