Tire repairers and changers salary
| Measure | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $30,010 | $14.43 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $37,710 | $18.13 |
| Mean (average) | $40,170 | $19.31 |
| 90th percentile | $50,230 | $24.15 |
These wages describe everyone employed in the occupation, from new entrants to experienced workers. They are not starting salaries and not earnings of graduates from any particular program. Verified data
Tire repairers and changers pay by state and metro area
Table: median wage and employment for all 52 states and territories
| State | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $35,010 | $27,930 | $45,350 | 2,240 | 1.52 |
| Alaska | $43,330 | $34,660 | $56,990 | 450 | 1.98 |
| Arizona | $38,300 | $35,250 | $59,690 | 3,160 | 1.4 |
| Arkansas | $34,450 | $29,080 | $44,310 | 1,240 | 1.37 |
| California | $39,680 | $35,790 | $58,140 | 11,620 | 0.92 |
| Colorado | $45,380 | $36,600 | $56,580 | 2,750 | 1.37 |
| Connecticut | $35,760 | $34,090 | $45,590 | 740 | 0.63 |
| Delaware | $46,630 | $37,360 | $48,550 | 230 | 0.68 |
| Florida | $34,010 | $29,700 | $46,970 | 6,960 | 1 |
| Georgia | $34,700 | $27,010 | $49,390 | 3,980 | 1.17 |
| Guam | $25,060 | $22,710 | $29,660 | 50 | 0.99 |
| Hawaii | $45,760 | $36,600 | $66,350 | 220 | 0.5 |
| Idaho | $37,570 | $31,250 | $49,090 | 1,070 | 1.8 |
| Illinois | $38,420 | $35,160 | $48,860 | 3,540 | 0.83 |
| Indiana | $35,800 | $30,670 | $48,270 | 2,450 | 1.1 |
| Iowa | $38,210 | $31,360 | $48,680 | 990 | 0.91 |
| Kansas | $37,880 | $29,880 | $47,520 | 930 | 0.93 |
| Kentucky | $36,300 | $28,690 | $46,890 | 1,270 | 0.91 |
| Louisiana | $33,900 | $23,890 | $45,350 | 1,120 | 0.83 |
| Maine | $38,910 | $36,130 | $48,170 | 490 | 1.09 |
| Maryland | $44,430 | $35,670 | $63,730 | 880 | 0.46 |
| Massachusetts | $36,770 | $34,440 | $46,980 | 1,240 | 0.49 |
| Michigan | $37,130 | $35,170 | $49,290 | 4,470 | 1.46 |
| Minnesota | $43,750 | $36,560 | $62,480 | 1,310 | 0.64 |
| Mississippi | $34,330 | $27,860 | $44,880 | 1,040 | 1.29 |
| Missouri | $38,920 | $29,500 | $52,670 | 2,110 | 1.03 |
| Montana | $46,360 | $36,790 | $49,880 | 740 | 2.08 |
| Nebraska | $36,590 | $30,180 | $45,760 | 910 | 1.28 |
| Nevada | $39,220 | $32,600 | $63,730 | 930 | 0.86 |
| New Hampshire | $37,850 | $33,680 | $55,970 | 340 | 0.71 |
| New Jersey | $44,440 | $33,370 | $61,610 | 2,290 | 0.77 |
| New Mexico | $31,640 | $28,420 | $39,630 | 1,190 | 1.95 |
| New York | $43,660 | $36,270 | $61,870 | 1,750 | 0.26 |
| North Carolina | $35,140 | $29,340 | $46,490 | 3,690 | 1.07 |
| North Dakota | $38,220 | $31,030 | $45,760 | 560 | 1.86 |
| Ohio | $41,760 | $29,400 | $57,160 | 3,530 | 0.91 |
| Oklahoma | $34,890 | $29,840 | $46,560 | 1,460 | 1.22 |
| Oregon | $47,650 | $37,260 | $54,580 | 2,260 | 1.65 |
| Pennsylvania | $37,840 | $30,000 | $49,650 | 3,170 | 0.75 |
| Puerto Rico | $23,780 | $21,840 | $48,340 | 260 | 0.4 |
| Rhode Island | $46,240 | $38,110 | $59,380 | 190 | 0.55 |
| South Carolina | $35,040 | $29,220 | $45,590 | 1,920 | 1.2 |
| South Dakota | $38,800 | $34,410 | $46,900 | 360 | 1.13 |
| Tennessee | $36,680 | $28,850 | $47,530 | 2,770 | 1.21 |
| Texas | $36,060 | $29,220 | $46,360 | 14,170 | 1.44 |
| Utah | $36,960 | $30,470 | $48,870 | 1,910 | 1.57 |
| Vermont | $44,480 | $39,000 | $46,370 | 120 | 0.57 |
| Virginia | $42,370 | $31,200 | $55,990 | 2,430 | 0.85 |
| Washington | $44,670 | $37,910 | $58,690 | 2,960 | 1.2 |
| West Virginia | $29,880 | $28,400 | $45,820 | 640 | 1.31 |
| Wisconsin | $39,560 | $36,460 | $48,070 | 1,350 | 0.66 |
| Wyoming | $36,370 | $30,480 | $47,190 | 250 | 1.26 |
A location quotient above 1 means the occupation is more concentrated in that state than in the nation overall.
Metro areas with the most jobs
Highest paying metro areas
Job outlook for tire repairers and changers
- Average annual openings, 2025 to 2035: 12,900. Openings include new jobs plus replacement needs when workers retire or leave the occupation. Official projection
- Share of workers who are self-employed (2025): 2.4%.
These are official BLS projections. ConnectPrep does not alter them or present its own forecasts as official statistics.
Education and training for tire repairers and changers
- Typical entry education
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Related work experience
- None
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
- O*NET Job Zone
- Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed
Highest education of people working in this occupation
O*NET describes this preparation level as: Usually requires a high school diploma or GED, though some occupations may not.
Degrees and programs that lead to this career
Programs officially mapped to this occupation in the NCES and BLS CIP to SOC crosswalk. A mapping means the program commonly prepares students for the occupation, not that every graduate works in it. Official crosswalk
- NO MATCH CIP 99.9999
Skills, knowledge, and daily work
Most important skills
Most important knowledge areas
Typical tasks
- Unbolt and remove wheels from vehicles, using lug wrenches or other hand or power tools.
- Place wheels on balancing machines to determine counterweights required to balance wheels.
- Identify tire size and ply and inflate tires accordingly.
- Raise vehicles, using hydraulic jacks.
- Reassemble tires onto wheels.
- Glue tire patches over ruptures in tire casings, using rubber cement.
- Remount wheels onto vehicles.
- Seal punctures in tubeless tires by inserting adhesive material and expanding rubber plugs into punctures, using hand tools.
Technology skills
- Microsoft Outlook (in demand)
- Microsoft Excel (hot technology)
- Microsoft Word (hot technology)
- Project estimation software
- Recordkeeping software
Transferable skills for career changers: Time Management, Service Orientation, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Troubleshooting, Repairing.
Common job titles: Alignment Technician (Alignment Tech), Lube Technician (Lube Tech), Service Technician (Service Tech), Tire Alignment Technician (Tire Alignment Tech), Tire Changer, Tire Installer, Tire Repairer, Tire Shop Mechanic, Tire Technician (Tire Tech), Truck Tire Service Operator.
Is it worth it? Model the cost of getting there
Use the ROI calculator to compare the cost of the education this career usually requires against staying on your current path. It starts from the official wage distribution above, and you can change every assumption.
Frequently asked questions
How much do tire repairers and changers make?
The national median annual wage for tire repairers and changers was $37,710 in May 2025, according to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. The lowest paid 10 percent earned less than $30,010 and the highest paid 10 percent earned more than $50,230. These figures cover all workers in the occupation, not only new entrants.
What education do tire repairers and changers need?
BLS lists high school diploma or equivalent as the typical education needed to enter this occupation, with none of related work experience and short-term on-the-job training on-the-job training typically needed to become competent.
Is tire repairers and changers a growing career?
BLS projects employment of tire repairers and changers to change +3.4% from 2025 to 2035, compared with +3.5% for all occupations. About 12,900 openings are projected each year on average, including openings from workers who retire or change occupations.
Which states pay tire repairers and changers the most?
By median annual wage in May 2025, the highest paying states were Oregon ($47,650), Delaware ($46,630), Montana ($46,360). Pay differences partly reflect differences in living costs.