San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does an auto mechanic make in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?

In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan area, auto mechanics earned a median of $77,840 a year ($37.42 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 3,040 of these jobs there. That is 7% below the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $47,090 and $101,760; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and California tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $60,589 in take-home pay.

Auto mechanic pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA at a glance

Median salary

$77,840$37.42 per hour · $6,487 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$47,090$22.64/hr
25th percentile$55,550$26.71/hr
75th percentile$91,630$44.05/hr
90th percentile$101,760$48.92/hr
Jobs in this metro3,040Location quotient 0.59 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here7% belowAll-jobs median $84,050
Against California20% aboveStatewide median $64,980
Against the U.S.54% aboveNational median $50,620

Run the numbers on your own pay

Same U.S. tax tables as the rest of the site. Change the salary, state, or filing status.

Auto mechanic salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA after taxes

$77,840
$30,000$160,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$77,840
Net 78%
Fed 11%
CA 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$60,589After all taxes
Monthly deposit$5,049Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$2,330Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate22.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$8,295 / yr
California state income tax$3,002 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$5,955 / yr

Auto mechanics pay range in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What auto mechanics earned in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (CA)
10th percentile$22.64/hr$3,924$47,090$39,151
25th percentile$26.71/hr$4,629$55,550$45,442
MedianMedian$37.42/hr$6,487$77,840$60,589
75th percentile$44.05/hr$7,636$91,630$69,015
90th percentile$48.92/hr$8,480$101,760$75,200

Is $77,840 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA?

It depends on what else people there earn and what things cost. Here is the median for auto mechanics next to both.

Median household income$162,111Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)110.410.4% above national average
One paycheck vs. a household48%of area median income

The same job statewide and nationally, and a calculator for your own paycheck.

Auto mechanic pay in San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA: common questions

What is the median salary for auto mechanics in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The BLS median annual wage for auto mechanics in the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area was $77,840 in May 2025, about $6,487 a month or $37.42 an hour. Statewide, the California median for this job is $64,980, so the metro pays 20% above the state.

What is the hourly pay for auto mechanics in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

The median hourly wage for auto mechanics in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA was $37.42 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $22.64 an hour and one in ten earned more than $48.92.

How many auto mechanics work in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS estimated 3,040 jobs for auto mechanics in the metro in May 2025, or 2.7 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 0.59 means the job is less concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for auto mechanics in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

BLS wage estimates for auto mechanics in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA run from $47,090 at the 10th percentile to $55,550 at the 25th, $91,630 at the 75th, and $101,760 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do auto mechanics take home after taxes in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On a median gross salary of $77,840, an estimated $60,589 lands in net take-home pay per year ($2,330 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in California in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $17,251 (an effective rate of 22.2%).

How much do auto mechanics make per month in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

On the median annual salary of $77,840, gross monthly income is $6,487. After federal, FICA, and California state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $5,049 per month (or $2,330 every two weeks).

Is $77,840 a good salary in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA?

At $77,840, the median salary for auto mechanics is 48% of the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA median household income ($162,111). It is 7% below the $84,050 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 110.4, so prices here run 10.4% above the U.S. average.