Hardworking Mechanics want every dollar they earn to take them as far as possible. Xemplar Tradesmen Recruiting asked the question: “Which cities of the top 50 metropolitan areas are the best or worst paying when you take into account the cost of living?”
We used average pay rate information from Indeed and cost of living index data from Best Places and adjusted the average pay rate upwards or downwards based on the cost of living index. For example, if the average pay rate in City ABC is $20 per hour and the cost of living index is 125 (which means the city costs 25% more than the average cost of living), the adjusted pay rate will be $16.00 (or $20 divided by 1.25). If the average pay rate in City XYZ is $20 per hour and cost of living index is 75 (which means the city costs 25% less than the average cost of living), the adjusted pay rate will be $26.67 (or $20 divided by 0.75).
The idea behind the study is that a dollar earned in a more expensive city is worth less than a dollar earned in a less expensive city. At two extremes, $20 dollars earned in San Francisco, California with a cost of living index of 269.3 is equivalent to $7.43 in purchasing power (i.e. buying food, paying rent, etc.), while $20 dollars earned in Cleveland, Ohio with a cost of living index of 72.6 is actually equivalent to $27.55 in purchasing power.
From its data set, Xemplar Tradesmen Recruiting has assembled a list of the adjusted pay levels for Mechanics below in the top 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.
The results will surprise you! With 50 cities, adjusted average hourly pay levels range from $8.83 all the way up to $27.37. You might expect the most expensive cities to provide the least value to its Mechanics, but that is not the case.
Below, see the best and worst major U.S. cities to make a living as a Mechanic, ranked from worst to best.
Population: 4,727,357
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $23.79
Cost of Living Index: 269.30
Average Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $8.83
Population: 13,353,907
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.37
Cost of Living Index: 173.30
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $12.33
Population: 1,998,463
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $27.57
Cost of Living Index: 214.50
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $12.85
Population: 2,888,227
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $18.03
Cost of Living Index: 128.70
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $14.01
Population: 3,867,046
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $24.36
Cost of Living Index: 172.30
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $14.14
Population: 2,453,168
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $18.68
Cost of Living Index: 130.80
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $14.28
Population: 3,337,685
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $23.65
Cost of Living Index: 160.10
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $14.77
Population: 20,320,876
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $29.31
Cost of Living Index: 178.20
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $16.45
Population: 6,216,589
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $25.14
Cost of Living Index: 152.10
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $16.53
Population: 6,158,824
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.36
Cost of Living Index: 123.10
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $16.54
Population: 2,115,827
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.22
Cost of Living Index: 119.30
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $16.95
Population: 4,836,531
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $27.79
Cost of Living Index: 162.40
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $17.11
Population: 4,580,670
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.85
Cost of Living Index: 133.10
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $17.17
Population: 3,600,618
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $18.56
Cost of Living Index: 106.50
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $17.43
Population: 2,204,079
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $19.91
Cost of Living Index: 111.60
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $17.84
Population: 2,324,884
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.26
Cost of Living Index: 118.20
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $17.99
Population: 5,884,736
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.26
Cost of Living Index: 107.50
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $18.85
Population: 2,525,305
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $18.66
Cost of Living Index: 98.90
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $18.87
Population: 1,203,105
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.84
Cost of Living Index: 118.90
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $19.21
Population: 3,091,399
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $19.28
Cost of Living Index: 100.10
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $19.26
Population: 7,399,662
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.03
Cost of Living Index: 101.60
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $19.71
Population: 9,533,040
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.25
Cost of Living Index: 106.90
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $19.88
Population: 1,335,079
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.62
Cost of Living Index: 102.30
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.16
Population: 2,509,831
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.07
Cost of Living Index: 104.10
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.24
Population: 4,737,270
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.23
Cost of Living Index: 103.70
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.44
Population: 6,892,427
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.84
Cost of Living Index: 96.50
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.60
Population: 2,807,338
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $17.7
Cost of Living Index: 81.30
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.77
Population: 1,903,045
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.09
Cost of Living Index: 101.40
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.79
Population: 1,293,953
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $19.49
Cost of Living Index: 88.40
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.05
Population: 2,473,974
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.16
Cost of Living Index: 89.70
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.47
Population: 1,576,236
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $19.33
Cost of Living Index: 84.90
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.77
Population: 4,313,002
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.08
Cost of Living Index: 87.60
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.92
Population: 1,725,246
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.34
Cost of Living Index: 88.40
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $23.01
Population: 1,621,122
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $24.33
Cost of Living Index: 105.10
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $23.15
Population: 1,210,259
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.94
Cost of Living Index: 93.90
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $23.37
Population: 1,504,980
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.05
Cost of Living Index: 93.50
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $23.58
Population: 6,096,120
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $24.42
Cost of Living Index: 101.20
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $24.13
Population: 1,383,737
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.83
Cost of Living Index: 85.40
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $24.39
Population: 1,275,762
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.46
Cost of Living Index: 87.70
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $24.47
Population: 1,294,204
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $23.36
Cost of Living Index: 95.10
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $24.56
Population: 2,179,082
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.83
Cost of Living Index: 84.60
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $24.62
Population: 2,078,725
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.38
Cost of Living Index: 85.50
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $25.01
Population: 2,333,367
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.14
Cost of Living Index: 87.50
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $25.30
Population: 2,058,844
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $18.86
Cost of Living Index: 72.60
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $25.98
Population: 1,136,856
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.73
Cost of Living Index: 79.50
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $26.08
Population: 2,128,912
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $21.44
Cost of Living Index: 81.60
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $26.27
Population: 1,348,260
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $20.02
Cost of Living Index: 76.00
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $26.34
Population: 2,808,175
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $23.46
Cost of Living Index: 88.20
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $26.60
Population: 1,149,807
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $19.76
Cost of Living Index: 74.10
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $26.67
Population: 2,028,614
Average Mechanic Pay Rate: $22.85
Cost of Living Index: 83.50
Average Cost of Living Adjusted Mechanic Pay Rate: $27.37
Xemplar Tradesmen Recruiting is a specialty industrial staffing and recruiting company focused on the permanent placement of machinists, welders, technicians, mechanics, fabricators, electricians, precision assemblers, quality inspectors and related positions. We match top trades professionals with best-in-class industrial employers and reduce cost-per-hire through a service proven to be 2x-plus more effective than traditional temp-to-hire staffing. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, Xemplar Tradesmen Recruiting provides nationwide support to its clients’ locations. Learn more about Xemplar Tradesmen Recruiting here.