How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Reading, PA?

The median hourly wage is $24.67. The middle half earn between $19.56 and $29.91 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Reading, PA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.62 an hour ($36,650 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $19.56.

Do auto mechanics make more in Reading or Philadelphia?

Philadelphia pays more: the median is $51,310 in Reading and $58,460 in Philadelphia, a 12% difference.

How does Reading pay compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?

The Reading median of $51,310 is 3% more than the Pennsylvania median of $49,800.

Auto mechanic salary in Reading, PA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Reading, PA area earn a median of $51,310 a year, or $24.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $73,920. That's 3% more than the Pennsylvania median of $49,800.

Median yearly pay$51,310

Bottom 10% under$36,650Top 10% over$73,920

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.62/hr
Jobs in this area: 890
After cost of living: $52,860
Median hourly pay: $24.67/hr
vs U.S. median: +1%
vs Pennsylvania median: +3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 39740, Reading, PA). 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	$36,650–$40,670$17.62–$19.56/hr
Experienced technician	$51,310$24.67/hr
Master / top earners	$62,200–$73,920$29.91–$35.54/hr

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

How Reading, PA compares

Reading ranks 4th of 16 Pennsylvania metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Reading area than nationally: 5.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $73,920, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,650: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Pennsylvania metro areas

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Reading, PA?: Auto mechanics in the Reading, PA area earn a median of $51,310 a year, or $24.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $73,920.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Reading, PA?: The median hourly wage is $24.67. The middle half earn between $19.56 and $29.91 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Reading, PA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.62 an hour ($36,650 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $19.56.
Do auto mechanics make more in Reading or Philadelphia?: Philadelphia pays more: the median is $51,310 in Reading and $58,460 in Philadelphia, a 12% difference.
How does Reading pay compare with the rest of Pennsylvania?: The Reading median of $51,310 is 3% more than the Pennsylvania median of $49,800.

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 39740 (Reading, PA). 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 (97.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures