Statewide pay Government data
Auto mechanics in Alabama earn a statewide median of $45,640 a year, 7% below the typical U.S. metro, ranking #47 of 50 states and DC. About 9,040 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Alabama
See all states on the auto mechanics nationwide.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes auto mechanic pay for 12 Alabama metros: Anniston, Auburn, Birmingham, Daphne, Decatur, Dothan, Florence, Gadsden, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| BirminghamALABAMA · AL | $47,830 | $52,191 | 2,220 |
| MobileALABAMA · AL | $47,330 | $53,724 | 890 |
| AuburnALABAMA · AL | $47,250 | $53,734 | 300 |
| MontgomeryALABAMA · AL | $47,030 | $52,441 | 670 |
| HuntsvilleALABAMA · AL | $46,840 | $50,327 | 940 |
| DecaturALABAMA · AL | $45,740 | $52,447 | 290 |
| DaphneALABAMA · AL | $45,720 | $48,284 | 470 |
| TuscaloosaALABAMA · AL | $45,070 | $51,378 | 530 |
| AnnistonALABAMA · AL | $44,590 | $51,880 | 200 |
| DothanALABAMA · AL | $44,170 | $52,688 | 300 |
| GadsdenALABAMA · AL | $42,200 | $49,269 | 170 |
| FlorenceALABAMA · AL | $39,800 | $46,925 | 240 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
Pay outside the cities Government data
BLS also reports pay for Alabama's rural (nonmetropolitan) regions.
BLS OEWS nonmetropolitan areas, May 2025.
The job (national)
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 66,200 openings a year. Typical training: short-term on-the-job training.
Nationally, auto mechanics have 204 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 2.4× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
What the work is like Government data
How often auto mechanics deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Where to train in Alabama Government data
18 schools in Alabama offer vehicle maintenance and repair programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enterprise State Community College Enterprise, AL · Public | Certificate | $16,457 | 263 | — |
| J F Ingram State Technical College Deatsville, AL · Public | Certificate | — | 216 | — |
| George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville Hanceville, AL · Public | Certificate | $18,882 | 118 | — |
| Gadsden State Community College Gadsden, AL · Public | Certificate | $10,254 | 61 | — |
| John C Calhoun State Community College Tanner, AL · Public | Certificate | $14,657 | 57 | — |
| Shelton State Community College Tuscaloosa, AL · Public | Certificate | $16,460 | 48 | — |
| Snead State Community College Boaz, AL · Public | Certificate | $10,899 | 42 | — |
| Enterprise State Community College Enterprise, AL · Public | Associate degree | $16,457 | 39 | $65,481 |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Licensing in Alabama Official source
The main state licensing office in Alabama is the Alabama Licensing Board for General Contractors. Electrical, HVAC and plumbing have their own state boards. It can point you to the right license for auto mechanics.
Official Alabama licensing site ↗
Requirements for auto mechanics vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 6.3% of wage and salary workers in Alabama were union members, below the U.S. rate of about 10% (#31 of 51 states and D.C.), and 7.2% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only auto mechanics.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Alabama
All trades in Alabama.