Car Detailer Salary & Pay DataBLS figures for cleaners of vehicles and equipment, the broader group
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Broader BLS occupation: SOC 53-7061 Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
BLS publishes no separate wage for car detailers.
All cleaners of vehicles and equipment (SOC 53-7061 Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment), the broader occupation used here, earned a median $35,830 a year ($17.23 an hour) in May 2025.
The middle half of that group earned between $30,420 and $41,040.
BLS counts car detailers inside cleaners of vehicles and equipment (53-7061), which also includes car wash attendants and equipment washers, so it is not detailing pay alone.
Annual figures are BLS hourly wages × 2,080 hours. OEWS covers wage-and-salary workers only, so it leaves out shop owners, the self-employed (including technicians paid as 1099 contractors), overtime pay and most bonuses.
How pay spreads across Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $27,380 | $13.17 |
| 25th | $30,420 | $14.62 |
| 50th (median) | $35,830 | $17.23 |
| 75th | $41,040 | $19.73 |
| 90th | $47,610 | $22.89 |
| Mean (average) | $36,980 | $17.78 |
SOC 53-7061 Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment, the broader occupation (not a car detailer series): 380,430 wage-and-salary jobs, BLS OEWS May 2025.
Pay by employer industry
National median for all cleaners of vehicles and equipment (SOC 53-7061) by the industry of the employer, BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates.
BLS publishes no industry split for car detailers alone; these rows are for the whole occupation.
Automotive repair and maintenance (NAICS 8111) covers mechanical and electrical repair shops, body, paint, interior and glass shops, and other automotive repair and maintenance, car washes included.
Automobile dealers (NAICS 4411) covers new and used car dealers.
| Employer industry | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries (the national figure above) | $35,830 | $17.23 | 380,430 |
| Automotive Repair and Maintenance | $33,810 | $16.25 | 158,990 |
| Automobile Dealers | $35,500 | $17.07 | 75,270 |
Selected industries only; the first row covers every industry.