All careersSkilled trades

Small Engine Mechanic

$46,560
median pay per year
full range coming in the next data update

What the job actually is

Inspect, service, and repair small engines in equipment like mowers, motorcycles, and boats.

Where you work

Repair shops and dealerships

The hours

Daytime, busier in spring and summer

By the numbers

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

Median pay
$46,560
per year
What most earn
range coming soon
Openings a year
~3,500
projected, 2024–34
Outlook to 2034
+2%
About average
Working in the U.S.
36,900
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

High school / no degree

Training path: On-the-job training or short program.

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 repairTroubleshootingHand toolsAttention to detail

The honest take

Repairs the engines in mowers, motorcycles, and boats, work that picks up in warmer months.

Standard Occupational Classification 49-3053. 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.