Auto mechanic salary in Iowa City, IA
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Auto mechanics in the Iowa City, IA area earn a median of $49,960 a year, or $24.02 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $77,400. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $50,510; Iowa City is 1% below it.
- Entry-level starting pay (estimate)
- $17.53/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 360
- After cost of living
- $54,600
- Median hourly pay
- $24.02/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −1%
- vs Iowa median
- −1%
- Mean (average) pay
- $56,140 a year · $26.99 an hour
Pay by percentile
What auto mechanics in Iowa City, IA earn at each point of the pay range, May 2025: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, half earn less than the median, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
| Percentile | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $17.53 | $36,470 |
| 25th percentile | $19.28 | $40,100 |
| Median (50th) | $24.02 | $49,960 |
| 75th percentile | $32.71 | $68,030 |
| 90th percentile | $37.21 | $77,400 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. BLS yearly figures are the hourly wage times 2,080 hours.
How Iowa City, IA compares
- Iowa City ranks 6th of 9 Iowa metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
- Auto mechanics are less concentrated in the Iowa City area than nationally: 3.8 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.85 times the U.S. share.
Other Iowa metro areas
Other trades in Iowa City, IA
Questions
- Do auto mechanics make more in Iowa City or Des Moines?
- Des Moines pays more: the median is $49,960 in Iowa City and $60,470 in Des Moines, a 17% difference.
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 26980 (Iowa City, 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 (91.5, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures