SOC 49-3021 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Automotive Body and Related Repairers — Chico
Chico, CA · 10 metro areas compared
Median pay for this occupation in Chico, CA comes to $64,420 a year, ahead of the national median of $54,890 by 17.4%.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow more slowly than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +1.6%
- Openings per year
- 14,600
- Typical entry-level education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- On-the-job training
- Long-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
9.9% of people in this occupation work for themselves.
Projections are published nationally only. This is the outlook for the occupation across the United States, not a measurement for Chico, CA.
Projections are based on 2024 employment and run to 2034. The wages above are from the May 2025 survey, a separate BLS programme on a different release cycle, so the two are not two views of one dataset.
Salary overview
Median pay for this occupation in Chico, CA comes to $64,420 a year, ahead of the national median of $54,890 by 17.4%. The middle half of workers in this occupation earn between $50,070 and $74,610. The lowest tenth earn under $38,530, while the highest tenth earn more than $77,710.
The area has 40 jobs in this occupation, giving a location quotient of 0.57 — a measure of how concentrated the occupation is here relative to the country as a whole. Santa Rosa leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $78,060. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 112th of 286 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $38,530 | −29.8% |
| 25th | $50,070 | −8.8% |
| Median (50th) | $64,420 | +17.4% |
| 75th | $74,610 | +35.9% |
| 90th | $77,710 | +41.6% |
| Mean | $63,600 | +15.9% |
Other metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Rosa | $78,060 | 260 | |
| 2 | San Jose | $76,800 | 610 | |
| 3 | San Francisco | $76,740 | 2,680 | |
| 4 | Vallejo | $73,890 | 160 | |
| 5 | Modesto | $68,640 | 180 | |
| 6 | El Centro | $68,410 | 50 | |
| 7 | San Luis Obispo | $67,790 | 80 | |
| 8 | Los Angeles | $67,090 | 4,270 | |
| 9 | Stockton | $63,810 | 260 | |
| 10 | Fresno | $63,670 | 310 |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in Chico sit close to the national average, so $64,420 is worth roughly its face value against pay elsewhere.
Published median
$64,420as reported by BLSLocal price level
101.2US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$63,656US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $64,420 a year, 17.4% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $38,530 to $77,710 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 40 jobs in this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Santa Rosa, at $78,060.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Automotive Body and Related Repairers in Chico, CA?
The median annual wage is $64,420, or $30.97 per hour, as of May 2025. Half of the workers in this occupation earn more than that and half earn less.
Is that higher than the national average?
The national median for this occupation is $54,890, so pay in Chico, CA is 17.4% higher. These figures are medians, not averages: half of workers fall on each side.
What do the top earners make?
The top tenth of this occupation in Chico, CA earns more than $77,710 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $38,530 per year. The survey measures wages actually paid rather than experience level, so this reflects the lowest-paid tenth rather than entry-level pay specifically.
Which area nearby pays the most?
The highest median for this occupation among the metro areas covered is in Santa Rosa, at $78,060 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 40 jobs in this occupation in Chico, CA. Self-employed workers are not included.
Source and methodology
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 Wages are for wage-and-salary workers; self-employed workers are not included. Salary Explorer is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics or any government agency. Full methodology.
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