How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Elmira, NY?

The median hourly wage is $22.46. The middle half earn between $19.24 and $29.15 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Elmira, NY?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.11 an hour ($35,590 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $19.24.

Do auto mechanics make more in Elmira or Rochester?

Rochester pays more: the median is $46,720 in Elmira and $58,530 in Rochester, a 20% difference.

How does Elmira pay compare with the rest of New York?

The Elmira median of $46,720 is 14% less than the New York median of $54,120.

Auto mechanic salary in Elmira, NY

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Elmira, NY area earn a median of $46,720 a year, or $22.46 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $78,850 a year. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $54,120; Elmira is 14% below it.

Median yearly pay$46,720

Bottom 10% under$35,590Top 10% over$78,850

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.11/hr
Jobs in this area: 210
After cost of living: $49,490
Median hourly pay: $22.46/hr
vs U.S. median: −8%
vs New York median: −14%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 21300, Elmira, NY). 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	$35,590–$40,010$17.11–$19.24/hr
Experienced technician	$46,720$22.46/hr
Master / top earners	$60,640–$78,850$29.15–$37.91/hr

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

How Elmira, NY compares

Elmira has the lowest auto mechanic median of the 13 New York metro areas with published pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Elmira area than nationally: 6.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $78,850, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $35,590: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New York metro areas

Other trades in Elmira, NY

HVAC technician Welder Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Heavy equipment operator Roofer

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Elmira, NY?: Auto mechanics in the Elmira, NY area earn a median of $46,720 a year, or $22.46 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $78,850 a year.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Elmira, NY?: The median hourly wage is $22.46. The middle half earn between $19.24 and $29.15 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Elmira, NY?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.11 an hour ($35,590 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $19.24.
Do auto mechanics make more in Elmira or Rochester?: Rochester pays more: the median is $46,720 in Elmira and $58,530 in Rochester, a 20% difference.
How does Elmira pay compare with the rest of New York?: The Elmira median of $46,720 is 14% less than the New York 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 21300 (Elmira, NY). 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 (94.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures