How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Columbus, OH?

The median hourly wage is $27.00. The middle half earn between $18.42 and $34.00 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Columbus, OH?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.55 an hour ($34,420 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.42.

Do auto mechanics make more in Columbus or Akron?

Columbus pays more: the median is $56,150 in Columbus and $52,900 in Akron, a 6% difference.

How does Columbus pay compare with the rest of Ohio?

The Columbus median of $56,150 is 15% more than the Ohio median of $48,710.

Auto mechanic salary in Columbus, OH

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Columbus, OH area earn a median of $56,150 a year, or $27.00 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $85,590. Across all of Ohio, the median is $48,710, so Columbus pays 15% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$56,150

Bottom 10% under$34,420Top 10% over$85,590

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $16.55/hr
Jobs in this area: 3,920
After cost of living: $58,810
Median hourly pay: $27.00/hr
vs U.S. median: +11%
vs Ohio median: +15%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 18140, Columbus, OH). 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	$34,420–$38,310$16.55–$18.42/hr
Experienced technician	$56,150$27.00/hr
Master / top earners	$70,720–$85,590$34.00–$41.15/hr

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

How Columbus, OH compares

Columbus has the highest auto mechanic median of the 15 Ohio metro areas with published pay.
Auto mechanics are less concentrated in the Columbus area than nationally: 3.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.78 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $85,590, is 2.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $34,420: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Ohio metro areas

Other trades in Columbus, OH

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Columbus, OH?: Auto mechanics in the Columbus, OH area earn a median of $56,150 a year, or $27.00 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $85,590.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Columbus, OH?: The median hourly wage is $27.00. The middle half earn between $18.42 and $34.00 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Columbus, OH?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.55 an hour ($34,420 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.42.
Do auto mechanics make more in Columbus or Akron?: Columbus pays more: the median is $56,150 in Columbus and $52,900 in Akron, a 6% difference.
How does Columbus pay compare with the rest of Ohio?: The Columbus median of $56,150 is 15% more than the Ohio median of $48,710.

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 18140 (Columbus, OH). 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 (95.5, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures