How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Appleton, WI?

The median hourly wage is $27.91. The middle half earn between $21.97 and $33.68 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Appleton, WI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.80 an hour ($37,030 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.97.

Do auto mechanics make more in Appleton or Milwaukee?

Milwaukee pays more: the median is $58,060 in Appleton and $62,530 in Milwaukee, a 7% difference.

How does Appleton pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

The Appleton median of $58,060 is 7% more than the Wisconsin median of $54,350.

Auto mechanic salary in Appleton, WI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Appleton, WI area earn a median of $58,060 a year, or $27.91 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $76,070. That's 7% more than the Wisconsin median of $54,350.

Median yearly pay$58,060

Bottom 10% under$37,030Top 10% over$76,070

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.80/hr
Jobs in this area: 640
After cost of living: $62,820
Median hourly pay: $27.91/hr
vs U.S. median: +15%
vs Wisconsin median: +7%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 11540, Appleton, WI). 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	$37,030–$45,690$17.80–$21.97/hr
Experienced technician	$58,060$27.91/hr
Master / top earners	$70,050–$76,070$33.68–$36.57/hr

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

How Appleton, WI compares

Appleton ranks 4th of 15 Wisconsin metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are more concentrated in the Appleton area than nationally: 5.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $76,070, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,030: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Other trades in Appleton, WI

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Appleton, WI?: Auto mechanics in the Appleton, WI area earn a median of $58,060 a year, or $27.91 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $76,070.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Appleton, WI?: The median hourly wage is $27.91. The middle half earn between $21.97 and $33.68 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Appleton, WI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.80 an hour ($37,030 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.97.
Do auto mechanics make more in Appleton or Milwaukee?: Milwaukee pays more: the median is $58,060 in Appleton and $62,530 in Milwaukee, a 7% difference.
How does Appleton pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?: The Appleton median of $58,060 is 7% more than the Wisconsin median of $54,350.

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 11540 (Appleton, WI). 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 (92.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures