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

The median hourly wage is $22.64. The middle half earn between $17.34 and $30.75 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.13 an hour ($33,550 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.34.

Do auto mechanics make more in Dayton or Columbus?

Columbus pays more: the median is $47,100 in Dayton and $56,150 in Columbus, a 16% difference.

How does Dayton pay compare with the rest of Ohio?

The Dayton median of $47,100 is 3% less than the Ohio median of $48,710.

Auto mechanic salary in Dayton, OH

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Dayton–Kettering–Beavercreek, OH area earn a median of $47,100 a year, or $22.64 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $79,520. Across all of Ohio, the median is $48,710, so Dayton pays 3% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$47,100

Bottom 10% under$33,550Top 10% over$79,520

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $16.13/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,570
After cost of living: $50,810
Median hourly pay: $22.64/hr
vs U.S. median: −7%
vs Ohio median: −3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 19430, Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, 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	$33,550–$36,070$16.13–$17.34/hr
Experienced technician	$47,100$22.64/hr
Master / top earners	$63,960–$79,520$30.75–$38.23/hr

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

How Dayton, OH compares

Dayton ranks 6th of 15 Ohio metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Dayton area as nationally: 4.2 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $79,520, is 2.4 times the 10th-percentile wage, $33,550: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Ohio metro areas

Other trades in Dayton, OH

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Dayton, OH?: Auto mechanics in the Dayton–Kettering–Beavercreek, OH area earn a median of $47,100 a year, or $22.64 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $79,520.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Dayton, OH?: The median hourly wage is $22.64. The middle half earn between $17.34 and $30.75 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Dayton, OH?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.13 an hour ($33,550 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.34.
Do auto mechanics make more in Dayton or Columbus?: Columbus pays more: the median is $47,100 in Dayton and $56,150 in Columbus, a 16% difference.
How does Dayton pay compare with the rest of Ohio?: The Dayton median of $47,100 is 3% less 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 19430 (Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, 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 (92.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures