How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Des Moines, IA?

The median hourly wage is $29.07. The middle half earn between $21.74 and $36.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Des Moines, IA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.74 an hour ($36,900 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.74.

Do auto mechanics make more in Des Moines or Omaha?

Des Moines pays more: the median is $60,470 in Des Moines and $54,230 in Omaha, a 12% difference.

How does Des Moines pay compare with the rest of Iowa?

The Des Moines median of $60,470 is 20% more than the Iowa median of $50,510.

Auto mechanic salary in Des Moines, IA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA area earn a median of $60,470 a year, or $29.07 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,570. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $50,510; Des Moines is 20% above it.

Median yearly pay$60,470

Bottom 10% under$36,900Top 10% over$78,570

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.74/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,870
After cost of living: $65,940
Median hourly pay: $29.07/hr
vs U.S. median: +19%
vs Iowa median: +20%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 19780, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA). 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	$36,900–$45,220$17.74–$21.74/hr
Experienced technician	$60,470$29.07/hr
Master / top earners	$76,190–$78,570$36.63–$37.78/hr

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

How Des Moines, IA compares

Des Moines ranks 2nd of 9 Iowa metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Des Moines area as nationally: 4.6 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $78,570, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,900: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Iowa metro areas

Other trades in Des Moines, IA

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Des Moines, IA?: Auto mechanics in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA area earn a median of $60,470 a year, or $29.07 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,570.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Des Moines, IA?: The median hourly wage is $29.07. The middle half earn between $21.74 and $36.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Des Moines, IA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.74 an hour ($36,900 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.74.
Do auto mechanics make more in Des Moines or Omaha?: Des Moines pays more: the median is $60,470 in Des Moines and $54,230 in Omaha, a 12% difference.
How does Des Moines pay compare with the rest of Iowa?: The Des Moines median of $60,470 is 20% more than the Iowa median of $50,510.

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 19780 (Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA). 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 (91.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures