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Auto mechanic schools in California
California has 81 accredited campuses awarding auto tech credentials. If you finish and work as an automotive technician in California, expect to start around $38,180–$46,580 and reach a median of $64,980 with experience; the top quarter earn $77,060 or more (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, California). Graduates of these California programs — every graduate, whatever job they took — earned a median of $31,761 in their first year, against $33,710 nationally; that is the figure used to rank campuses below.
What automotive service technicians and mechanics earn in California
$38,180starting (10th percentile)
$46,580early career (25th)
$64,980median, all experience
$77,060experienced (75th)
$95,280top earners (90th)
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; 65,420 employed in California. National median: $50,620.
Campuses in California, ranked by what their graduates earned
81campuses in California
5,718credentials awarded / yr
$31,761median earnings, yr 1 (California)
$33,710median earnings, yr 1 (U.S.)
Cities: AlamedaBakersfieldBaldwin ParkBarstowBlytheChula VistaColtonComptonCupertinoCypressEl CajonEurekaFairfieldFresnoFullertonGarden GroveGardenaGlendoraHaywardHuntington BeachImperialJoshua TreeKentfieldLancasterLivermoreLong BeachLos AngelesMarysvilleMercedMission ViejoModestoMontereyMonterey ParkNorwalkOceansideOrovilleOxnardPalm DesertPasadenaPittsburg
| Campus | City | Type | Grads / yr | Earnings, yr 1 | Program debt | Completion | Cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Valley College | Victorville | Public community college | 28 | $40,033 | not reported | 62% | not reported |
| Universal Technical Institute-Southern California | Long Beach | for-profit career college | 551 | $39,375 | $13,132 | 63% | $33,041 |
| Universal Technical Institute of California Inc | Rancho Cucamonga | for-profit career college | 516 | $39,375 | $17,336 | 72% | $31,689 |
| San Diego Miramar College | San Diego | Public community college | 71 | $39,009 | not reported | 49% | not reported |
| Universal Technical Institute of Northern California Inc | Sacramento | for-profit career college | 477 | $37,003 | $17,331 | 65% | $34,337 |
| Los Angeles Trade Technical College | Los Angeles | Public technical college | 169 | $36,508 | not reported | 35% | not reported |
| UEI College-Gardena | Gardena | for-profit career college | 82 | $27,015 | $9,500 | 60% | $34,105 |
| UEI College-Sacramento | Sacramento | for-profit career college | 54 | $27,015 | $9,500 | 60% | $33,919 |
| CET-San Jose | San Jose | non-profit career school | 23 | $26,997 | $7,251 | 81% | $24,566 |
| CET-Colton | Colton | non-profit career school | 7 | $26,997 | $7,251 | 72% | $23,513 |
| UEI College-Bakersfield | Bakersfield | for-profit career college | 112 | $21,768 | $9,500 | 69% | $32,499 |
| Cypress College | Cypress | Public college | 222 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Oxnard College | Oxnard | Public community college | 188 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Santa Rosa Junior College | Santa Rosa | Public community college | 178 | not reported | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| Cosumnes River College | Sacramento | Public community college | 165 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| De Anza College | Cupertino | Public community college | 150 | not reported | not reported | 68% | not reported |
| UEI College-Chula Vista | Chula Vista | for-profit career college | 138 | not reported | $9,500 | 71% | $34,257 |
| UEI College-West Covina | West Covina | for-profit career college | 132 | not reported | $9,500 | 67% | $32,425 |
| UEI College-Oceanside | Oceanside | for-profit career college | 116 | not reported | $9,500 | 69% | $34,243 |
| Ventura College | Ventura | Public community college | 112 | not reported | not reported | 39% | not reported |
| Bakersfield College | Bakersfield | Public college | 106 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| UEI College-Garden Grove | Garden Grove | for-profit career college | 101 | not reported | $9,500 | 63% | $33,738 |
| Cerritos College | Norwalk | Public community college | 97 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| San Joaquin Delta College | Stockton | Public community college | 93 | not reported | not reported | 35% | not reported |
| Rio Hondo College | Whittier | Public college | 88 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Pasadena City College | Pasadena | Public community college | 84 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| Citrus College | Glendora | Public community college | 83 | not reported | not reported | 41% | not reported |
| Compton College | Compton | Public community college | 81 | not reported | not reported | 27% | not reported |
| Santa Ana College | Santa Ana | Public college | 76 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Riverside City College | Riverside | Public community college | 70 | not reported | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| Chaffey College | Rancho Cucamonga | Public community college | 65 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Merced College | Merced | Public community college | 65 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Allan Hancock College | Santa Maria | Public community college | 59 | not reported | not reported | 26% | not reported |
| Long Beach City College | Long Beach | Public community college | 59 | not reported | not reported | 30% | not reported |
| Modesto Junior College | Modesto | Public college | 51 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| East Los Angeles College | Monterey Park | Public community college | 50 | not reported | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| MiraCosta College | Oceanside | Public college | 47 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| El Camino Community College District | Torrance | Public community college | 45 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| Evergreen Valley College | San Jose | Public community college | 45 | not reported | not reported | 41% | not reported |
