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

The median hourly wage is $28.14. The middle half earn between $22.21 and $31.03 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.71 an hour ($36,840 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.21.

Do auto mechanics make more in Rochester or New York?

Rochester pays more: the median is $58,530 in Rochester and $57,760 in New York, a 1% difference.

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

The Rochester median of $58,530 is 8% more than the New York median of $54,120.

Auto mechanic salary in Rochester, NY

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Rochester, NY area earn a median of $58,530 a year, or $28.14 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,400. That's 8% more than the New York median of $54,120.

Median yearly pay$58,530

Bottom 10% under$36,840Top 10% over$78,400

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.71/hr
Jobs in this area: 2,310
After cost of living: $60,320
Median hourly pay: $28.14/hr
vs U.S. median: +16%
vs New York median: +8%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 40380, Rochester, 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	$36,840–$46,210$17.71–$22.21/hr
Experienced technician	$58,530$28.14/hr
Master / top earners	$64,540–$78,400$31.03–$37.69/hr

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

How Rochester, NY compares

Rochester has the highest auto mechanic median of the 13 New York metro areas with published pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Rochester area as nationally: 4.7 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $78,400, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,840: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New York metro areas

Other trades in Rochester, NY

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Rochester, NY?: Auto mechanics in the Rochester, NY area earn a median of $58,530 a year, or $28.14 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,400.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Rochester, NY?: The median hourly wage is $28.14. The middle half earn between $22.21 and $31.03 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Rochester, NY?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.71 an hour ($36,840 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.21.
Do auto mechanics make more in Rochester or New York?: Rochester pays more: the median is $58,530 in Rochester and $57,760 in New York, a 1% difference.
How does Rochester pay compare with the rest of New York?: The Rochester median of $58,530 is 8% more 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 40380 (Rochester, 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 (97.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures