Automotive Body and Related Repairers Salary
The median pay for a automotive body and related repairers in Niles, MI is $51,160/year ($24.6/hour), per BLS data. The range runs from $37K at the entry level to $79K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.37), which stretches that salary to about $55,386 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,184/month, about 35.2% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $51K get you in Niles?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Niles’s Regional Price Parity (92.37). 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 body and related repairers
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What this looks like in Niles
Automotive body and related repairers pay in Niles tracks closely to the national median, $51K locally vs. $55K nationwide, a 7% difference. Rent runs $1,184/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 34.7% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.37 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 8% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Pay and costs are both near average, leaving limited margin for savings at the median wage.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for automotive body and related repairers in metros near Niles, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit-Warren-Dearborn | $63K | $62K |
| Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood | $57K | $59K |
| Flint | $50K | $53K |
| Kalamazoo-Portage | $57K | $60K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Niles, MI
Entry-level automotive body and related repairers (10th percentile) start around $37K. Mid-career wages sit at $51K. Top earners bring in $79K or more, a $43K spread from bottom to top.
Automotive Body and Related Repairers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Automotive Body and Related Repairers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $72K | +32% | 800 |
| California | $67K | +22% | 14,050 |
| District of Columbia | $63K | +14% | 30 |
| New Jersey | $62K | +14% | 3,720 |
| Alaska | $62K | +12% | 270 |
| Minnesota | $61K | +11% | 2,910 |
| Missouri | $61K | +10% | 4,350 |
| Hawaii | $61K | +10% | 450 |
| Nevada | $61K | +10% | 1,020 |
| Oregon | $60K | +9% | 1,660 |
| Colorado | $60K | +9% | 3,120 |
| Massachusetts | $59K | +8% | 3,060 |
| Washington | $58K | +6% | 2,330 |
| Connecticut | $58K | +6% | 1,850 |
| Virginia | $58K | +5% | 3,720 |
| Montana | $58K | +5% | 500 |
| Michigan | $57K | +4% | 5,010 |
| Wisconsin | $57K | +3% | 2,690 |
| Maryland | $56K | +2% | 2,930 |
| North Dakota | $55K | +0% | 680 |
| Arizona | $55K | -1% | 2,750 |
| Nebraska | $54K | -1% | 1,120 |
| Pennsylvania | $54K | -2% | 6,650 |
| South Carolina | $53K | -3% | 2,140 |
| New Hampshire | $53K | -4% | 750 |
| Alabama | $52K | -5% | 1,810 |
| Illinois | $52K | -5% | 5,750 |
| Texas | $52K | -6% | 14,070 |
| Georgia | $51K | -7% | 4,680 |
| Indiana | $51K | -7% | 3,780 |
| Vermont | $51K | -7% | 320 |
| North Carolina | $51K | -8% | 5,180 |
| Maine | $50K | -8% | 680 |
| Utah | $50K | -9% | 1,590 |
| Mississippi | $50K | -10% | 1,380 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -10% | 800 |
| Iowa | $49K | -10% | 1,830 |
| Arkansas | $49K | -10% | 1,140 |
| Wyoming | $49K | -10% | 200 |
| Idaho | $49K | -10% | 850 |
| Ohio | $49K | -11% | 5,950 |
| Kansas | $49K | -11% | 1,530 |
| Oklahoma | $49K | -11% | 2,330 |
| Delaware | $49K | -11% | 340 |
| Florida | $49K | -11% | 9,220 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -12% | 810 |
| New York | $48K | -13% | 8,530 |
| Tennessee | $47K | -14% | 3,970 |
| Louisiana | $47K | -14% | 1,660 |
| West Virginia | $47K | -14% | 670 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -16% | 1,680 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
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Frequently asked questions
Can a automotive body and related repairer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Niles?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $51K, rent takes 34.7% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,184/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,000/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for automotive body and related repairers in Niles?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new automotive body and related repairers typically earn — is $37K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,210/month. At HUD’s $1,184/month FMR, rent would take 54% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is automotive body and related repairer a high-paying job in Niles?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $51K locally vs. $55K nationally, a 7% difference.
How does Niles compare to the national average for automotive body and related repairers?
Niles pays $51K median vs. the U.S. average of $55K — that’s -7%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.37), the purchasing-power equivalent is $55K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do automotive body and related repairers make in Niles, MI?
The median is $51,160 a year, that works out to about $25 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $36,830, and experienced automotive body and related repairers can clear $79,390. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $51K enough to live in Niles?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,414/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,184/month, which eats 34.7% 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 body and related repairers salary go in Niles?
Niles has a Regional Price Parity of 92.37 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median automotive body and related repairers salary is worth about $55,386 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do automotive body and related repairers 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.