| Fullerton College | Fullerton | Public community college | 42 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Solano Community College | Fairfield | Public college | 40 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Saddleback College | Mission Viejo | Public community college | 39 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| Contra Costa College | San Pablo | Public community college | 38 | not reported | not reported | 28% | not reported |
| Los Medanos College | Pittsburg | Public community college | 36 | not reported | not reported | 41% | not reported |
| Southwestern College | Chula Vista | Public community college | 36 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| College of the Sequoias | Visalia | Public community college | 34 | not reported | not reported | 39% | not reported |
| Golden West College | Huntington Beach | Public community college | 34 | not reported | not reported | 49% | not reported |
| Reedley College | Reedley | Public community college | 34 | not reported | not reported | 42% | not reported |
| American River College | Sacramento | Public community college | 32 | not reported | not reported | 37% | not reported |
| San Bernardino Valley College | San Bernardino | Public community college | 30 | not reported | not reported | 28% | not reported |
| College of the Desert | Palm Desert | Public community college | 29 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Yuba College | Marysville | Public community college | 29 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| Butte College | Oroville | Public community college | 27 | not reported | not reported | 45% | not reported |
| Chabot College | Hayward | Public community college | 26 | not reported | not reported | 47% | not reported |
| College of Marin | Kentfield | Public community college | 24 | not reported | not reported | 39% | not reported |
| Fresno City College | Fresno | Public community college | 22 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Cuesta College | San Luis Obispo | Public community college | 21 | not reported | not reported | 48% | not reported |
| Antelope Valley Community College District | Lancaster | Public college | 20 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| College of Alameda | Alameda | Public community college | 20 | not reported | not reported | 33% | not reported |
| Santa Barbara City College | Santa Barbara | Public community college | 20 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| City College of San Francisco | San Francisco | Public community college | 19 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| Los Angeles Pierce College | Woodland Hills | Public community college | 18 | not reported | not reported | 46% | not reported |
| Mt San Jacinto Community College District | San Jacinto | Public community college | 18 | not reported | not reported | 36% | not reported |
| Monterey Peninsula College | Monterey | Public community college | 16 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| Palo Verde College | Blythe | Public community college | 15 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Palomar College | San Marcos | Public community college | 15 | not reported | not reported | 38% | not reported |
| Imperial Valley College | Imperial | Public community college | 14 | not reported | not reported | 45% | not reported |
| Mendocino College | Ukiah | Public community college | 14 | not reported | not reported | 25% | not reported |
| Skyline College | San Bruno | Public college | 13 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| College of the Redwoods | Eureka | Public community college | 12 | not reported | not reported | 34% | not reported |
| Las Positas College | Livermore | Public community college | 11 | not reported | not reported | 53% | not reported |
| Barstow Community College | Barstow | Public community college | 10 | not reported | not reported | 39% | not reported |
| College of the Canyons | Santa Clarita | Public community college | 10 | not reported | not reported | 45% | not reported |
| Hartnell College | Salinas | Public community college | 10 | not reported | not reported | 40% | not reported |
| Columbia College | Sonora | Public community college | 8 | not reported | not reported | 27% | not reported |
| Cuyamaca College | El Cajon | Public community college | 8 | not reported | not reported | 41% | not reported |
| Baldwin Park Adult & Community Education | Baldwin Park | Public community college | 6 | not reported | not reported | 71% | $11,859 |
| Lassen Community College | Susanville | Public community college | 6 | not reported | not reported | 31% | not reported |
| Academy of Art University | San Francisco | for-profit university | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
| Copper Mountain Community College | Joshua Tree | Public community college | 2 | not reported | not reported | 20% | not reported |
| Shasta College | Redding | Public college | 2 | not reported | not reported | not reported | not reported |
Earnings are median wages and self-employment income reported to the IRS (W-2 and Schedule SE) for graduates who received federal aid and were working and not enrolled, measured in the calendar year after finishing. They are pay only: health insurance, retirement contributions and other benefits are not included.
Ranked by median earnings of this program's graduates one year after completion (College Scorecard field-of-study, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) 2022-23 Completions survey; College Scorecard June 2026; Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs (DAPIP), September 2026); campuses without a reported figure follow, by credentials awarded. "Program debt" is the median federal loan debt for graduates of this program at this campus. Completion is the campus-wide 150%-of-time rate. "Not reported" means the federal file suppresses the value for privacy.
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