Career Atlas USA

Motorcycle Mechanics

Median salary
$48,580
Average salary
$52,370
Employment
13,510
Projected growth
5.3% growth
Annual openings
1,500
Typical entry education
Postsecondary nondegree award

What Motorcycle Mechanics Do

Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, dirt bikes, or similar motorized vehicles.

See full salary breakdown & percentiles →

Career Outlook

National employment outlook, 20242034.

Related work experience
None
On-the-job training
Short-term on-the-job training
Self-employed
8%

Source: BLS Employment Projections — 2024-2034.

How Much Preparation Does This Take?

Job Zone 3 of 5

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Experience
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations.
Education
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Job training
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Source: O*NET Job Zones.

Key Knowledge Areas

Subject-matter areas this occupation draws on most, per O*NET.

  • Mechanicalimportance 4.8/5
  • English Languageimportance 3.5/5
  • Customer and Personal Serviceimportance 3.4/5
  • Computers and Electronicsimportance 3.3/5
  • Mathematicsimportance 3.1/5
  • Education and Trainingimportance 3.1/5
  • Sales and Marketingimportance 2.5/5
  • Engineering and Technologyimportance 2.4/5

Work Environment

What the day-to-day work setting is like, per O*NET.

  • Spend Time Using Your Hands to Handle, Control, or Feel Objects, Tools, or Controls5.0/5
  • Exposed to Contaminants5.0/5
  • Spend Time Standing4.9/5
  • Frequency of Decision Making4.9/5
  • Exposed to Sounds, Noise Levels that are Distracting or Uncomfortable4.7/5
  • Wear Common Protective or Safety Equipment such as Safety Shoes, Glasses, Gloves, Hearing Protection, Hard Hats, or Life Jackets4.7/5

Careers With Similar Skills

Occupations whose Transferable Skills profile most closely matches this one — a mathematical comparison, not observed data about people actually moving between these careers.

Transferable Skills

Cross-functional skills this occupation draws on most, per O*NET — the kind that carry over to other careers.

  • Troubleshootingimportance 3.9/5
  • Repairingimportance 3.9/5
  • Equipment Maintenanceimportance 3.5/5
  • Complex Problem Solvingimportance 3.1/5
  • Operations Monitoringimportance 3.1/5
  • Operation and Controlimportance 3.1/5
  • Quality Control Analysisimportance 3.1/5
  • Judgment and Decision Makingimportance 3.1/5

Software & Technologies

Tools and software used in this occupation, per O*NET.

Other Software Used

  • AbbottSoft QuickFix
  • DealerTrax ShopOrder
  • Inventory tracking software
  • LightSpeed Cloud
  • Santa Maria Software Counterman Pro
  • TRACKUM Repair Manager

Work Style

Personal work characteristics that matter most for this occupation, per O*NET.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Dependability
  • Perseverance
  • Cautiousness
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Achievement Orientation
  • Integrity

Career Interests

This occupation’s RIASEC interest profile, per O*NET — how strongly it fits each of the six Holland interest types.

  • RealisticHigh
  • ConventionalMedium
  • InvestigativeMedium
  • SocialLow
  • ArtisticLow
  • EnterprisingLow

This page includes information from the O*NET 30.3 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.

Where This Career Is Most Concentrated

Metro areas where motorcycle mechanics make up the largest share of local employment, relative to the national average (BLS location quotient).

  1. 1Rapid City, SD10.91× national avg
  2. 2Anchorage, AK9.26× national avg
  3. 3Sioux Falls, SD-MN2.99× national avg
  4. 4Ogden, UT2.43× national avg
  5. 5Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA1.76× national avg

Possible Career Moves

A computed starting point, not observed job-change data — see the full list for why each one might fit.

See the full career path from Motorcycle Mechanics

Related Education Programs

Schools that offer related fields of study, based on the NCES CIP-SOC crosswalk — not a guarantee that graduates enter this specific career.

Full salary data & percentiles →Best states for this career →Highest-paying states →