All careersSkilled trades

Motorcycle Mechanic

$47,200
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Diagnose, repair, and tune motorcycles, mopeds, and other small-engine vehicles.

Where you work

Repair shops and dealerships

The hours

Full-time, busier in warm months

By the numbers

May 2024–25 BLS wage data · 2024–34 BLS employment projections.

Median pay
$47,200
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~1,500
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+5%
Faster than average
Working in the U.S.
14,900
people, nationwide

Openings a year counts new jobs plus the ones that open when people retire or move on — a truer picture of your odds than growth alone.

“Median” means half earn more and half earn less. Your city, employer, and years on the job move it a lot — that is what the 10th-to-90th range shows.

How you get in

Typical starting education

Certificate program

Training path: Certificate or on-the-job training.

License or certification

No license required to start in most places.

You can earn while you train. This field has a genuinely paid pathway in — an apprenticeship, a paid academy, or employer-funded training — so you draw a paycheck instead of taking on debt to learn it.

What it takes

Engine repairDiagnosticsHand toolsCustomer service

The honest take

Repairs and tunes motorcycles and small engines, hands-on work you can start without a degree.

Standard Occupational Classification 49-3052. Pay, employment, and outlook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS wage survey and 2024–34 employment projections). See something off? Tell us.