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Auto mechanic apprenticeships: what they pay, state by state
U.S. Department of Labor records list 4,074 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $9.50 an hour in Utah to $19.00 in Colorado, across the 18 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts.
Apprentice counts and wages by state
The most are in Georgia (976), California (640), Texas (441), South Carolina (194), Utah (152). No state has 50 or more completers with an exit wage DOL counts for fiscal 2023, so no completing median is shown. A median is shown only where 50 or more apprentices carry the wage; the counts are shown for every state with an active apprentice in fiscal 2024.
| State | Active, fiscal 2024 | Started, fiscal 2023 | Median starting wage | Median completing wage | BLS median, May 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 976 | 319 | $10.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.59 |
| California | 640 | 567 | $18.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $31.24 |
| Texas | 441 | 353 | $15.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.23 |
| South Carolina | 194 | 127 | $16.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.12 |
| Utah | 152 | 76 | $9.50 | fewer than 50 wages | $22.39 |
| Florida | 124 | 128 | $16.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.20 |
| Colorado | 120 | 122 | $19.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $29.46 |
| Arizona | 112 | 50 | $17.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.83 |
| Indiana | 107 | 94 | $15.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.73 |
| Virginia | 100 | 92 | $15.47 | fewer than 50 wages | $28.53 |
| North Carolina | 95 | 97 | $16.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.17 |
| Pennsylvania | 89 | 64 | $16.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.94 |
| Maryland | 88 | 91 | $15.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $27.66 |
| Illinois | 76 | 69 | $18.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.64 |
| Ohio | 76 | 81 | $16.50 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.42 |
| Missouri | 66 | 54 | $18.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $23.63 |
| New Jersey | 58 | 53 | $17.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $27.22 |
| Kentucky | 56 | 42 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $21.58 |
| Tennessee | 56 | 68 | $14.00 | fewer than 50 wages | $24.18 |
| Minnesota | 45 | 42 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.07 |
| Idaho | 41 | 36 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $23.28 |
| Michigan | 33 | 32 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $26.02 |
| Washington | 31 | 32 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $27.54 |
| Oregon | 30 | 30 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.14 |
| Wisconsin | 30 | 28 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $26.13 |
| New York | 26 | 24 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $26.02 |
| Oklahoma | 23 | 22 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $22.38 |
| Nevada | 21 | 21 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $23.22 |
| Iowa | 20 | 14 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $24.28 |
| West Virginia | 20 | 23 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $18.11 |
| Delaware | 18 | 13 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.08 |
| Louisiana | 17 | 18 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $22.31 |
| New Mexico | 14 | 13 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $22.74 |
| Alabama | 10 | 8 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $21.94 |
| Arkansas | 9 | 8 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $21.23 |
| Connecticut | 9 | 9 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.95 |
| Nebraska | 9 | 10 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $24.31 |
| New Hampshire | 9 | 10 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.38 |
| Montana | 7 | 6 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $28.24 |
| Kansas | 6 | 3 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $22.98 |
| Mississippi | 6 | 7 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $18.18 |
| North Dakota | 6 | 5 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $27.58 |
| South Dakota | 5 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $24.60 |
| Wyoming | 2 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $24.68 |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages | $29.21 |
Hourly wages, most active apprentices first. The starting wage is the median across the apprentices who started in fiscal 2023 and the completing wage the median across those who completed it: two groups of people. The BLS figure is the wage survey's median for the occupation in the state, a different source and a different period, so read the two side by side and not as a ratio. Which wages DOL counts and how the state is assigned are on the data page. As a file: every trade and state with an active apprentice (CSV).
What those wages come to a week and a year, at your hours →
How the apprenticeship runs
Some workers may complete an apprenticeship program, which usually combines paid on-the-job training with technical instruction. The federal Apprenticeship Finder searches apprenticeship openings by occupation and by city, state or ZIP code. Apprenticeship Finder →
BLS wording
“Some workers may complete an apprenticeship program, which usually combines paid on-the-job training with technical instruction.”
From the Occupational Outlook Handbook: Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, read 2026-09-23. The steps in order and pay by state are on How to become an auto mechanic.
Common questions
How much do apprentice auto mechanics make?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023) the median starting wage of registered apprentices ran from $9.50 an hour in Utah to $19.00 in Colorado, across the 18 states where 50 or more apprentices carry a starting wage DOL counts. No state has 50 or more completers with an exit wage DOL counts for fiscal 2023, so no completing median is shown. The starters and the completers are different people, and the wages are in that year's dollars.
How many apprentice auto mechanics are there?
U.S. Department of Labor records list 4,074 registered apprentices active across the 50 states and the District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. The most are in Georgia (976), California (640), Texas (441), South Carolina (194), Utah (152).
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration: Apprenticeship Participant Characteristics and Training Outcomes (the dataset), retrieved 2026-09-24: every apprentice count and apprentice wage. Titles counted for this trade: Air Conditioning Mechanic (Auto Serv); Autombile Mechanic (Alternate Title: Light-Wheel Vehicle Mechanic); Automotive Mechanic (Existing Title: Automobile Mechanic); Automotive Technician Specialist; Brake Repairer (Auto Serv); REPAIRER, HEAVY; TRANSMISSION MECHANIC; TUNE-UP MECHANIC; Undercar Specialist (Alternate Title: Automotive Tech Specialist ).
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, retrieved 2026-10-03: the median for the occupation, $50,620 a year nationally. How the numbers are built.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, read 2026-09-23: how the apprenticeship runs.
Other trades: Electricians · Plumbers and pipefitters · HVAC technicians · Welders · Truck drivers (CDL) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) · Elevator installers · Ironworkers · Sheet metal workers · Carpenters · Brickmasons and blockmasons · Diesel mechanics · Heavy equipment operators · Machinists. Or see every trade side by side.