Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Salary
The median pay for a automotive and watercraft service attendants in Dover, DE is $33,280/year ($16/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $31K at the entry level to $39K for experienced workers.
So what does $33K get you in Dover?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Dover’s Regional Price Parity (97.5). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About automotive and watercraft service attendants
Sponsored links, AffordMap may earn a commission at no cost to you. Learn more
What this looks like in Dover
Automotive and watercraft service attendants pay in Dover tracks closely to the national median, $33K locally vs. $36K nationwide, a 7% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,470/month, which is 64.1% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 97.5) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for automotive and watercraft service attendants in metros near Dover, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington | $35K | , |
| Atlantic City-Hammonton | $35K | , |
| Baltimore-Columbia-Towson | $38K | , |
| Trenton-Princeton | $35K | , |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Dover, DE
Entry-level automotive and watercraft service attendants (10th percentile) start around $31K. Mid-career wages sit at $33K. Top earners bring in $39K or more, a $8K spread from bottom to top.
Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $44K | +22% | 270 |
| California | $42K | +17% | 10,190 |
| District of Columbia | $42K | +17% | N/A |
| Rhode Island | $42K | +17% | 120 |
| Connecticut | $42K | +17% | 420 |
| Alaska | $42K | +17% | 280 |
| New Hampshire | $40K | +12% | 200 |
| Washington | $39K | +11% | 2,620 |
| Vermont | $39K | +8% | 170 |
| Montana | $39K | +8% | 460 |
| Colorado | $38K | +8% | 2,980 |
| Missouri | $38K | +7% | 1,150 |
| Maryland | $38K | +5% | 1,060 |
| Nevada | $38K | +5% | 250 |
| Minnesota | $37K | +5% | 1,230 |
| New York | $37K | +4% | 3,770 |
| Utah | $37K | +4% | 890 |
| North Dakota | $37K | +3% | 500 |
| Wyoming | $37K | +3% | 280 |
| Wisconsin | $37K | +2% | 2,770 |
| Delaware | $37K | +2% | 370 |
| South Dakota | $36K | +1% | 650 |
| Illinois | $36K | +1% | 1,940 |
| South Carolina | $36K | +1% | 220 |
| Arizona | $36K | +0% | 1,710 |
| Indiana | $36K | +0% | 3,090 |
| Massachusetts | $36K | +0% | 1,850 |
| Idaho | $36K | -0% | 480 |
| Kansas | $35K | -1% | 1,500 |
| New Jersey | $35K | -1% | 11,050 |
| Ohio | $35K | -2% | 2,930 |
| Nebraska | $35K | -2% | 910 |
| Florida | $35K | -2% | 5,150 |
| Arkansas | $35K | -3% | 870 |
| Oregon | $34K | -4% | 6,270 |
| North Carolina | $34K | -6% | 2,790 |
| Texas | $34K | -6% | 6,880 |
| Maine | $32K | -9% | 680 |
| Tennessee | $32K | -10% | 2,840 |
| Oklahoma | $32K | -11% | 1,270 |
| Pennsylvania | $32K | -12% | 1,580 |
| Kentucky | $31K | -12% | 1,220 |
| Michigan | $31K | -12% | 3,390 |
| Georgia | $31K | -13% | 4,210 |
| New Mexico | $31K | -13% | N/A |
| Mississippi | $31K | -14% | 350 |
| Iowa | $31K | -14% | 340 |
| Virginia | $30K | -15% | 4,060 |
| Alabama | $29K | -18% | 2,150 |
| Louisiana | $29K | -18% | 1,150 |
| West Virginia | $28K | -21% | 200 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 states
Track automotive and watercraft service attendants salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Dover numbers change.
Related careers in Transportation
Frequently asked questions
Can a automotive and watercraft service attendant afford a 2BR apartment alone in Dover?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $33K, rent takes 64.1% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,470/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $700/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for automotive and watercraft service attendants in Dover?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new automotive and watercraft service attendants typically earn — is $31K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $1,872/month. At HUD’s $1,470/month FMR, rent would take 79% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is automotive and watercraft service attendant a high-paying job in Dover?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $33K locally vs. $36K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Dover compare to the national average for automotive and watercraft service attendants?
Dover pays $33K median vs. the U.S. average of $36K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 97.5), the purchasing-power equivalent is $34K — below the national median.
How much do automotive and watercraft service attendants make in Dover, DE?
The median is $33,280 a year, that works out to about $16 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $31,200, and experienced automotive and watercraft service attendants can clear $38,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $33K enough to live in Dover?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $2,292/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,470/month, which eats 64.1% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a automotive and watercraft service attendants salary go in Dover?
Dover has a Regional Price Parity of 100 (100 is the national average). That's right at the national average. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median automotive and watercraft service attendants salary is worth about $34,133 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do automotive and watercraft service attendants get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.
