How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Portland, ME?

The median hourly wage is $28.41. The middle half earn between $22.41 and $30.41 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Portland, ME?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.29 an hour ($42,190 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.41.

Do auto mechanics make more in Portland or Lewiston?

Portland pays more: the median is $59,090 in Portland and $56,370 in Lewiston, a 5% difference.

How does Portland pay compare with the rest of Maine?

The Portland median of $59,090 is 14% more than the Maine median of $52,040.

Auto mechanic salary in Portland, ME

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Portland–South Portland, ME area earn a median of $59,090 a year, or $28.41 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $78,090 a year. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $52,040; Portland is 14% above it.

Median yearly pay$59,090

Bottom 10% under$42,190Top 10% over$78,090

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $20.29/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,360
After cost of living: $58,010
Median hourly pay: $28.41/hr
vs U.S. median: +17%
vs Maine median: +14%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 38860, Portland-South Portland, ME). 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	$42,190–$46,610$20.29–$22.41/hr
Experienced technician	$59,090$28.41/hr
Master / top earners	$63,250–$78,090$30.41–$37.54/hr

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

How Portland, ME compares

Portland has the highest auto mechanic median of the 3 Maine metro areas with published pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Portland area as nationally: 4.7 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $78,090, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $42,190: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Maine metro areas

Other trades in Portland, ME

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Portland, ME?: Auto mechanics in the Portland–South Portland, ME area earn a median of $59,090 a year, or $28.41 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $78,090 a year.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Portland, ME?: The median hourly wage is $28.41. The middle half earn between $22.41 and $30.41 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Portland, ME?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.29 an hour ($42,190 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.41.
Do auto mechanics make more in Portland or Lewiston?: Portland pays more: the median is $59,090 in Portland and $56,370 in Lewiston, a 5% difference.
How does Portland pay compare with the rest of Maine?: The Portland median of $59,090 is 14% more than the Maine median of $52,040.

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 38860 (Portland-South Portland, ME). 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 (101.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures