How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Trenton, NJ?

The median hourly wage is $27.19. The middle half earn between $21.13 and $34.57 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Trenton, NJ?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.85 an hour ($37,130 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.13.

Do auto mechanics make more in Trenton or Philadelphia?

Philadelphia pays more: the median is $56,550 in Trenton and $58,460 in Philadelphia, a 3% difference.

How does Trenton pay compare with the rest of New Jersey?

The Trenton median of $56,550 is about the same as the New Jersey median of $56,610.

Auto mechanic salary in Trenton, NJ

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Trenton–Princeton, NJ area earn a median of $56,550 a year, or $27.19 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $82,030. Across all of New Jersey, the median is $56,610, so Trenton pays about the same as the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$56,550

Bottom 10% under$37,130Top 10% over$82,030

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.85/hr
Jobs in this area: 800
After cost of living: $54,810
Median hourly pay: $27.19/hr
vs U.S. median: +12%
vs New Jersey median: 0%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 45940, Trenton-Princeton, NJ). 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	$37,130–$43,940$17.85–$21.13/hr
Experienced technician	$56,550$27.19/hr
Master / top earners	$71,910–$82,030$34.57–$39.44/hr

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

How Trenton, NJ compares

Trenton ranks 4th of 6 New Jersey metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are less concentrated in the Trenton area than nationally: 3.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.74 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $82,030, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,130: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New Jersey metro areas

Other trades in Trenton, NJ

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Trenton, NJ?: Auto mechanics in the Trenton–Princeton, NJ area earn a median of $56,550 a year, or $27.19 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $82,030.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Trenton, NJ?: The median hourly wage is $27.19. The middle half earn between $21.13 and $34.57 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Trenton, NJ?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.85 an hour ($37,130 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.13.
Do auto mechanics make more in Trenton or Philadelphia?: Philadelphia pays more: the median is $56,550 in Trenton and $58,460 in Philadelphia, a 3% difference.
How does Trenton pay compare with the rest of New Jersey?: The Trenton median of $56,550 is about the same as the New Jersey median of $56,610.

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 45940 (Trenton-Princeton, NJ). 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 (103.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures