How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Salem, OR?

The median hourly wage is $27.87. The middle half earn between $22.62 and $36.86 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Salem, OR?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.59 an hour ($38,660 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.62.

Do auto mechanics make more in Salem or Portland?

Portland pays more: the median is $57,960 in Salem and $60,450 in Portland, a 4% difference.

How does Salem pay compare with the rest of Oregon?

The Salem median of $57,960 is 1% less than the Oregon median of $58,520.

Auto mechanic salary in Salem, OR

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Salem, OR area earn a median of $57,960 a year, or $27.87 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $89,210 a year. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $58,520; Salem is 1% below it.

Median yearly pay$57,960

Bottom 10% under$38,660Top 10% over$89,210

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.59/hr
Jobs in this area: 590
After cost of living: $55,920
Median hourly pay: $27.87/hr
vs U.S. median: +15%
vs Oregon median: −1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 41420, Salem, OR). 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	$38,660–$47,040$18.59–$22.62/hr
Experienced technician	$57,960$27.87/hr
Master / top earners	$76,680–$89,210$36.86–$42.89/hr

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

How Salem, OR compares

Salem ranks 2nd of 8 Oregon metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are less concentrated in the Salem area than nationally: 3.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.69 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $89,210, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,660: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Oregon metro areas

Other trades in Salem, OR

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Salem, OR?: Auto mechanics in the Salem, OR area earn a median of $57,960 a year, or $27.87 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $89,210 a year.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Salem, OR?: The median hourly wage is $27.87. The middle half earn between $22.62 and $36.86 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Salem, OR?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.59 an hour ($38,660 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.62.
Do auto mechanics make more in Salem or Portland?: Portland pays more: the median is $57,960 in Salem and $60,450 in Portland, a 4% difference.
How does Salem pay compare with the rest of Oregon?: The Salem median of $57,960 is 1% less than the Oregon median of $58,520.

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 41420 (Salem, OR). 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 (103.6, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures