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

The median hourly wage is $28.21. The middle half earn between $20.70 and $34.38 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.81 an hour ($39,120 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.70.

Do auto mechanics make more in Grand Forks or Minot?

Minot pays more: the median is $58,680 in Grand Forks and $60,020 in Minot, a 2% difference.

How does Grand Forks pay compare with the rest of North Dakota?

The Grand Forks median of $58,680 is 2% more than the North Dakota median of $57,360.

Auto mechanic salary in Grand Forks, ND-MN

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Grand Forks, ND-MN area earn a median of $58,680 a year, or $28.21 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $90,670 a year. Across all of North Dakota, the median is $57,360, so Grand Forks pays 2% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$58,680

Bottom 10% under$39,120Top 10% over$90,670

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.81/hr
Jobs in this area: 220
After cost of living: $67,710
Median hourly pay: $28.21/hr
vs U.S. median: +16%
vs North Dakota median: +2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 24220, Grand Forks, 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	$39,120–$43,060$18.81–$20.70/hr
Experienced technician	$58,680$28.21/hr
Master / top earners	$71,510–$90,670$34.38–$43.59/hr

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

How Grand Forks, ND-MN compares

Grand Forks ranks 3rd of 4 North Dakota metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Grand Forks area as nationally: 4.3 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $90,670, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,120: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other North Dakota metro areas

Other trades in Grand Forks, ND-MN

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Grand Forks, ND-MN?: Auto mechanics in the Grand Forks, ND-MN area earn a median of $58,680 a year, or $28.21 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $90,670 a year.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Grand Forks, ND-MN?: The median hourly wage is $28.21. The middle half earn between $20.70 and $34.38 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Grand Forks, ND-MN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.81 an hour ($39,120 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $20.70.
Do auto mechanics make more in Grand Forks or Minot?: Minot pays more: the median is $58,680 in Grand Forks and $60,020 in Minot, a 2% difference.
How does Grand Forks pay compare with the rest of North Dakota?: The Grand Forks median of $58,680 is 2% 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 24220 (Grand Forks, 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 (86.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures