How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Staunton, VA?

The median hourly wage is $23.78. The middle half earn between $18.55 and $31.38 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Staunton, VA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.73 an hour ($34,790 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.55.

Do auto mechanics make more in Staunton or Washington?

Washington pays more: the median is $49,470 in Staunton and $61,860 in Washington, a 20% difference.

How does Staunton pay compare with the rest of Virginia?

The Staunton median of $49,470 is 17% less than the Virginia median of $59,330.

Auto mechanic salary in Staunton, VA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Staunton–Stuarts Draft, VA area earn a median of $49,470 a year, or $23.78 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,430. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $59,330; Staunton is 17% below it.

Median yearly pay$49,470

Bottom 10% under$34,790Top 10% over$78,430

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $16.73/hr
Jobs in this area: 230
After cost of living: $54,290
Median hourly pay: $23.78/hr
vs U.S. median: −2%
vs Virginia median: −17%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 44420, Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA). 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	$34,790–$38,580$16.73–$18.55/hr
Experienced technician	$49,470$23.78/hr
Master / top earners	$65,280–$78,430$31.38–$37.71/hr

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

How Staunton, VA compares

Staunton ranks 7th of 11 Virginia metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Staunton area as nationally: 4.5 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $78,430, is 2.3 times the 10th-percentile wage, $34,790: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Virginia metro areas

Other trades in Staunton, VA

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Staunton, VA?: Auto mechanics in the Staunton–Stuarts Draft, VA area earn a median of $49,470 a year, or $23.78 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $78,430.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Staunton, VA?: The median hourly wage is $23.78. The middle half earn between $18.55 and $31.38 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Staunton, VA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $16.73 an hour ($34,790 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $18.55.
Do auto mechanics make more in Staunton or Washington?: Washington pays more: the median is $49,470 in Staunton and $61,860 in Washington, a 20% difference.
How does Staunton pay compare with the rest of Virginia?: The Staunton median of $49,470 is 17% less than the Virginia median of $59,330.

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 44420 (Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA). 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 (91.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures