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Salary comparison

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General vs. Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics: Who Earns More?

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics out-earn Maintenance and Repair Workers, General by $1K a year at the national median, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Maintenance and Repair Workers, General land at $49,590 and Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics at $50,620. The education gap is real: maintenance and repair workers, general programs typically require high school diploma or equivalent, while automotive service technicians and mechanic programs require postsecondary nondegree award. Top-paying state for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General is District of Columbia ($60,310); for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics it's District of Columbia ($68,660).

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
Median salary
$49,590
$50,620
Hourly rate
$23.84/hr
$24.34/hr
Entry level (10th %)
$35,350
$34,660
Senior level (90th %)
$77,180
$81,790
Education required
High school diploma or equivalent
Postsecondary nondegree award
U.S. employment
1,529,700
704,640
Job growth (10-year)
3.8%
4.2%
Category
Repair & Maintenance
Repair & Maintenance
Top-paying state
District of Columbia
District of Columbia

Pay by state

States where both occupations have BLS data, sorted by Maintenance and Repair Workers, General median pay.

State
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics
District of Columbia
$60,310
$68,660
Alaska
$60,270
$60,840
Minnesota
$59,200
$58,390
Washington
$59,160
$57,270
Massachusetts
$58,320
$60,760
Connecticut
$57,620
$60,220
California
$57,000
$64,980
Oregon
$54,350
$58,520
New Hampshire
$52,830
$59,020
Maryland
$51,490
$57,520
Colorado
$51,280
$61,280
Delaware
$50,150
$58,410
North Dakota
$49,840
$57,360
Virginia
$49,470
$59,330
Montana
$46,870
$58,740

Source: BLS OEWS May 2025. Highlighted value is higher in each row.

Common questions

Who earns more, Maintenance and Repair Workers, General or Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics?

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics earn more nationally. The median is $49,590 for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General versus $50,620 for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, a difference of $1K. Per BLS OEWS May 2025.

Which has better job growth, Maintenance and Repair Workers, General or Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics?

Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics has the better 10-year outlook at 4.2% projected growth, compared to 3.8% for the other field. Both are from BLS Employment Projections.

Which requires more education, Maintenance and Repair Workers, General or Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics?

Maintenance and Repair Workers, General typically requires high school diploma or equivalent. Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics requires postsecondary nondegree award. Education requirements vary by employer and state licensing board.

Where do Maintenance and Repair Workers, General get paid the most?

District of Columbia is the top-paying state for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General at $60,310/year, per BLS OEWS May 2025. Major metro areas within that state typically pay even more than the state average.

How does Maintenance and Repair Workers, General vs. Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics pay differ by state?

The gap varies significantly by state. In District of Columbia, Maintenance and Repair Workers, General earn $60,310 vs. $68,660 for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. See the state comparison table on this page for the full picture.

Full Maintenance and Repair Workers, General salary breakdownView →Full Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics salary breakdownView →Best cities for Maintenance and Repair Workers, General by take-home payExplore →Best cities for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics by take-home payExplore →How to become a maintenance and repair workers, generalGuide →How to become a automotive service technicians and mechanicsGuide →