Automotive and Watercraft Service Attendants Salaries by State

Mean and median pay, wage percentiles, employment, and top-paying metro areas for automotive and watercraft service attendantss across the U.S. Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 (data.bls.gov OEWS tool /OESServices/combo/table, all-occupation crawl by area).

National mean salary $36,780 ≈ $18/hr
National median salary $35,670
Total employment 102,010 nationwide

Job Outlook, 2024–2034

Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.

Projected growth -1% Decline
Annual openings 14,400 per year (avg)
Employment 2024→2034 100,000 → 99,000 (-1,000)
Typical entry education No formal educational credential

Salary Map

Brighter tiles = higher average pay; dashed tiles have no data. Click a state for details.

💰 Top 5 Highest-Paying States

  1. Maryland$44,510
  2. District of Columbia$44,070
  3. Hawaii$43,400
  4. Connecticut$42,960
  5. California$42,940

📉 5 Lowest-Paying States

  1. West Virginia$29,310
  2. Alabama$30,650
  3. Kentucky$31,140
  4. Mississippi$31,960
  5. Tennessee$32,840
#StateMeanMedian Hourlyvs. U.S.Employment
1 Maryland $44,510 $37,580 $21 +21% 1,060
2 District of Columbia $44,070 $41,750 $21 +19.8%
3 Hawaii $43,400 $43,630 $21 +18% 270
4 Connecticut $42,960 $41,600 $21 +16.8% 420
5 California $42,940 $41,770 $21 +16.7% 10,190
6 New Hampshire $42,940 $40,030 $21 +16.7% 200
7 Alaska $42,920 $41,590 $21 +16.7% 280
8 Washington $42,230 $39,440 $20 +14.8% 2,620
9 Rhode Island $41,440 $41,690 $20 +12.7% 120
10 Missouri $40,860 $38,130 $20 +11.1% 1,150
11 Colorado $40,320 $38,370 $19 +9.6% 2,980
12 Montana $40,190 $38,700 $19 +9.3% 460
13 New York $39,550 $37,180 $19 +7.5% 3,770
14 Nevada $39,270 $37,550 $19 +6.8% 250
15 Vermont $39,200 $38,700 $19 +6.6% 170

Top-Paying Metro Areas

Highest median pay among 407 metro areas.

#Metro areaMedianMeanEmployment
1 Urban Honolulu, HI $50,360 $47,790 170
2 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $45,760 $48,020 1,100
3 Maryland nonmetropolitan area $45,600 $50,380 80
4 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $45,020 $47,770 460
5 Eastern Sierra-Mother Lode Region of California nonmetropolitan area $44,370 $44,860 40
6 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA $44,140 $44,300 150
7 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT $44,120 $43,920 70
8 Northwest Colorado nonmetropolitan area $43,770 $43,920 150
9 Bellingham, WA $43,430 $42,910 90
10 New Haven, CT $43,330 $43,330 70

Pay by Industry

Highest-paying industries employing automotive and watercraft service attendantss (BLS OEWS, by median).

#IndustryMedianMeanEmployment
1 Commercial & Industrial Machinery & Equipment (except Automotive & Electronic) Repair & Maintenance $61,000 $58,190
2 State Government, excluding Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $60,690 $56,790 120
3 Support Activities for Air Transportation $59,270 $51,520
4 State Government, including Schools and Hospitals (OEWS Designation) $57,510 $54,360 140
5 Automotive Body, Paint, Interior, and Glass Repair $51,680 $52,010 180
6 Federal Executive Branch (OEWS Designation) $51,200 $52,470 110
7 Federal Government, including the U.S. Postal Service (OEWS Designation) $51,200 $52,470 110
8 Air Transportation $50,840 $51,370
9 Federal, State, and Local Government, excluding State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS $50,360 $49,270 1,540
10 Federal, State, and Local Government, including State and Local Schools and Hospitals and USPS $50,360 $49,070 1,600
11 Sector 99 - Federal, State, and Local Government, excl. State & Local Schools & Hospitals & USPS $50,360 $49,270 1,540
12 Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods (4244 and 4248 only) $49,320 $47,970 60

Workforce Deep-Dive

Distribution and demographics from Census ACS (2017, self-reported). Wage figures here are ACS averages and run lower than the authoritative BLS wages above; use them for shape, not exact pay.

Annual wage distribution

< $10K
44,380
$10-20k
30,771
$20-30k
24,748
$30-40k
8,800
$40-50k
3,106
$50-60k
2,686
$60-70k
2,557
$70-80k
969
$80-90k
210
$90-100k
538
$100-110k
112
$110-120k
300
$120-130k
391
$130-140k
239
$140-150k
254
$200k+
71

Pay by age band

16-24
$11,494
25-34
$17,631
35-44
$25,072
45-54
$27,698
55-64
$28,313
65+
$15,078

Education level

Regular high school diploma
$19,002
1 or more years of college credit, no degree
$17,570
GED or alternative credential
$19,359
Some college, but less than 1 year
$18,644
Grade 11
$11,816
Associates Degree
$23,402
Grade 10
$10,625
Bachelors Degree
$34,982
Grade 9
$12,567
12th grade - no diploma
$12,623
No schooling completed
$25,258
Grade 8
$10,399
Grade 6
$32,003
Masters Degree
$17,751
Grade 5
$70,969
Professional degree
$2,528
Doctorate degree
$21,235
Grade 7
$25,934
Grade 4
$12,964
Grade 3
$11,618
Grade 1

Full-time vs part-time

Full-time
68,118 · $27,109
Part-time
24,807 · $10,718

Race / ethnicity

White
$18,496
Black
$17,985
Asian
$24,571
Two or More Races
$11,442
Other
$18,143
American Indian
$8,062
American Indian and Alaska Native tribes specified; or American Indian or Alaska Native, not specified and no other races
$27,221
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
$31,534
Alaska Native
$9,736

Top fields of study

Business Management And Administration
$9,570
Criminal Justice And Fire Protection
$11,719
General Business
$75,615
English Language And Literature
$2,846
Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Sciences And Administration
$21,235
Nursing
$19,687
Mechanical Engineering
$28,137
Sociology
$12,980

Top Skills

Most important skills for this role (O*NET importance, 1–5 scale).

Service Orientation
3.1
Active Listening
3.1
Operation and Control
3.1
Speaking
3.1
Time Management
3.1
Critical Thinking
3.0
Repairing
3.0
Coordination
3.0
Equipment Maintenance
3.0
Complex Problem Solving
3.0
Judgment and Decision Making
3.0
Social Perceptiveness
2.9

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do automotive and watercraft service attendants make in the U.S.?

The median automotive and watercraft service attendants salary in the United States is $35,670 per year (mean $36,780), and about 80% earn between $28,630 and $46,060.

How much do automotive and watercraft service attendants make per hour?

Roughly $18 per hour, based on a mean annual wage of $36,780 and 2,080 work hours per year.

Which state pays automotive and watercraft service attendants the most?

Maryland has the highest average pay for automotive and watercraft service attendants at $44,510 per year (median $37,580).

What is the job outlook for automotive and watercraft service attendants?

Employment is projected to change -1% from 2024 to 2034 (Decline), with about 14,400 openings per year.