How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Lafayette, LA?

The median hourly wage is $22.08. The middle half earn between $17.64 and $29.77 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Lafayette, LA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $14.40 an hour ($29,950 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.64.

Do auto mechanics make more in Lafayette or New Orleans?

New Orleans pays more: the median is $45,920 in Lafayette and $49,190 in New Orleans, a 7% difference.

How does Lafayette pay compare with the rest of Louisiana?

The Lafayette median of $45,920 is 1% less than the Louisiana median of $46,400.

Auto mechanic salary in Lafayette, LA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Lafayette, LA area earn a median of $45,920 a year, or $22.08 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $74,050. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $46,400; Lafayette is 1% below it.

Median yearly pay$45,920

Bottom 10% under$29,950Top 10% over$74,050

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $14.40/hr
Jobs in this area: 810
After cost of living: $52,660
Median hourly pay: $22.08/hr
vs U.S. median: −9%
vs Louisiana median: −1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 29180, Lafayette, LA). 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	$29,950–$36,700$14.40–$17.64/hr
Experienced technician	$45,920$22.08/hr
Master / top earners	$61,920–$74,050$29.77–$35.60/hr

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

How Lafayette, LA compares

Lafayette ranks 5th of 10 Louisiana metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Lafayette area as nationally: 4.5 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $74,050, is 2.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $29,950: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Louisiana metro areas

Other trades in Lafayette, LA

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Lafayette, LA?: Auto mechanics in the Lafayette, LA area earn a median of $45,920 a year, or $22.08 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $74,050.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Lafayette, LA?: The median hourly wage is $22.08. The middle half earn between $17.64 and $29.77 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Lafayette, LA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $14.40 an hour ($29,950 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.64.
Do auto mechanics make more in Lafayette or New Orleans?: New Orleans pays more: the median is $45,920 in Lafayette and $49,190 in New Orleans, a 7% difference.
How does Lafayette pay compare with the rest of Louisiana?: The Lafayette median of $45,920 is 1% less than the Louisiana median of $46,400.

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 29180 (Lafayette, LA). 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 (87.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures