Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians Salary
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians in California make a median of $53,790 a year, or about $25.86 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $83K for experienced workers. Prices run high here (RPP 106.14), so that salary is closer to $50,678 in real purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $2,471/month, about 70.4% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across California. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $54K get you in California?
About farm equipment mechanics and service technicians
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What this looks like in California
Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians pay in California tracks closely to the national median, $54K locally vs. $57K nationwide, a 5% difference. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $2,471/month, which is 67.8% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost-of-living overall is 6% above the national average (BEA RPP 106.14), so groceries and services cost more too. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, California
Entry-level farm equipment mechanics and service technicians (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $54K. Top earners bring in $83K or more, a $45K spread from bottom to top.
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians salary by metro in California
22 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vallejo | $79K | +47% | 40 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont | $74K | +38% | 140 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim | $69K | +28% | 240 |
| Yuba City | $66K | +23% | 80 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | $64K | +20% | 130 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | $63K | +17% | 120 |
| Modesto | $62K | +15% | 270 |
| Merced | $61K | +14% | 200 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | $61K | +13% | 240 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | $60K | +11% | 100 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | $59K | +10% | 110 |
| Chico | $58K | +8% | 40 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | $56K | +4% | 160 |
| Stockton-Lodi | $52K | -4% | 250 |
| El Centro | $49K | -9% | 100 |
| Fresno | $49K | -9% | 530 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | $48K | -10% | 80 |
| Napa | $48K | -11% | 160 |
| Salinas | $47K | -12% | 410 |
| Visalia | $47K | -12% | 440 |
| Bakersfield-Delano | $47K | -12% | 400 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | $47K | -13% | 170 |
Showing 1–10 of 22 metros
Compare to other states
Track farm equipment mechanics and service technicians salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when California numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a farm equipment mechanics and service technician afford a 2BR apartment alone in California?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $54K, rent takes 67.8% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $2,471/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,100/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for farm equipment mechanics and service technicians in California?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new farm equipment mechanics and service technicians typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,314/month. At HUD’s $2,471/month FMR, rent would take 107% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is farm equipment mechanics and service technician a high-paying job in California?
Pay here is roughly in line with the national average — $54K locally vs. $57K nationally, a 5% difference.
How does California compare to the national average for farm equipment mechanics and service technicians?
California pays $54K median vs. the U.S. average of $57K — that’s -5%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 106.14), the purchasing-power equivalent is $51K — below the national median.
How much do farm equipment mechanics and service technicians make in California?
The median is $53,790 a year, that works out to about $26 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,560, and experienced farm equipment mechanics and service technicians can clear $83,200. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $54K enough to live in California?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,645/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $2,471/month, which eats 67.8% 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 farm equipment mechanics and service technicians salary go in California?
California has a Regional Price Parity of 106.14 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median farm equipment mechanics and service technicians salary is worth about $50,678 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do farm equipment mechanics and service technicians 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.