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

The median hourly wage is $37.42. The middle half earn between $26.71 and $44.05 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.64 an hour ($47,090 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.71.

Do auto mechanics make more in San Jose or San Francisco?

San Jose pays more: the median is $77,840 in San Jose and $76,030 in San Francisco, a 2% difference.

How does San Jose pay compare with the rest of California?

The San Jose median of $77,840 is 20% more than the California median of $64,980.

Auto mechanic salary in San Jose, CA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA area earn a median of $77,840 a year, or $37.42 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $101,760 a year. That's 20% more than the California median of $64,980.

Median yearly pay$77,840

Bottom 10% under$47,090Top 10% over$101,760

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.64/hr
Jobs in this area: 3,040
After cost of living: $70,490
Median hourly pay: $37.42/hr
vs U.S. median: +54%
vs California median: +20%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 41940, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 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	$47,090–$55,550$22.64–$26.71/hr
Experienced technician	$77,840$37.42/hr
Master / top earners	$91,630–$101,760$44.05–$48.92/hr

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

How San Jose, CA compares

San Jose has the highest auto mechanic median of the 25 California metro areas with published pay.
Auto mechanics are less concentrated in the San Jose area than nationally: 2.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.59 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $101,760, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $47,090: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other California metro areas

Other trades in San Jose, CA

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in San Jose, CA?: Auto mechanics in the San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA area earn a median of $77,840 a year, or $37.42 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $101,760 a year.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in San Jose, CA?: The median hourly wage is $37.42. The middle half earn between $26.71 and $44.05 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in San Jose, CA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.64 an hour ($47,090 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.71.
Do auto mechanics make more in San Jose or San Francisco?: San Jose pays more: the median is $77,840 in San Jose and $76,030 in San Francisco, a 2% difference.
How does San Jose pay compare with the rest of California?: The San Jose median of $77,840 is 20% more 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 41940 (San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, 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 (110.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures