How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Owensboro, KY?

The median hourly wage is $21.11. The middle half earn between $17.54 and $27.69 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Owensboro, KY?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $14.76 an hour ($30,710 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.54.

Do auto mechanics make more in Owensboro or Clarksville?

Clarksville pays more: the median is $43,900 in Owensboro and $49,570 in Clarksville, a 11% difference.

How does Owensboro pay compare with the rest of Kentucky?

The Owensboro median of $43,900 is 2% less than the Kentucky median of $44,890.

Auto mechanic salary in Owensboro, KY

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Owensboro, KY area earn a median of $43,900 a year, or $21.11 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $71,800. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $44,890; Owensboro is 2% below it.

Median yearly pay$43,900

Bottom 10% under$30,710Top 10% over$71,800

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $14.76/hr
Jobs in this area: 290
After cost of living: $49,540
Median hourly pay: $21.11/hr
vs U.S. median: −13%
vs Kentucky median: −2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 36980, Owensboro, KY). 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	$30,710–$36,490$14.76–$17.54/hr
Experienced technician	$43,900$21.11/hr
Master / top earners	$57,600–$71,800$27.69–$34.52/hr

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

How Owensboro, KY compares

Owensboro ranks 5th of 9 Kentucky metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Owensboro area than nationally: 5.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.3 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $71,800, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $30,710: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Kentucky metro areas

Other trades in Owensboro, KY

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Heavy equipment operator

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Owensboro, KY?: Auto mechanics in the Owensboro, KY area earn a median of $43,900 a year, or $21.11 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $71,800.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Owensboro, KY?: The median hourly wage is $21.11. The middle half earn between $17.54 and $27.69 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Owensboro, KY?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $14.76 an hour ($30,710 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.54.
Do auto mechanics make more in Owensboro or Clarksville?: Clarksville pays more: the median is $43,900 in Owensboro and $49,570 in Clarksville, a 11% difference.
How does Owensboro pay compare with the rest of Kentucky?: The Owensboro median of $43,900 is 2% less than the Kentucky median of $44,890.

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 36980 (Owensboro, KY). 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 (88.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures