How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Elkhart, IN?

The median hourly wage is $24.03. The middle half earn between $19.52 and $29.52 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Elkhart, IN?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.81 an hour ($34,970 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $19.52.

Do auto mechanics make more in Elkhart or Chicago?

Chicago pays more: the median is $49,990 in Elkhart and $55,320 in Chicago, a 10% difference.

How does Elkhart pay compare with the rest of Indiana?

The Elkhart median of $49,990 is 1% more than the Indiana median of $49,360.

Auto mechanic salary in Elkhart, IN

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Elkhart–Goshen, IN area earn a median of $49,990 a year, or $24.03 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,760. Across all of Indiana, the median is $49,360, so Elkhart pays 1% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$49,990

Bottom 10% under$34,970Top 10% over$78,760

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $16.81/hr
Jobs in this area: 530
After cost of living: $55,340
Median hourly pay: $24.03/hr
vs U.S. median: −1%
vs Indiana median: +1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 21140, Elkhart-Goshen, IN). 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	$34,970–$40,590$16.81–$19.52/hr
Experienced technician	$49,990$24.03/hr
Master / top earners	$61,410–$78,760$29.52–$37.87/hr

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

How Elkhart, IN compares

Elkhart ranks 4th of 15 Indiana metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Elkhart area as nationally: 4.2 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $78,760, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $34,970: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Indiana metro areas

Other trades in Elkhart, IN

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Elkhart, IN?: Auto mechanics in the Elkhart–Goshen, IN area earn a median of $49,990 a year, or $24.03 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,760.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Elkhart, IN?: The median hourly wage is $24.03. The middle half earn between $19.52 and $29.52 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Elkhart, IN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.81 an hour ($34,970 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $19.52.
Do auto mechanics make more in Elkhart or Chicago?: Chicago pays more: the median is $49,990 in Elkhart and $55,320 in Chicago, a 10% difference.
How does Elkhart pay compare with the rest of Indiana?: The Elkhart median of $49,990 is 1% more than the Indiana median of $49,360.

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 21140 (Elkhart-Goshen, IN). 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 (90.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures