An auto mechanic in a grey work jacket leans into the open engine bay of a car

Auto mechanic classes by state

1,086 auto mechanic programs in 48 states and 1 territory, with costs, results and funding that can make them free

573 schools offer these programs, and each state on this page approved its programs for workforce funding. Compare the states below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.

Automotive service technicians and mechanics inspect, maintain and repair cars and light trucks. Most complete a program in automotive service technology that leads to a certificate or an associate's degree, and employers may require or prefer certification.¹

Compare auto mechanic classes by state: cost, pay and results

Auto mechanic classes by state
State	Programs	Most cost	Earned a year, estimated	Working 6 months later	Finished
Alabama	6	$10,594 to $12,852	Not reported	Not reported	83%
Alaska	5	$4,800 to $18,000	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Arizona	19	$3,178 to $8,457	about $31,100	60%	52%
Arkansas	19	$6,099 to $11,216	about $26,700	62%	44%
California	74	$1,200 to $4,453	about $47,600	58%	69%
Colorado	47	$2,804 to $10,664	about $32,700	50%	36%
Connecticut	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Delaware	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Florida	42	$3,038 to $6,156	about $31,800	68%	62%
Georgia	50	$2,519 to $7,094	about $27,500	69%	24%
Hawaii	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Idaho	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Illinois	96	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Indiana	36	$4,912 to $7,342	about $33,000	80%	53%
Iowa	19	$9,342 to $16,239	about $30,300	84%	49%
Kansas	8	$8,020 to $12,571	Not reported	Not reported	77%
Kentucky	6	$11,880 to $13,120	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Louisiana	10	$6,744 to $12,064	about $30,700	Not reported	Not reported
Maine	6	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Maryland	9	$2,800 to $4,435	about $29,000	67%	61%
Massachusetts	5	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Michigan	28	$6,566 to $16,190	about $35,600	75%	48%
Minnesota	43	$4,631 to $11,758	about $32,800	78%	56%
Mississippi	19	$4,606 to $8,149	about $27,400	78%	100%
Missouri	40	$4,509 to $10,691	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Nebraska	19	$1,868 to $7,835	about $33,500	80%	48%
Nevada	9	$1,650 to $2,000	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New Hampshire	5	$4,515 to $6,036	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
New Mexico	21	$1,301 to $7,200	about $39,000	63%	100%
New York	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
North Carolina	33	$1,580 to $5,709	about $32,400	68%	37%
North Dakota	7	$8,446 to $16,569	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Ohio	58	$2,685 to $9,650	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Oklahoma	17	$2,140 to $3,291	about $31,800	Not reported	81%
Oregon	10	$3,109 to $11,934	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Pennsylvania	27	$6,750 to $17,227	Not reported	Not reported	78%
Puerto Rico	7	$13,518 to $14,420	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Rhode Island	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
South Carolina	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
South Dakota	3	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Tennessee	26	$5,492 to $6,523	about $27,200	77%	76%
Texas	75	$3,755 to $8,710	about $28,500	73%	60%
Utah	11	$2,361 to $7,552	about $23,800	Not reported	31%
Vermont	2	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Virginia	18	$632 to $5,479	Not reported	Not reported	100%
Washington	86	$1,545 to $10,536	about $36,400	76%	78%
West Virginia	1	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported
Wisconsin	43	$4,872 to $9,793	about $33,000	80%	54%
Wyoming	4	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported

Each figure is the middle program in that state. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools may offer auto mechanic classes too. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025).How these figures are made

Are there free auto mechanic classes in the US?

WIOA funding can pay for auto mechanic classes in the US

Every program on this page is approved for WIOA funding: public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. It can pay for training for eligible adults, people who lost their job and young people.²People on public assistance, with a low income or lacking basic skills come first, and veterans have priority.³

Ask at an American Job Center

Eligibility rules apply, and services vary from state to state. Your local American Job Center can tell you whether you qualify. The Department of Labor's page links to the center finder, or call 1-877-US-2JOBS (1-877-872-5627).⁴

Or pay for auto mechanic classes yourself

Without funding, prices differ by state: most auto mechanic programs cost $1,650 to $2,000 in Nevada and $13,518 to $14,420 in Puerto Rico. Each state's page lists every program with its price.

Does WIOA pay for job training? Who qualifies and how to apply

Where the automotive program numbers by state come from

Which automotive programs are counted?

Programs each state approved for WIOA funding (public workforce funding under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act), from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Each state keeps its approved programs on an eligible training provider list (ETPL).⁵ Schools that never applied for approval are missing.

What the figures for each state mean

Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where too few programs report a figure, the table says "Not reported".

Other training by state

Approved programs per trade across every state. Each opens that trade's comparison by state.

Sources for the facts about auto mechanic classes

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