SOC 49-3052 · May 2025 · BLS OEWS
Motorcycle Mechanics — California
California · 9 metro areas compared
In California the median wage for Motorcycle Mechanics is $57,040 a year, which is 17.4% higher than the national figure of $48,580.
Wage distribution · annual
Shaded band holds the middle 50% of earners
How pay has moved
The next ten years
Projected to grow faster than average
- Change in jobs, 2024 to 2034
- +5.3%
- Openings per year
- 1,500
- Typical entry-level education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Includes jobs opened by workers leaving the occupation, not only new positions.
8.0% 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 California.
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
In California the median wage for Motorcycle Mechanics is $57,040 a year, which is 17.4% higher than the national figure of $48,580. Half of workers earn between $44,830 and $69,660. Beyond that band, the tenth percentile sits at $36,910 and the ninetieth at $76,070.
The area has 1,730 jobs in this occupation, which works out to 0.1 of every thousand jobs. Among the 45 states with published data for this occupation, California ranks 7th by median wage. Fresno leads the state's metro areas for this occupation, at $68,540. Set against every other occupation measured in the same area, it ranks 528th of 793 by median pay.
Percentile breakdown
| Percentile | Annual | vs US median |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $36,910 | −24.0% |
| 25th | $44,830 | −7.7% |
| Median (50th) | $57,040 | +17.4% |
| 75th | $69,660 | +43.4% |
| 90th | $76,070 | +56.6% |
| Mean | $57,280 | +17.9% |
Highest-paying metro areas in California
| # | Metro area | Median | Jobs | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fresno | $68,540 | 40 | |
| 2 | Los Angeles | $64,070 | 580 | |
| 3 | San Diego | $61,820 | 230 | |
| 4 | Sacramento | $57,790 | 100 | |
| 5 | San Jose | $57,040 | 60 | |
| 6 | San Francisco | $55,420 | 100 | |
| 7 | Oxnard | $47,260 | 50 | |
| 8 | Riverside | $46,350 | 210 | |
| 9 | Yuba City | $38,480 | — |
What the pay is worth locally
Prices in California run 10.7% above the national average, so the median of $57,040 buys what $51,527 would elsewhere in the country. Measured that way the gap against the national median narrows to 6.1% above the national median in real terms.
Published median
$57,040as reported by BLSLocal price level
110.7US average = 100 · BEA 2024Adjusted for local prices
$51,527US average = 100 · BEA 2024Why the state that pays most is usually not where pay goes furthest
Key takeaways
- Median pay is $57,040 a year, 17.4% above the national median.
- Published pay spans $36,910 to $76,070 between the tenth and ninetieth percentiles.
- The area has 1,730 jobs in this occupation.
- It ranks 7th of 45 states for this occupation.
- The highest-paying metro area covered is Fresno, at $68,540.
Frequently asked questions
What is the median wage for Motorcycle Mechanics in California?
The median annual wage is $57,040, or $27.42 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 $48,580, so pay in California 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 California earns more than $76,070 per year. The ninetieth percentile is the highest figure the survey publishes.
What is the starting range?
The tenth percentile wage is $36,910 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 Fresno, at $68,540 per year.
How many jobs are there in this occupation here?
The survey estimates 1,730 jobs in this occupation in California. 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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