How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Charleston, WV?

The median hourly wage is $19.90. The middle half earn between $17.31 and $27.67 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Charleston, WV?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $14.07 an hour ($29,260 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.31.

Do auto mechanics make more in Charleston or Washington?

Washington pays more: the median is $41,390 in Charleston and $61,860 in Washington, a 33% difference.

How does Charleston pay compare with the rest of West Virginia?

The Charleston median of $41,390 is 10% more than the West Virginia median of $37,660.

Auto mechanic salary in Charleston, WV

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Charleston, WV area earn a median of $41,390 a year, or $19.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $75,920. Across all of West Virginia, the median is $37,660, so Charleston pays 10% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$41,390

Bottom 10% under$29,260Top 10% over$75,920

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $14.07/hr
Jobs in this area: 690
After cost of living: $46,650
Median hourly pay: $19.90/hr
vs U.S. median: −18%
vs West Virginia median: +10%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 16620, Charleston, WV). 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	$29,260–$36,010$14.07–$17.31/hr
Experienced technician	$41,390$19.90/hr
Master / top earners	$57,550–$75,920$27.67–$36.50/hr

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

How Charleston, WV compares

Charleston ranks 5th of 10 West Virginia metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Charleston area than nationally: 6.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.5 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $75,920, is 2.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $29,260: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other West Virginia metro areas

Other trades in Charleston, WV

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Plumber Diesel mechanic Carpenter Heavy equipment operator

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Charleston, WV?: Auto mechanics in the Charleston, WV area earn a median of $41,390 a year, or $19.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $75,920.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Charleston, WV?: The median hourly wage is $19.90. The middle half earn between $17.31 and $27.67 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Charleston, WV?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $14.07 an hour ($29,260 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $17.31.
Do auto mechanics make more in Charleston or Washington?: Washington pays more: the median is $41,390 in Charleston and $61,860 in Washington, a 33% difference.
How does Charleston pay compare with the rest of West Virginia?: The Charleston median of $41,390 is 10% more than the West Virginia median of $37,660.

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 16620 (Charleston, WV). 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 (88.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures