How much do auto mechanics make an hour in South Bend, IN-MI?

The median hourly wage is $23.59. The middle half earn between $20.90 and $30.19 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in South Bend, IN-MI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.51 an hour ($36,420 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.90.

Do auto mechanics make more in South Bend or Chicago?

Chicago pays more: the median is $49,080 in South Bend and $55,320 in Chicago, a 11% difference.

How does South Bend pay compare with the rest of Indiana?

The South Bend median of $49,080 is 1% less than the Indiana median of $49,360.

Auto mechanic salary in South Bend, IN-MI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI area earn a median of $49,080 a year, or $23.59 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $77,260 a year. Across all of Indiana, the median is $49,360, so South Bend pays 1% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$49,080

Bottom 10% under$36,420Top 10% over$77,260

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.51/hr
Jobs in this area: 670
After cost of living: $52,850
Median hourly pay: $23.59/hr
vs U.S. median: −3%
vs Indiana median: −1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 43780, South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI). 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	$36,420–$43,470$17.51–$20.90/hr
Experienced technician	$49,080$23.59/hr
Master / top earners	$62,790–$77,260$30.19–$37.15/hr

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

How South Bend, IN-MI compares

South Bend ranks 9th of 15 Indiana metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the South Bend area than nationally: 5.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,260, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,420: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Indiana metro areas

Other trades in South Bend, IN-MI

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in South Bend, IN-MI?: Auto mechanics in the South Bend–Mishawaka, IN-MI area earn a median of $49,080 a year, or $23.59 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $77,260 a year.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in South Bend, IN-MI?: The median hourly wage is $23.59. The middle half earn between $20.90 and $30.19 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in South Bend, IN-MI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.51 an hour ($36,420 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.90.
Do auto mechanics make more in South Bend or Chicago?: Chicago pays more: the median is $49,080 in South Bend and $55,320 in Chicago, a 11% difference.
How does South Bend pay compare with the rest of Indiana?: The South Bend median of $49,080 is 1% less 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 43780 (South Bend-Mishawaka, IN-MI). 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 (92.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures