How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Riverside, CA?

The median hourly wage is $30.87. The middle half earn between $21.21 and $36.22 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Riverside, CA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.49 an hour ($36,380 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.21.

Do auto mechanics make more in Riverside or San Jose?

San Jose pays more: the median is $64,210 in Riverside and $77,840 in San Jose, a 18% difference.

How does Riverside pay compare with the rest of California?

The Riverside median of $64,210 is 1% less than the California median of $64,980.

Auto mechanic salary in Riverside, CA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario, CA area earn a median of $64,210 a year, or $30.87 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $93,860 a year. Across all of California, the median is $64,980, so Riverside pays 1% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$64,210

Bottom 10% under$36,380Top 10% over$93,860

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.49/hr
Jobs in this area: 7,680
After cost of living: $60,320
Median hourly pay: $30.87/hr
vs U.S. median: +27%
vs California median: −1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 40140, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA). 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	$36,380–$44,110$17.49–$21.21/hr
Experienced technician	$64,210$30.87/hr
Master / top earners	$75,330–$93,860$36.22–$45.13/hr

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

How Riverside, CA compares

Riverside ranks 9th of 25 California metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Riverside area as nationally: 4.5 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $93,860, is 2.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,380: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other California metro areas

Other trades in Riverside, CA

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Riverside, CA?: Auto mechanics in the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario, CA area earn a median of $64,210 a year, or $30.87 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $93,860 a year.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Riverside, CA?: The median hourly wage is $30.87. The middle half earn between $21.21 and $36.22 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Riverside, CA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.49 an hour ($36,380 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.21.
Do auto mechanics make more in Riverside or San Jose?: San Jose pays more: the median is $64,210 in Riverside and $77,840 in San Jose, a 18% difference.
How does Riverside pay compare with the rest of California?: The Riverside median of $64,210 is 1% less than the California median of $64,980.

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 40140 (Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA). 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 (106.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures