How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Burlington, NC?

The median hourly wage is $21.99. The middle half earn between $17.06 and $28.73 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Burlington, NC?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $14.83 an hour ($30,840 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.06.

Do auto mechanics make more in Burlington or Virginia Beach?

Virginia Beach pays more: the median is $45,750 in Burlington and $58,290 in Virginia Beach, a 22% difference.

How does Burlington pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?

The Burlington median of $45,750 is 5% less than the North Carolina median of $48,200.

Auto mechanic salary in Burlington, NC

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Burlington, NC area earn a median of $45,750 a year, or $21.99 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $76,830 a year. That's 5% less than the North Carolina median of $48,200.

Median yearly pay$45,750

Bottom 10% under$30,840Top 10% over$76,830

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $14.83/hr
Jobs in this area: 370
After cost of living: $49,090
Median hourly pay: $21.99/hr
vs U.S. median: −10%
vs North Carolina median: −5%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 15500, Burlington, NC). 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	$30,840–$35,480$14.83–$17.06/hr
Experienced technician	$45,750$21.99/hr
Master / top earners	$59,750–$76,830$28.73–$36.94/hr

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

How Burlington, NC compares

Burlington ranks 14th of 16 North Carolina metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Burlington area than nationally: 5.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $76,830, is 2.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $30,840: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Burlington, NC

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Heavy equipment operator

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Burlington, NC?: Auto mechanics in the Burlington, NC area earn a median of $45,750 a year, or $21.99 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $76,830 a year.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Burlington, NC?: The median hourly wage is $21.99. The middle half earn between $17.06 and $28.73 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Burlington, NC?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $14.83 an hour ($30,840 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.06.
Do auto mechanics make more in Burlington or Virginia Beach?: Virginia Beach pays more: the median is $45,750 in Burlington and $58,290 in Virginia Beach, a 22% difference.
How does Burlington pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?: The Burlington median of $45,750 is 5% less than the North Carolina median of $48,200.

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 15500 (Burlington, NC). 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 (93.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures