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

The median hourly wage is $24.33. The middle half earn between $18.20 and $31.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.66 an hour ($34,650 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.20.

Do auto mechanics make more in Raleigh or Virginia Beach?

Virginia Beach pays more: the median is $50,600 in Raleigh and $58,290 in Virginia Beach, a 13% difference.

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

The Raleigh median of $50,600 is 5% more than the North Carolina median of $48,200.

Auto mechanic salary in Raleigh, NC

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Raleigh–Cary, NC area earn a median of $50,600 a year, or $24.33 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $83,210. Across all of North Carolina, the median is $48,200, so Raleigh pays 5% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$50,600

Bottom 10% under$34,650Top 10% over$83,210

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $16.66/hr
Jobs in this area: 3,650
After cost of living: $51,550
Median hourly pay: $24.33/hr
vs U.S. median: 0%
vs North Carolina median: +5%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 39580, Raleigh-Cary, 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	$34,650–$37,850$16.66–$18.20/hr
Experienced technician	$50,600$24.33/hr
Master / top earners	$65,790–$83,210$31.63–$40.00/hr

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

How Raleigh, NC compares

Raleigh ranks 4th of 16 North Carolina metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Raleigh area as nationally: 4.9 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $83,210, is 2.4 times the 10th-percentile wage, $34,650: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Carolina metro areas

Other trades in Raleigh, NC

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Raleigh, NC?: Auto mechanics in the Raleigh–Cary, NC area earn a median of $50,600 a year, or $24.33 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $83,210.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Raleigh, NC?: The median hourly wage is $24.33. The middle half earn between $18.20 and $31.63 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Raleigh, NC?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.66 an hour ($34,650 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.20.
Do auto mechanics make more in Raleigh or Virginia Beach?: Virginia Beach pays more: the median is $50,600 in Raleigh and $58,290 in Virginia Beach, a 13% difference.
How does Raleigh pay compare with the rest of North Carolina?: The Raleigh median of $50,600 is 5% more 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 39580 (Raleigh-Cary, 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 (98.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures