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

The median hourly wage is $22.73. The middle half earn between $18.84 and $28.80 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.79 an hour ($34,920 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.84.

Do auto mechanics make more in Watertown or Rochester?

Rochester pays more: the median is $47,280 in Watertown and $58,530 in Rochester, a 19% difference.

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

The Watertown median of $47,280 is 13% less than the New York median of $54,120.

Auto mechanic salary in Watertown, NY

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Watertown–Fort Drum, NY area earn a median of $47,280 a year, or $22.73 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $69,490 a year. Across all of New York, the median is $54,120, so Watertown pays 13% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$47,280

Bottom 10% under$34,920Top 10% over$69,490

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $16.79/hr
Jobs in this area: 350
After cost of living: $53,920
Median hourly pay: $22.73/hr
vs U.S. median: −7%
vs New York median: −13%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 48060, Watertown-Fort Drum, 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	$34,920–$39,190$16.79–$18.84/hr
Experienced technician	$47,280$22.73/hr
Master / top earners	$59,900–$69,490$28.80–$33.41/hr

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

How Watertown, NY compares

Watertown ranks 12th of 13 New York metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Watertown area than nationally: 8.8 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.9 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $69,490, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $34,920: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other New York metro areas

Other trades in Watertown, NY

Electrician HVAC technician Lineman Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Heavy equipment operator

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Watertown, NY?: Auto mechanics in the Watertown–Fort Drum, NY area earn a median of $47,280 a year, or $22.73 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $69,490 a year.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Watertown, NY?: The median hourly wage is $22.73. The middle half earn between $18.84 and $28.80 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Watertown, NY?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.79 an hour ($34,920 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.84.
Do auto mechanics make more in Watertown or Rochester?: Rochester pays more: the median is $47,280 in Watertown and $58,530 in Rochester, a 19% difference.
How does Watertown pay compare with the rest of New York?: The Watertown median of $47,280 is 13% 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 48060 (Watertown-Fort Drum, 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 (87.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures