Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics Salary: $46,560 Median Pay (2026 stats)
Executive Summary
About 34,240 outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics work nationally, and $46,560 is the BLS national median annual wage. Employment in the series shown fell about 18% from the first to the last year; projections imply about 5.3% annual growth.
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics: what the data shows
Common questions about outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics careers, answered from BLS OEWS and O*NET in this repository.
What is a outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics?
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics is tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics under SOC 49-3053.
U.S. employment in our OEWS extract is about 34,240 workers.
What does a outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics do?
O*NET work activities rated highest for this occupation include Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events, Handling and Moving Objects, and related tasks. See Work Activities for the full list.
How much does a outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics make?
BLS national median annual wage: $46,560 (May 2024 in our extract).
Mean annual wage in our occupational extract: $54,799 — 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 percentile | Annual wage |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $37,967 |
| 25th percentile | $41,674 |
| Median (50th) | $51,122 |
| 75th percentile | $62,871 |
| 90th percentile | $80,216 |
What skills do you need?
O*NET ratings for this occupation emphasize skills such as Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control, Critical Thinking, and knowledge areas including Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Engineering and Technology. See Education & Skills for detail.
Is outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics in demand?
Historical employment trend in our series implies about 5.3% annual growth (compound rate in the extract).
Five-year projected employment change: 29.4%.
Ten-year projected employment change: 67.4%.
Current U.S. headcount: 34,240.
We report federal series only—compare wages, growth, and openings against your target market.
Where do outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanicss work?
Top industries by employment share in our OEWS industry extract:
| Industry | Employment | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Cross-industry | 34,240 | 19.3% |
| Cross-industry, Private Ownership only | 32,680 | 18.4% |
| Retail Trade | 14,520 | 8.2% |
| Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers | 11,540 | 6.5% |
| Lawn and Garden Equipment and Supplies Retailers | 7,440 | 4.2% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 5,820 | 3.3% |
See Industry for charts.
What degrees lead to this career?
Common majors for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics in O*NET:
See Related degrees.
What careers are related?
Other occupations linked through shared degree pathways in our mapping:
| Occupation | U.S. employment | Median wage |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | 136,390 | $78,680 |
| Farm Equipment Mechanics and Service Technicians | 36,880 | $52,080 |
| Motorcycle Mechanics | 14,010 | $47,200 |
| Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines | 180,270 | $63,980 |
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | 688,840 | $49,670 |
| Engine and Other Machine Assemblers | 38,420 | $52,540 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | 287,230 | $60,640 |
Employment
Employment and salary information for the Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics workforce.
Employment Over Time
34,240 U.S. workforce (OEWS)
California employment for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics grew from 4,340 in 2009 to 9,900 in 2025 (128.1%).
Historical employment for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine 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
$46,560 Median pay (BLS national)
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics earn $46,560 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 Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Salary distribution for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Employment Growth Projections
5.3% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
12,810 Projected Employment (5 years)
Projected growth: 29.4%
16,575 Projected Employment (10 years)
Projected growth: 67.4%
This occupation is projected to grow at 5.3% annually, indicating strong future demand.
Historical employment trends and future projections for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Industry
Information on the industries that employ Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics and on wages for those in the field.
Occupations by Industries
This graphic shows the share of Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics employed by various industries.
Industry distribution for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Wage Trends by Industry
1.9% Average Annual Wage Growth Rate
Historical wage growth trends by industry for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Geographic Distribution
Employment and wage information by geographic location for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine 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:
- FL: 3,520 employees, $46,770 avg wage
- CA: 2,580 employees, $53,360 avg wage
- TX: 2,210 employees, $47,180 avg wage
- MI: 1,760 employees, $46,180 avg wage
- NC: 1,730 employees, $46,040 avg wage
- NY: 1,680 employees, $50,980 avg wage
- PA: 1,620 employees, $45,670 avg wage
- VA: 1,320 employees, $46,600 avg wage
- WI: 1,130 employees, $47,800 avg wage
- OH: 1,010 employees, $46,790 avg wage
Top 10 states by employment for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Top Metropolitan Areas
Top Metropolitan Areas:
- New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ: 950 employees, $58,090 avg wage
- Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL: 760 employees, $49,780 avg wage
- Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 710 employees, $55,960 avg wage
- Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI: 600 employees, $47,670 avg wage
- Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD: 540 employees, $50,920 avg wage
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX: 530 employees, $51,220 avg wage
- Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ: 510 employees, $46,960 avg wage
- Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV: 490 employees, $54,930 avg wage
- Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 480 employees, $46,470 avg wage
- Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX: 460 employees, $46,460 avg wage
Top 10 metropolitan statistical areas by employment for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Diversity
Demographic information on Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics in the US.
Gender and Age
The U.S. workforce for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics is about 34,240 people in our OEWS extract.
Gender and age distribution for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine 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 Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Education & Skills
Data on higher education choices and required skills for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Majors
The most common majors achieved by Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics in 2023 were Business Administration, Technical Training, Engineering.
Common majors for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Education Levels
The main educational levels achieved by Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics workers.
Education level distribution for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Skills
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics need many skills, but most especially Equipment Maintenance, Repairing, Troubleshooting, Operations Monitoring, Operation and Control.
Required skills for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Knowledge & Abilities
Knowledge areas and abilities required for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Knowledge Areas
The most important knowledge areas for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics include Mechanical, Customer and Personal Service, English Language, Engineering and Technology, Education and Training.
Knowledge areas required for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Abilities
Key abilities needed for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics include Finger Dexterity, Arm-Hand Steadiness, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Control Precision.
Required abilities for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Work Activities
Common work activities performed by Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
Daily Activities
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics spend their time on activities such as Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment, Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge, Making Decisions and Solving Problems, Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials, Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events.
Most important work activities for Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics.
About
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics
Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics earn $46,560 as the BLS national median annual wage.
SOC Code
49-3053 - Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics
Insights and Analysis
Compensation snapshot: Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics reports an average salary of $54,799.
Labor market presence: The current workforce is approximately 34,240 workers, indicating sustained demand.
Forward outlook: Projected annual growth is 5.3%, 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.