Auto Mechanic Salary in San Diego, CA (2026)
Median in San Diego: $64,320/year — $13,700 (27%) above the national median. Typical range: $46,250–$76,290.
BLS OEWS May 2025 · San Diego, CA metro · refreshed 2026-08-25 · Reviewed by Dalton Metzler · U.S. Auto Mechanic salary overview
The median Auto Mechanic salary in San Diego, CA is $64,320/year ($13,700 (27%) above the national median), with a typical range of $46,250–$76,290. Data from BLS + Jobeezy ghost-filter (2026).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Median | $64,320/year | BLS OEWS May 2025 |
| 25th-75th pct | $46,250–$76,290 | BLS OEWS May 2025 |
| Metro employment | ~4,910 | BLS OEWS May 2025 |
Auto Mechanic pay distribution in San Diego, CA
National median: $50,620/yr. San Diego is $13,700 (27%) above the national median.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025 — San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (SOC 49-3023, Auto Mechanic).
What auto mechanic pay in San Diego really looks like
San Diego is a standout-pay market for auto mechanics. The local median of $64,320 a year runs $13,700 (27%) above the national median of $50,620, one of the widest premiums in the country for this occupation. Offers benchmarked to U.S.-wide averages will read far too low here — hold out for the local number, and treat the metro median as your floor, not your target.
The local range is moderate — $46,250 at the 25th percentile to $76,290 at the 75th (BLS). Half of San Diego Auto Mechanics earn inside that band, so it is a realistic target window: an offer near $76,290 is genuinely strong for the metro, while anything under $46,250 is worth pushing back on with the BLS figures in hand.
This is a substantial local market: BLS estimates roughly 4,910 auto mechanic jobs across the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (a count of metro employment, not a survey of reported salaries). A deep employer base is good news for pay — it means more openings to compare side by side, more turnover creating vacancies, and more leverage to hold out for an employer at the top of the local range instead of settling for the first offer that lands.
Right now, Jobeezy is tracking 24 open auto mechanic jobs in San Diego against the BLS $64,320 benchmark — the live listings and the employers hiring are below, so you can see which openings actually clear the metro median before you apply.
Put it together and the picture for San Diego is concrete: a metro median of $64,320 with most auto mechanics landing between $46,250 and $76,290. The practical move is to aim for the upper half of that band. Jobeezy fit-scores local auto mechanic openings, surfaces the employers posting toward $76,290, and applies for you — so your time goes to the jobs that clear the San Diego median, not the ones that sit under it.
Auto Mechanic pay by hour, week, month & year in San Diego
| Period | Typical Pay |
|---|---|
| Per hour | $30.92 |
| Per week (40 hrs) | $1,237 |
| Per month | $5,360 |
| Per year | $64,320 |
How we know this — San Diego sources
Wage figures for Auto Mechanic in San Diego, CA are the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025 estimate for the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area (MSA code 41740) (SOC 49-3023), released 2026-08-25. Suppressed cells are shown as an em dash, never a zero.
Grow your auto mechanic pay in San Diego
Advancing your pay in San Diego comes down to experience, credentials, and how you negotiate. We keep that guidance on the national Auto Mechanic guide so it stays current in one place:
Compare Auto Mechanic pay in nearby metros
Related roles in San Diego
Beyond Auto Mechanic · same San Diego BLS datasetOther roles hiring in San Diego, CA alongside auto mechanics, drawn from the same BLS OEWS May 2025 dataset:
- 01San Diego · CA · median $139,520Registered Nurse pay in San Diego
- 02San Diego · CA · median $74,610Sales Representative pay in San Diego
- 03San Diego · CA · median $119,600Operations Manager pay in San Diego
- 04San Diego · CA · median $100,130Logistics Coordinator pay in San Diego
- 05San Diego · CA · median $60,590Warehouse Supervisor pay in San Diego
- 06San Diego · CA · median $123,790Dental Hygienist pay in San Diego
- 07San Diego · CA · median $49,420Medical Assistant pay in San Diego
- 08San Diego · CA · median $76,160Electrician pay in San Diego
Auto Mechanic pay in San Diego, CA — common questions
- How much does an Auto Mechanic make in San Diego, CA?
- The median Auto Mechanic salary in San Diego, CA is $64,320/year ($13,700 (27%) above the national median), with a typical range of $46,250–$76,290 (25th–75th percentile). Figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-08-25.
- Is San Diego a strong pay market for Auto Mechanics?
- At a $64,320 median, San Diego is $13,700 (27%) above the national median. The U.S. median is $50,620. Jobeezy shows you which local employers actually pay at the top of that band before you apply.
- How can I earn more as an Auto Mechanic in San Diego?
- Target employers paying toward the $76,290 (75th-percentile) mark and anchor your negotiation to the BLS band. Jobeezy fit-scores Auto Mechanic openings in San Diego and auto-applies, so you reach more high-paying employers fast.
- How many Auto Mechanics work in San Diego?
- BLS estimates roughly 4,910 auto mechanic jobs across San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA (May 2025 metro employment — a count of jobs, not of salaries reported).