How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Helena, MT?

The median hourly wage is $27.80. The middle half earn between $22.84 and $34.03 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Helena, MT?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.48 an hour ($38,430 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.84.

Do auto mechanics make more in Helena or Bozeman?

Bozeman pays more: the median is $57,820 in Helena and $61,320 in Bozeman, a 6% difference.

How does Helena pay compare with the rest of Montana?

The Helena median of $57,820 is 2% less than the Montana median of $58,740.

Auto mechanic salary in Helena, MT

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Helena, MT area earn a median of $57,820 a year, or $27.80 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $77,450. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $58,740; Helena is 2% below it.

Median yearly pay$57,820

Bottom 10% under$38,430Top 10% over$77,450

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.48/hr
Jobs in this area: 220
After cost of living: $60,430
Median hourly pay: $27.80/hr
vs U.S. median: +14%
vs Montana median: −2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 25740, Helena, MT). 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	$38,430–$47,510$18.48–$22.84/hr
Experienced technician	$57,820$27.80/hr
Master / top earners	$70,770–$77,450$34.03–$37.23/hr

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

How Helena, MT compares

Helena has the lowest auto mechanic median of the 5 Montana metro areas with published pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Helena area than nationally: 5.0 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,450, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,430: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Montana metro areas

Other trades in Helena, MT

Electrician HVAC technician Diesel mechanic Carpenter Heavy equipment operator

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Helena, MT?: Auto mechanics in the Helena, MT area earn a median of $57,820 a year, or $27.80 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $77,450.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Helena, MT?: The median hourly wage is $27.80. The middle half earn between $22.84 and $34.03 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Helena, MT?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.48 an hour ($38,430 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.84.
Do auto mechanics make more in Helena or Bozeman?: Bozeman pays more: the median is $57,820 in Helena and $61,320 in Bozeman, a 6% difference.
How does Helena pay compare with the rest of Montana?: The Helena median of $57,820 is 2% less than the Montana median of $58,740.

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 25740 (Helena, MT). 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 (95.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures