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

The median hourly wage is $29.16. The middle half earn between $22.27 and $37.08 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.00 an hour ($37,440 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.27.

Do auto mechanics make more in Madison or Milwaukee?

Milwaukee pays more: the median is $60,650 in Madison and $62,530 in Milwaukee, a 3% difference.

How does Madison pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?

The Madison median of $60,650 is 12% more than the Wisconsin median of $54,350.

Auto mechanic salary in Madison, WI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Auto mechanics in the Madison, WI area earn a median of $60,650 a year, or $29.16 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $81,490. Statewide, auto mechanics earn a median of $54,350; Madison is 12% above it.

Median yearly pay$60,650

Bottom 10% under$37,440Top 10% over$81,490

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.00/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,270
After cost of living: $62,340
Median hourly pay: $29.16/hr
vs U.S. median: +20%
vs Wisconsin median: +12%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 31540, Madison, 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	$37,440–$46,330$18.00–$22.27/hr
Experienced technician	$60,650$29.16/hr
Master / top earners	$77,120–$81,490$37.08–$39.18/hr

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

How Madison, WI compares

Madison ranks 2nd of 15 Wisconsin metro areas for auto mechanic pay.
Auto mechanics are less concentrated in the Madison area than nationally: 3.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.69 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $81,490, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $37,440: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Wisconsin metro areas

Other trades in Madison, WI

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

Questions

How much do auto mechanics make in Madison, WI?: Auto mechanics in the Madison, WI area earn a median of $60,650 a year, or $29.16 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $81,490.
How much do auto mechanics make an hour in Madison, WI?: The median hourly wage is $29.16. The middle half earn between $22.27 and $37.08 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level auto mechanics make in Madison, WI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.00 an hour ($37,440 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.27.
Do auto mechanics make more in Madison or Milwaukee?: Milwaukee pays more: the median is $60,650 in Madison and $62,530 in Milwaukee, a 3% difference.
How does Madison pay compare with the rest of Wisconsin?: The Madison median of $60,650 is 12% 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 31540 (Madison, 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 (97.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures