How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Traverse City, MI?

The median hourly wage is $25.11. The middle half earn between $21.81 and $30.07 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Traverse City, MI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.81 an hour ($37,040 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.81.

Do auto mechanics make more in Traverse City or Lansing?

Lansing pays more: the median is $52,220 in Traverse City and $56,130 in Lansing, a 7% difference.

How does Traverse City pay compare with the rest of Michigan?

The Traverse City median of $52,220 is 4% less than the Michigan median of $54,120.

Auto mechanic salary in Traverse City, MI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Traverse City, MI area earn a median of $52,220 a year, or $25.11 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $76,270. Across all of Michigan, the median is $54,120, so Traverse City pays 4% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$52,220

Bottom 10% under$37,040Top 10% over$76,270

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.81/hr
Jobs in this area: 320
After cost of living: $55,930
Median hourly pay: $25.11/hr
vs U.S. median: +3%
vs Michigan median: −4%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 45900, Traverse City, MI). 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	$37,040–$45,360$17.81–$21.81/hr
Experienced technician	$52,220$25.11/hr
Master / top earners	$62,550–$76,270$30.07–$36.67/hr

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

How Traverse City, MI compares

Traverse City ranks 5th of 16 Michigan metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Traverse City area as nationally: 4.6 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $76,270, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,040: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Michigan metro areas

Other trades in Traverse City, MI

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Traverse City, MI?: Auto mechanics in the Traverse City, MI area earn a median of $52,220 a year, or $25.11 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $76,270.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Traverse City, MI?: The median hourly wage is $25.11. The middle half earn between $21.81 and $30.07 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Traverse City, MI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.81 an hour ($37,040 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.81.
Do auto mechanics make more in Traverse City or Lansing?: Lansing pays more: the median is $52,220 in Traverse City and $56,130 in Lansing, a 7% difference.
How does Traverse City pay compare with the rest of Michigan?: The Traverse City median of $52,220 is 4% less than the Michigan median of $54,120.

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 45900 (Traverse City, MI). 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 (93.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures