How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Fargo, ND-MN?

The median hourly wage is $28.61. The middle half earn between $22.36 and $34.57 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Fargo, ND-MN?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.06 an hour ($37,570 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.36.

Do auto mechanics make more in Fargo or Minot?

Minot pays more: the median is $59,510 in Fargo and $60,020 in Minot, a 1% difference.

How does Fargo pay compare with the rest of North Dakota?

The Fargo median of $59,510 is 4% more than the North Dakota median of $57,360.

Auto mechanic salary in Fargo, ND-MN

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Fargo, ND-MN area earn a median of $59,510 a year, or $28.61 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $81,170. Across all of North Dakota, the median is $57,360, so Fargo pays 4% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$59,510

Bottom 10% under$37,570Top 10% over$81,170

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.06/hr
Jobs in this area: 600
After cost of living: $65,490
Median hourly pay: $28.61/hr
vs U.S. median: +18%
vs North Dakota median: +4%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 22020, Fargo, ND-MN). 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	$37,570–$46,500$18.06–$22.36/hr
Experienced technician	$59,510$28.61/hr
Master / top earners	$71,900–$81,170$34.57–$39.03/hr

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

How Fargo, ND-MN compares

Fargo ranks 2nd of 4 North Dakota metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are less concentrated in the Fargo area than nationally: 4.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.90 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $81,170, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,570: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Dakota metro areas

Other trades in Fargo, ND-MN

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Fargo, ND-MN?: Auto mechanics in the Fargo, ND-MN area earn a median of $59,510 a year, or $28.61 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $81,170.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Fargo, ND-MN?: The median hourly wage is $28.61. The middle half earn between $22.36 and $34.57 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Fargo, ND-MN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.06 an hour ($37,570 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.36.
Do auto mechanics make more in Fargo or Minot?: Minot pays more: the median is $59,510 in Fargo and $60,020 in Minot, a 1% difference.
How does Fargo pay compare with the rest of North Dakota?: The Fargo median of $59,510 is 4% more than the North Dakota median of $57,360.

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 22020 (Fargo, ND-MN). 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 (90.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures