Executive Summary

About 14,010 motorcycle mechanics work nationally, and $47,200 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 6% from the first to the last year; much hiring sits in retail trade.

Motorcycle Mechanics: what the data shows

Common questions about motorcycle mechanics careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.

What is a motorcycle mechanics?

Motorcycle Mechanics is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-3052.

U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 14,010 workers.

What does a motorcycle mechanics do?

O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Getting Information, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.

How much does a motorcycle mechanics make?

BLS national median annual wage: $47,200 (May 2024 in our extract).

Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $59,862 — higher than the median, which often reflects top earners in the distribution.

Wage percentiles below are from the California OEWS extract (not national unless noted).

Wage percentileAnnual wage
10th percentile$38,901
25th percentile$47,189
Median (50th)$60,201
75th percentile$72,072
90th percentile$76,909

What skills do you need?

O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Troubleshooting, Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Active Learning, Monitoring, Time Management, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics. See Education & Skills for detail.

Is motorcycle mechanics in demand?

Historical employment trend in our series implies about 0.3% annual decline (compound rate in the extract).

Five-year projected employment change: -1.6%.

Ten-year projected employment change: -3.2%.

Current U.S. headcount: 14,010.

We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.

Where do motorcycle mechanicss work?

Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:

IndustryEmploymentShare
Cross-industry14,01020.1%
Cross-industry, Private Ownership only13,99020.1%
Retail Trade11,71016.8%
Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers11,67016.7%
Other Motor Vehicle Dealers11,57016.6%
Other Services (except Public Administration)1,7902.6%

See Industry for charts.

What degrees lead to this career?

Common majors for Motorcycle Mechanics in O*NET:

See Related degrees.

What careers are related?

Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:

OccupationU.S. employmentMedian wage
Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians136,390$78,680
Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians36,880$52,080
Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines180,270$63,980
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics34,240$46,560
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics688,840$49,670
Helpers--Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers97,540$38,860
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General1,531,700$48,620

Employment

Employment and salary information for the Motorcycle Mechanics workforce.

Employment Over Time

14,010 U.S. workforce (OEWS)

California employment for Motorcycle Mechanics shrank from 5,920 in 2009 to 5,620 in 2025 (5.1%).

Historical employment for Motorcycle Mechanics from the California OEWS series, 2009–2025. The U.S. workforce figure is national and is not the endpoint of this line.

Yearly Wage Ranking

$47,200 Median pay (BLS national)

Motorcycle Mechanics earn $47,200 as the BLS national median annual wage.

Wage ranking compared to other occupations.

Wage Distribution

This chart shows the distribution of average salaries by income buckets for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Salary distribution for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Employment Growth Projections

-0.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)

5,529 Projected Employment (5 years)

Projected growth: -1.6%

5,440 Projected Employment (10 years)

Projected growth: -3.2%

This occupation is experiencing a decline. Consider related fields with better growth prospects.

Historical employment trends and future projections for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Industry

Information on the industries that employ Motorcycle Mechanics and on wages for those in the field.

Occupations by Industries

This graphic shows the share of Motorcycle Mechanics employed by various industries.

Industry distribution for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Wage Trends by Industry

4.4% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate

Historical wage growth trends by industry for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Geographic Distribution

Employment and wage information by geographic location for Motorcycle Mechanics.

State employment and wages are from the U.S. BLS OEWS May 2024 state extract. Metropolitan areas use the national MSA file when available.

Top States by Employment

Top States by Employment:

  • CA: 1,540 employees, $58,290 avg wage
  • TX: 890 employees, $49,880 avg wage
  • FL: 700 employees, $50,810 avg wage
  • IN: 540 employees, $43,970 avg wage
  • CO: 530 employees, $51,910 avg wage
  • NC: 500 employees, $46,870 avg wage
  • AZ: 490 employees, $50,300 avg wage
  • WA: 480 employees, $49,520 avg wage
  • VA: 460 employees, $52,590 avg wage
  • PA: 430 employees, $49,910 avg wage

Top 10 states by employment for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Top Metropolitan Areas

Top Metropolitan Areas:

  • Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 510 employees, $56,500 avg wage
  • Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 350 employees, $52,100 avg wage
  • New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 290 employees, $56,420 avg wage
  • Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 250 employees, $53,170 avg wage
  • Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 230 employees, $52,260 avg wage
  • Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI: 220 employees, $54,880 avg wage
  • San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 220 employees, $63,310 avg wage
  • Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 220 employees, $52,570 avg wage
  • Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA: 200 employees, $53,070 avg wage
  • Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 170 employees, $59,940 avg wage

Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Diversity

Demographic information on Motorcycle Mechanics in the US.

Gender and Age

The U.S. workforce for Motorcycle Mechanics is about 14,010 people in our OEWS extract.

Gender and age distribution for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Races

Racial and ethnic shares when present in the career dataset. If the chart area shows a notice instead, occupational race/ethnicity fields are not yet populated for this extract.

Race and ethnicity distribution for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Education & Skills

Data on higher education choices and required skills for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Majors

The most common majors achieved by Motorcycle Mechanics in 2023 were Technical Training, Engineering, Mechanical Engineering.

Common majors for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Education Levels

The main educational levels achieved by Motorcycle Mechanics workers.

Education level distribution for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Skills

Motorcycle Mechanics need many skills, but most especially Troubleshooting, Repairing, Equipment Maintenance, Active Learning, Monitoring.

Required skills for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Knowledge & Abilities

Knowledge areas and abilities required for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Knowledge Areas

The most important knowledge areas for Motorcycle Mechanics include Mechanical, English Language, Customer and Personal Service, Computers and Electronics, Mathematics.

Knowledge areas required for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Abilities

Key abilities needed for Motorcycle Mechanics include Finger Dexterity, Manual Dexterity, Deductive Reasoning, Inductive Reasoning, Arm-Hand Steadiness.

Required abilities for Motorcycle Mechanics.

Work Activities

Common work activities performed by Motorcycle Mechanics.

Daily Activities

Motorcycle Mechanics spend their time on activities such as Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials.

Most important work activities for Motorcycle Mechanics.

About

Motorcycle Mechanics

Motorcycle Mechanics earn $47,200 as the BLS national median annual wage.

SOC Code

49-3052 - Motorcycle Mechanics

Insights and Analysis

Compensation snapshot: Motorcycle Mechanics reports an average salary of $59,862.

Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 14,010 workers, indicating sustained demand.

Forward outlook: Projected annual decline is -0.3%, which should inform long-term career planning.

Data Sources

This page uses data from the following sources:

  • College Scorecard - U.S. Department of Education
    • Institutional characteristics, costs, completion rates, and earnings data
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: collegescorecard.ed.gov
  • Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS)
    • Employment and wage data by occupation
    • Latest data: May 2024
    • Source: bls.gov/oes
  • O*NET Online - U.S. Department of Labor
    • Occupational skills, knowledge, abilities, and work activities
    • Database version: 28.0 (August 2023)
    • Source: onetcenter.org
  • IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) - National Center for Education Statistics
    • Institutional data, completions, enrollment, and financial aid
    • Data years: 2015-2024
    • Source: nces.ed.gov/ipeds
  • Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS)
    • Demographic and workforce data
    • Latest data: 2023 ACS 5-Year Estimates
    • Source: census.gov/acs

Data Processing: All data has been processed, cleaned, and aggregated for presentation. Where specific data points are unavailable, estimates are based on available data and clearly marked.

Last Updated: Data reflects the most recent available information as of January 2025.

Methodology

Data for this profile is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS), and O*NET Online.

All wage figures represent annual averages and may vary by location, industry, and experience level.