Auto Mechanics in the Ponce area earn a median of $21,920 a year, 55% below the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #392 of 392 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays more in Arecibo and Mayaguez.
It's one of 5 Puerto Rico metros with published pay for this trade; see auto mechanics across Puerto Rico.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for auto mechanics here is in the bottom 20% of U.S. metros.
A summary of the numbers on this page; nothing here is estimated beyond them.
Ponce scorecard for auto mechanics Our calculation
Grades compare Ponce with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers.
Pay over time
The median pay for auto mechanics in the Ponce area went from $18,730 in 2020 to $21,920 in 2025, up 17.0%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -6.7% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
Rent in Ponce
Typical rent is $512 a month for a 1-bedroom and $563 for a 2-bedroom.
What auto mechanics do
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul automotive vehicles.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Follow checklists to ensure all important parts are examined, including belts, hoses, steering systems, spark plugs, brake and fuel systems, wheel bearings, and other potentially troublesome areas.
- Test and adjust repaired systems to meet manufacturers' performance specifications.
- Perform routine and scheduled maintenance services, such as oil changes, lubrications, and tune-ups.
- Inspect vehicles for damage and record findings so that necessary repairs can be made.
- Align wheels, axles, frames, torsion bars, and steering mechanisms of automobiles, using special alignment equipment and wheel-balancing machines.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, auto mechanic jobs are projected to grow 5.0% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 66,200 openings a year. About 15% are self-employed.
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.
Licensing in Puerto Rico Official source
Check with local authorities in Puerto Rico. Check with the building or licensing office where you plan to work.
Requirements for auto mechanics vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
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.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying PR metros for auto mechanics
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| San JuanPUERTO RICO · PR | $22,760 | — | 2,750 |
| MayaguezPUERTO RICO · PR | $22,400 | — | 220 |
| AreciboPUERTO RICO · PR | $22,340 | — | 200 |
| AguadillaPUERTO RICO · PR | $22,030 | — | 240 |
| PoncePUERTO RICO · PR | $21,920 | — | 250 |
See every metro in Puerto Rico.
How much work is there? Government data
Getting to work
The average commute in the Ponce area is 25 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 13% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 85% drive alone, 0% take transit and 8% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
New construction
In 2025 the Ponce area approved permits for 155 new homes (153 single-family), or 0.6 per 1,000 residents, ranking #382 of 393 metros.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $21,920 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
How this calculator works. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get auto mechanic pricing & estimate templates →Compare Ponce with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Pay over time: BLS OEWS May 2020–2025, local; inflation from the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U).
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Housing: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local (age of homes, ownership, home values).
- Population: Census Bureau population estimates, 2020–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.
Report a data issue on this page
BEA doesn't publish price levels for Ponce, so real pay isn't shown. The Census doesn't publish one-person business or competition figures for auto mechanics as a separate industry, so that section is left out.