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

The median hourly wage is $28.68. The middle half earn between $23.15 and $35.21 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.66 an hour ($40,880 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.15.

Do auto mechanics make more in Missoula or Bozeman?

Bozeman pays more: the median is $59,650 in Missoula and $61,320 in Bozeman, a 3% difference.

How does Missoula pay compare with the rest of Montana?

The Missoula median of $59,650 is 2% more than the Montana median of $58,740.

Auto mechanic salary in Missoula, MT

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Missoula, MT area earn a median of $59,650 a year, or $28.68 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $77,560. Across all of Montana, the median is $58,740, so Missoula pays 2% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$59,650

Bottom 10% under$40,880Top 10% over$77,560

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $19.66/hr
Jobs in this area: 350
After cost of living: $61,850
Median hourly pay: $28.68/hr
vs U.S. median: +18%
vs Montana median: +2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 33540, Missoula, 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	$40,880–$48,160$19.66–$23.15/hr
Experienced technician	$59,650$28.68/hr
Master / top earners	$73,240–$77,560$35.21–$37.29/hr

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

How Missoula, MT compares

Missoula ranks 3rd of 5 Montana metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Missoula area than nationally: 5.3 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,560, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $40,880: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Montana metro areas

Other trades in Missoula, MT

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Missoula, MT?: Auto mechanics in the Missoula, MT area earn a median of $59,650 a year, or $28.68 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $77,560.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Missoula, MT?: The median hourly wage is $28.68. The middle half earn between $23.15 and $35.21 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Missoula, MT?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.66 an hour ($40,880 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.15.
Do auto mechanics make more in Missoula or Bozeman?: Bozeman pays more: the median is $59,650 in Missoula and $61,320 in Bozeman, a 3% difference.
How does Missoula pay compare with the rest of Montana?: The Missoula median of $59,650 is 2% more 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 33540 (Missoula, 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 (96.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures