How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Lakeland, FL?

The median hourly wage is $22.07. The middle half earn between $17.24 and $28.69 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Lakeland, FL?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $14.37 an hour ($29,890 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.24.

Do auto mechanics make more in Lakeland or North Port?

North Port pays more: the median is $45,900 in Lakeland and $51,970 in North Port, a 12% difference.

How does Lakeland pay compare with the rest of Florida?

The Lakeland median of $45,900 is 5% less than the Florida median of $48,260.

Auto mechanic salary in Lakeland, FL

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Lakeland–Winter Haven, FL area earn a median of $45,900 a year, or $22.07 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $77,020. That's 5% less than the Florida median of $48,260.

Median yearly pay$45,900

Bottom 10% under$29,890Top 10% over$77,020

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $14.37/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,820
After cost of living: $47,250
Median hourly pay: $22.07/hr
vs U.S. median: −9%
vs Florida median: −5%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 29460, Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL). 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	$29,890–$35,870$14.37–$17.24/hr
Experienced technician	$45,900$22.07/hr
Master / top earners	$59,680–$77,020$28.69–$37.03/hr

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

How Lakeland, FL compares

Lakeland ranks 18th of 22 Florida metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Lakeland area than nationally: 6.8 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.5 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,020, is 2.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $29,890: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Florida metro areas

Other trades in Lakeland, FL

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Lakeland, FL?: Auto mechanics in the Lakeland–Winter Haven, FL area earn a median of $45,900 a year, or $22.07 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $77,020.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Lakeland, FL?: The median hourly wage is $22.07. The middle half earn between $17.24 and $28.69 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Lakeland, FL?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $14.37 an hour ($29,890 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.24.
Do auto mechanics make more in Lakeland or North Port?: North Port pays more: the median is $45,900 in Lakeland and $51,970 in North Port, a 12% difference.
How does Lakeland pay compare with the rest of Florida?: The Lakeland median of $45,900 is 5% less than the Florida median of $48,260.

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 29460 (Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL). 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 (97.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures