How much do auto mechanics make an hour in La Crosse, WI-MN?

The median hourly wage is $24.13. The middle half earn between $19.56 and $30.42 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level auto mechanics make in La Crosse, WI-MN?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.45 an hour ($36,290 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $19.56.

Do auto mechanics make more in La Crosse or Milwaukee?

Milwaukee pays more: the median is $50,180 in La Crosse and $62,530 in Milwaukee, a 20% difference.

How does La Crosse pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

The La Crosse median of $50,180 is 8% less than the Wisconsin median of $54,350.

Auto mechanic salary in La Crosse, WI-MN

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the La Crosse–Onalaska, WI-MN area earn a median of $50,180 a year, or $24.13 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $77,850. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $54,350; La Crosse is 8% below it.

Median yearly pay$50,180

Bottom 10% under$36,290Top 10% over$77,850

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.45/hr
Jobs in this area: 370
After cost of living: $54,680
Median hourly pay: $24.13/hr
vs U.S. median: −1%
vs Wisconsin median: −8%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 29100, La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN). 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	$36,290–$40,670$17.45–$19.56/hr
Experienced technician	$50,180$24.13/hr
Master / top earners	$63,270–$77,850$30.42–$37.43/hr

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

How La Crosse, WI-MN compares

La Crosse has the lowest auto mechanic median of the 15 Wisconsin metro areas with published pay.
Auto mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the La Crosse area as nationally: 4.4 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $77,850, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,290: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Other trades in La Crosse, WI-MN

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in La Crosse, WI-MN?: Auto mechanics in the La Crosse–Onalaska, WI-MN area earn a median of $50,180 a year, or $24.13 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $77,850.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in La Crosse, WI-MN?: The median hourly wage is $24.13. The middle half earn between $19.56 and $30.42 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in La Crosse, WI-MN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.45 an hour ($36,290 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $19.56.
Do auto mechanics make more in La Crosse or Milwaukee?: Milwaukee pays more: the median is $50,180 in La Crosse and $62,530 in Milwaukee, a 20% difference.
How does La Crosse pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?: The La Crosse median of $50,180 is 8% less 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 29100 (La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN). 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 (91.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures