Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area · BLS May 2025 · Updated

How much does an auto mechanic make in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

In the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metropolitan area, auto mechanics earned a median of $47,280 a year ($22.73 an hour) in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for the metro. BLS counted 350 of these jobs there. That is 1% below the $47,600 median for all jobs in the metro. The middle 80% earned between $34,920 and $69,490; these percentiles do not measure years of experience. Applying 2026 federal and New York tax rules to the median leaves an estimated $38,213 in take-home pay.

Auto mechanic pay in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY at a glance

Median salary

$47,280$22.73 per hour · $3,940 monthly · BLS May 2025
10th percentile$34,920$16.79/hr
25th percentile$39,190$18.84/hr
75th percentile$59,900$28.80/hr
90th percentile$69,490$33.41/hr
Jobs in this metro350Location quotient 1.94 (U.S. = 1.00)
Against all jobs here1% belowAll-jobs median $47,600
Against New York13% belowStatewide median $54,120
Against the U.S.7% belowNational 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY after taxes

$47,280
$15,000$95,000
Filing status:
Gross salary breakdown$47,280
Net 81%
Fed 7%
NY 4%
FICA 8%
Annual take-home$38,213After all taxes
Monthly deposit$3,184Estimated per month
Biweekly paycheck$1,470Every 2 weeks (26/yr)
Effective tax rate19.2%Total tax burden
Federal income tax$3,494 / yr
New York state income tax$1,957 / yr
FICA (Social Security & Medicare)$3,617 / yr

Auto mechanics pay range in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY, hourly and yearly

BLS May 2025 estimates for the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metropolitan statistical area. Monthly and take-home figures are ours, computed from the annual wage.

What auto mechanics earned in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area, May 2025
PercentileHourlyMonthlyYearlyAfter tax a year (NY)
10th percentile$16.79/hr$2,910$34,920$28,949
25th percentile$18.84/hr$3,266$39,190$32,150
MedianMedian$22.73/hr$3,940$47,280$38,213
75th percentile$28.80/hr$4,992$59,900$47,672
90th percentile$33.41/hr$5,791$69,490$54,560

Is $47,280 a good salary in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

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$66,301Census Bureau ACS
Local price level (U.S. = 100)87.712.3% below national average
One paycheck vs. a household71.3%of area median income

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

Auto mechanic pay in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY: common questions

What is the median salary for auto mechanics in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

The BLS median annual wage for auto mechanics in the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY metro area was $47,280 in May 2025, about $3,940 a month or $22.73 an hour. Statewide, the New York median for this job is $54,120, so the metro pays 13% below the state.

What is the hourly pay for auto mechanics in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

The median hourly wage for auto mechanics in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY was $22.73 in the BLS survey. One in ten earned less than $16.79 an hour and one in ten earned more than $33.41.

How many auto mechanics work in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

BLS estimated 350 jobs for auto mechanics in the metro in May 2025, or 8.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Its location quotient of 1.94 means the job is more concentrated here than in the country as a whole.

What is the pay range for auto mechanics in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

BLS wage estimates for auto mechanics in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY run from $34,920 at the 10th percentile to $39,190 at the 25th, $59,900 at the 75th, and $69,490 at the 90th. These are points in the wage distribution, not experience levels.

How much do auto mechanics take home after taxes in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

On a median gross salary of $47,280, an estimated $38,213 lands in net take-home pay per year ($1,470 biweekly) for a single filer claiming the standard deduction in New York in 2026. Total tax withholding equals $9,067 (an effective rate of 19.2%).

How much do auto mechanics make per month in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

On the median annual salary of $47,280, gross monthly income is $3,940. After federal, FICA, and New York state income taxes, estimated net take-home pay is $3,184 per month (or $1,470 every two weeks).

Is $47,280 a good salary in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY?

At $47,280, the median salary for auto mechanics is 71.3% of the Watertown-Fort Drum, NY median household income ($66,301). It is 1% below the $47,600 median for all jobs in the metro. The BEA regional price parity is 87.7, so prices here run 12.3% below the U.S. average.