SOC 49-3023 · Salinas, CA metro

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics Salary in Salinas, CA

The average salary for automotive service technicians and mechanics in Salinas, California is $64,620 a year ($31.07 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $62,770: half of the 620 people in this job in the Salinas, CA metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% more than the U.S. average for this job ($56,420).

$64,620average per year

$31.07 / hourMedian $62,770Take-home ≈ $52,005

  • $40K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $76K75th
  • $97K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

620people in this job
+15%vs U.S. average
#7 of 25California metros
109cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics pay range in Salinas

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,740 a year or less, while the top 10% make $96,740 or more. The middle half of automotive service technicians and mechanics in Salinas earn between $46,590 and $75,870.

  • $40K10th
  • $47K25th
  • $63KMedian
  • $76K75th
  • $97K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$64,620$5,385$31.07
Median$62,770$5,231$30.18
Entry level (25th percentile)$46,590$3,882$22.40
Experienced (75th percentile)$75,870$6,322$36.48

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics pay in Salinas vs. California and the U.S.

Automotive service technicians and mechanics in Salinas earn about the same as the California average ($65,470) and 15% more than the U.S. average ($56,420). At the median the gap is +24% against the U.S. median of $50,620.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Salinas$64,620$62,770$39,740$96,740620
California$65,470$64,980$38,180$95,28065,420
United States$56,420$50,620$34,660$81,790704,640

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics salary after taxes in Salinas

On the average salary of $64,620, a single filer in Salinas takes home about $52,005 a year, or $4,334 a month and $2,000 every two weeks. Taxes take 20% of gross pay.

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

California paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Salinas a good place for automotive service technicians and mechanics? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Salinas area are 9% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 109.0), so the average $64,620 buys what about $59,262 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.3 times the median wage of all jobs in Salinas ($47,380). A typical home costs $850,461, or 13.2 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $64,620 is worth in another city

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics salary in other California cities

Salinas ranks 7th of 25 California metro areas for this job; San Francisco pays the most ($75,730).

All Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics salaries in California

Highest-paying cities for automotive service technicians and mechanics

San Francisco, CA pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($75,730).

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics salary by city

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Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics salary in Salinas: questions

How much do automotive service technicians and mechanics make an hour in Salinas?

$31.07 an hour on average, and $30.18 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level automotive service technicians and mechanics salary in Salinas?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $39,740 a year and the 25th percentile is $46,590, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the automotive service technicians and mechanics take-home pay in Salinas?

About $52,005 a year ($4,334 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $64,620. California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.

Do automotive service technicians and mechanics earn more in Salinas than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% more than the U.S. average for this job ($56,420).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 49-3023; area Salinas, CA (41500). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 1.7%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules). California State Disability Insurance (1.3% of wages, paid by employees) is not included.
  • Job concentration: location quotient 0.73, this job is less common than in the U.S. overall (location quotient 0.73).

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