Shop Foreman Salary & Pay DataBLS figures for first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers, the broader group
BLS OEWS May 2025 · Broader BLS occupation: SOC 49-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
BLS publishes no separate wage for shop foremen.
All first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers (SOC 49-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers), the broader occupation used here, earned a median $79,860 a year ($38.39 an hour) in May 2025.
The middle half of that group earned between $62,690 and $101,360.
BLS counts shop foremen inside first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers and repairers (49-1011), which covers every kind of repair supervisor, not only auto shops.
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 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
| Percentile | Annual | Hourly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th | $49,600 | $23.85 |
| 25th | $62,690 | $30.14 |
| 50th (median) | $79,860 | $38.39 |
| 75th | $101,360 | $48.73 |
| 90th | $126,790 | $60.96 |
| Mean (average) | $85,220 | $40.97 |
SOC 49-1011 First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers, the broader occupation (not a shop foreman series): 617,500 wage-and-salary jobs, BLS OEWS May 2025.
Pay by employer industry
National median for all first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers (SOC 49-1011) by the industry of the employer, BLS OEWS May 2025 industry estimates.
BLS publishes no industry split for shop foremen alone; these rows are for the whole occupation.
Automobile dealers (NAICS 4411) covers new and used car dealers.
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.
| Employer industry | Median | Hourly | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries (the national figure above) | $79,860 | $38.39 | 617,500 |
| Automobile Dealers | $84,420 | $40.59 | 33,660 |
| Automotive Repair and Maintenance | $70,930 | $34.10 | 46,390 |
Selected industries only; the first row covers every industry.
Job outlook for First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers
BLS projects employment of all first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers to grow 4.1%, from about 629,000 in 2025 to 654,500 in 2035 (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
BLS projects no separate figure for shop foremen.
The projection counts include the self-employed and come from a different BLS program, so they are not directly comparable with the OEWS payroll job count above.
Pay by shop role
BLS publishes wages by occupation, not job title.
Automotive technicians, body technicians, glass technicians, tire technicians and parts counter staff each have a BLS occupation of their own.
Shop foremen and car detailers are counted in broader groups.
Auto painters, lube technicians and collision estimators borrow the closest available occupation, labelled in the last column.
Compare figures with the same basis only.
| Role | Median shown | What the number is |
|---|---|---|
| Automotive Technician | $50,620 | BLS occupation (SOC 49-3023) |
| Auto Body Technician | $54,890 | BLS occupation (SOC 49-3021) |
| Lube Technician | $35,670 | Closest available occupation (SOC 53-6031) |
| Tire Technician | $37,710 | BLS occupation (SOC 49-3093) |
| Auto Glass Technician | $47,630 | BLS occupation (SOC 49-3022) |
| Car Detailer | $35,830 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 53-7061) |
| Auto Painter | $48,250 | Closest available occupation, a stand-in (SOC 51-9124) |
| Collision Estimator | $78,240 | Closest available occupation (SOC 13-1032) |
| Shop Foreman | $79,860 | Broader BLS occupation (SOC 49-1011) |
| Parts Counter Person | $38,630 | BLS occupation (SOC 41-2022) |
Shop Foreman salary questions
01How much do shop foremen make a year?
BLS publishes no separate wage for shop foremen.
The median annual wage for all first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers (SOC 49-1011), the broader group BLS publishes, was $79,860 in May 2025 (BLS OEWS).
The 10th percentile was $49,600 and the 90th percentile $126,790.
02How much do shop foremen make an hour?
The median hourly wage for all first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers was $38.39 in May 2025.
BLS converts between hourly and annual figures at 2,080 hours a year, so this is the same median per hour, before overtime or bonuses.
03Which state pays shop foremen the most?
For all first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers, Alaska had the highest median in May 2025 at $98,110.
Mississippi had the lowest at $70,900.
These are not adjusted for living costs; BLS publishes state figures for the whole group only.
04What is the average shop foreman salary?
The mean (average) annual wage for all first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers was $85,220 in May 2025, against a $79,860 median.
The median is the better guide to a typical salary, because a smaller number of high earners pull the average up.
05Is demand for shop foremen growing?
BLS projects employment of all first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers to grow 4.1% from 2025 to 2035, from about 629,000 to 654,500 jobs (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
Those projection counts include the self-employed and come from a different BLS program, so they are not directly comparable with the OEWS payroll job count on this page.
06Why does this page show all repair supervisors?
BLS publishes no shop foreman wage.
Shop foremen are counted in first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers and repairers (SOC 49-1011), which covers supervisors of every repair trade, not only auto shops.
The industry table above shows the group inside dealers and auto repair shops.
07Do dealership repair supervisors earn more than repair-shop repair supervisors?
Yes, on the BLS medians.
First-line supervisors of mechanics, installers and repairers at automobile dealers had a median of $84,420 in May 2025 on 33,660 jobs, against $70,930 on 46,390 jobs in automotive repair and maintenance, so the dealer median was $13,490 (about 19%) higher (BLS OEWS industry estimates).
BLS publishes no split by vehicle brand or by employer.