District of Columbia · BLS May 2025

Auto Mechanic Salary in District of Columbia

Also called automotive technician, car mechanic. SOC 49-3023.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 310 automotive service technicians and mechanics working in District of Columbia. Here is what they are paid, what the median leaves after federal, state and FICA tax, and what that is worth against local prices.

Median pay · District of Columbia

$68,660A year, or $33.01 an hour.
Take-home a month$4,504After federal, state and FICA tax at 21.3%
Worth at national prices$62,474Prices here sit at 109.9 against 100
Against the nation35.6% aboveNational median $50,620
What automotive service technicians and mechanics earn in District of Columbia, May 2025
PercentileAnnualHourly
10th percentileEntry and lowest-paid$46,230$22.23
25th percentile$56,530$27.18
MedianHalf earn more, half less$68,660$33.01
75th percentile$78,770$37.87
90th percentileMost experienced and senior$89,960$43.25
MeanThe average, pulled up by the top$67,910$32.65
How we got this
  1. Median wage in District of ColumbiaBLS OEWS May 2025. Half of automotive service technicians and mechanics earned more than this, half less.$68,660
  2. Median hourly wagePublished separately by BLS, not divided out of the annual figure.$33.01
  3. Take-home after federal, state and FICA tax$4,504 a month at an effective rate of 21.3%.$54,044 a year
  4. Worth at national average pricesPrices in District of Columbia sit at 109.9 against a national 100 (BEA, 2024).$62,474
  5. Against the national medianThe national median is $50,620.35.6% above
  6. Jobs countedA concentration of 0.1 against the nation's 1.00.310
What we assumed
  • Wages are BLS OEWS survey estimates for May 2025, not job postings or offers.
  • OEWS surveys wage and salary workers. The self-employed and business owners are outside it.
  • Take-home assumes one 2026 filer, filing single, taking the standard deduction, with no dependents, pre-tax retirement contributions or local income tax.
  • Regional price parities compare price levels between places in one year. They are not inflation, and they do not adjust for what a household actually buys.
Technical details

Method occupation-wage-v1Data bls-oews-2025-05-v1, us-tax-2026-v1, bea-rpp-2024-v1, census-acs5-2024-v1

What lands in the bank

A $68,660 salary in District of Columbia, for one single filer taking the standard deduction in 2026.

  • Federal income tax. $6,275 a year.
  • State income tax. $3,088 a year.
  • Social Security and Medicare. $5,252 a year.
  • Left over. $54,044 a year, $4,504 a month, an effective rate of 21.3%.

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What $68,660 is worth in District of Columbia

Prices in District of Columbia sit at 109.9 against a national average of 100, so $68,660 earned here buys what $62,474 buys at national average prices.

  • Rents. 155 against 100, the component that moves most between states.
  • Against local households. The median household in District of Columbia takes in $109,870, so this occupation's median is 0.63 times that, on one income.
  • How common the job is here. 90% less concentrated in District of Columbia than in the country as a whole.

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Common questions

Auto Mechanic pay in District of Columbia, answered

How much does an auto mechanic make in District of Columbia?

The median wage for auto mechanics in District of Columbia is $68,660 a year, or $33.01 an hour.

Half earn more than that and half earn less. The figure comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage survey for May 2025.

What is the take-home pay for an auto mechanic in District of Columbia?

On the median wage of $68,660, one filer taking the standard deduction keeps about $54,044 a year, or roughly $4,504 a month.

That is after federal, state and FICA tax, an effective rate of 21.3%.

District of Columbia takes $3,088 of it in state income tax.

Do auto mechanics earn more in District of Columbia than in the rest of the country?

Yes. The median in District of Columbia is 35.6% above the national median of $50,620.

Nominal pay is only half the comparison: prices in District of Columbia sit at 109.9 against a national 100, so the gap in what the money buys is different from the gap in the salary.

Is $68,660 a good salary in District of Columbia?

It is 0.63 times the median household income of $109,870. A household often has more than one earner, so a single salary at this level goes further than the ratio alone suggests.

Prices in District of Columbia run at 109.9 against a national average of 100, with rents at 155, so $68,660 here buys about what $62,474 buys at national average prices.

What do the highest-paid auto mechanics earn in District of Columbia?

The top tenth earn $89,960 a year or more, against $46,230 at the bottom tenth.

Experience, specialism, employer and the part of District of Columbia someone works in all move a wage inside that range; the survey reports the spread, not the reason for it.

How many auto mechanics are there in District of Columbia?

The survey counted 310 of these jobs in District of Columbia for May 2025.

That makes the occupation 90% less concentrated here than in the country as a whole. It counts wage and salary jobs, so the self-employed are outside it.

Sources

Where this data comes from