Statewide pay Government data
Auto mechanics in Rhode Island earn a statewide median of $51,770 a year, 6% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #22 of 50 states and DC. About 2,530 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Rhode Island
See all states on the auto mechanic overview.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes auto mechanic pay for 1 Rhode Island metro: Providence.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ProvidenceRHODE ISLAND · RI | $51,970 | $51,065 | 3,700 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
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 Rhode Island Government data
2 schools in Rhode Island 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.
Where published, graduates earned a median of $41,916 in their first year out.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI · Private nonprofit | Associate degree | $52,546 | 84 | $44,336 |
| IYRS School of Technology & Trades Newport, RI · Private nonprofit | Certificate | $33,025 | 43 | $39,496 |
| New England Institute of Technology East Greenwich, RI · Private nonprofit | Certificate | $52,546 | 5 | — |
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 Rhode Island Official source
The main state licensing office in Rhode Island is the Rhode Island Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board. It can point you to the right license for auto mechanics.
Official Rhode Island licensing site ↗
Requirements for auto mechanics vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 16.1% of wage and salary workers in Rhode Island were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#5 of 51 states and D.C.), and 17.5% 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 Rhode Island
All trades in Rhode Island.