Updated October 12, 2026. Data: U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024 (released 2026), plus U.S. Labor Department employer counts for the first quarter of 2026.
The U.S. had 401,679 auto repair and maintenance businesses with no paid employees in 2024, mostly independent mechanics and one-person shops, up 7.6% from 2023. Together they brought in about $24.2 billion. On top of that, 176,086 repair shops with employees had about 1.02 million workers in early 2026. Texas (56,492), Florida (47,869) and California (42,284) had the most self-employed repair businesses. Opening a shop usually means financing lifts and diagnostic tools, so see our guide to small business loans for equipment and working capital.
Self-employed repair businesses per resident
Cars on U.S. roads keep getting older, and new cars and car loans cost more, so many drivers are keeping vehicles longer and fixing them instead of replacing them. That steady repair demand helps explain why the number of independent mechanics keeps growing. Households spent more on repairs in 2025, too: see car repair spending per person.
State-by-state table
Click a column to sort. “Self-employed shops” are businesses with no paid employees. “Shops with employees” and “Mechanic jobs” count repair businesses that have a payroll.
| State | Self-employed shops, 2024 | Per 10,000 residents | Receipts, 2024 | Avg. receipts per shop | Shops with employees, Q1 2026 | Jobs at those shops | Avg. weekly pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | 401,679 | $24.2B | $60,296 | 176,086 | 1,023,143 | $1,065 | |
| Alabama | 7,130 | 13.8 | $357M | $50,107 | 2,585 | 14,252 | $1,001 |
| Alaska | 602 | 8.1 | $41M | $68,855 | 373 | 2,166 | $1,088 |
| Arizona | 8,092 | 10.7 | $535M | $66,133 | 3,310 | 24,032 | $1,116 |
| Arkansas | 4,652 | 15.1 | $270M | $58,141 | 1,654 | 8,774 | $955 |
| California | 42,284 | 10.7 | $2,935M | $69,409 | 20,911 | 120,201 | $1,117 |
| Colorado | 6,307 | 10.6 | $473M | $74,992 | 3,500 | 21,571 | $1,185 |
| Connecticut | 2,344 | 6.4 | $166M | $70,895 | 1,815 | 10,740 | $1,116 |
| Delaware | 896 | 8.5 | $60M | $67,435 | 503 | 2,837 | $1,115 |
| District of Columbia | 174 | 2.5 | $7M | $39,511 | 81 | 392 | $1,159 |
| Florida | 47,869 | 20.5 | $2,443M | $51,037 | 12,157 | 63,250 | $1,065 |
| Georgia | 20,161 | 18.0 | $1,002M | $49,720 | 5,529 | 32,394 | $1,103 |
| Hawaii | 1,111 | 7.7 | $84M | $75,570 | 615 | 3,316 | $1,115 |
| Idaho | 2,405 | 12.0 | $153M | $63,536 | 1,409 | 6,635 | $971 |
| Illinois | 13,583 | 10.7 | $937M | $68,948 | 7,051 | 40,275 | $1,088 |
| Indiana | 6,375 | 9.2 | $368M | $57,712 | 3,760 | 24,414 | $1,022 |
| Iowa | 3,582 | 11.1 | $233M | $65,131 | 2,033 | 11,188 | $987 |
| Kansas | 3,227 | 10.9 | $216M | $67,074 | 1,618 | 9,269 | $935 |
| Kentucky | 6,268 | 13.7 | $368M | $58,762 | 2,263 | 12,657 | $928 |
| Louisiana | 6,682 | 14.5 | $319M | $47,809 | 2,436 | 11,932 | $916 |
| Maine | 1,656 | 11.8 | $106M | $64,195 | 983 | 4,590 | $1,081 |
| Maryland | 5,603 | 8.9 | $348M | $62,134 | 2,857 | 18,359 | $1,171 |
| Massachusetts | 4,515 | 6.3 | $407M | $90,069 | 3,695 | 18,574 | $1,189 |
| Michigan | 9,673 | 9.5 | $542M | $56,024 | 5,665 | 32,609 | $1,046 |
| Minnesota | 4,904 | 8.5 | $355M | $72,342 | 3,217 | 17,607 | $1,158 |
| Mississippi | 5,378 | 18.3 | $219M | $40,709 | 1,560 | 7,601 | $903 |
| Missouri | 7,231 | 11.6 | $442M | $61,154 | 3,763 | 21,762 | $1,029 |
| Montana | 1,567 | 13.8 | $109M | $69,839 | 945 | 4,314 | $1,006 |
| Nebraska | 2,453 | 12.2 | $164M | $67,023 | 1,436 | 8,334 | $976 |
| Nevada | 3,689 | 11.3 | $200M | $54,228 | 1,503 | 9,835 | $1,050 |
| New Hampshire | 1,371 | 9.7 | $134M | $97,478 | 1,104 | 5,507 | $1,211 |
| New Jersey | 7,158 | 7.5 | $563M | $78,632 | 4,444 | 25,578 | $1,131 |
| New Mexico | 2,005 | 9.4 | $103M | $51,127 | 968 | 5,947 | $902 |
| New York | 12,851 | 6.5 | $785M | $61,076 | 8,653 | 46,173 | $1,001 |
| North Carolina | 13,936 | 12.6 | $763M | $54,730 | 5,949 | 35,473 | $997 |
| North Dakota | 882 | 11.1 | $59M | $66,437 | 620 | 3,332 | $1,108 |
| Ohio | 11,427 | 9.6 | $732M | $64,100 | 5,845 | 35,776 | $1,052 |
| Oklahoma | 5,513 | 13.5 | $347M | $62,857 | 2,027 | 11,511 | $950 |
| Oregon | 3,204 | 7.5 | $227M | $70,816 | 2,266 | 13,041 | $1,119 |
| Pennsylvania | 12,677 | 9.7 | $919M | $72,530 | 7,624 | 39,084 | $1,049 |
| Rhode Island | 848 | 7.6 | $55M | $65,271 | 671 | 3,438 | $1,116 |
| South Carolina | 7,160 | 13.1 | $390M | $54,458 | 2,556 | 16,507 | $994 |
| South Dakota | 1,227 | 13.3 | $85M | $69,093 | 778 | 3,639 | $948 |
| Tennessee | 10,059 | 13.9 | $571M | $56,742 | 3,410 | 20,570 | $1,067 |
| Texas | 56,492 | 18.1 | $3,099M | $54,862 | 14,779 | 104,432 | $1,066 |
| Utah | 3,319 | 9.5 | $219M | $65,976 | 2,081 | 13,491 | $944 |
| Vermont | 782 | 12.1 | $59M | $75,822 | 477 | 2,135 | $1,086 |
| Virginia | 8,049 | 9.1 | $459M | $57,021 | 4,420 | 28,187 | $1,068 |
| Washington | 4,897 | 6.2 | $278M | $56,864 | 3,410 | 20,418 | $1,219 |
| West Virginia | 1,579 | 8.9 | $88M | $55,796 | 916 | 3,851 | $874 |
| Wisconsin | 5,122 | 8.6 | $372M | $72,620 | 3,366 | 18,745 | $1,044 |
| Wyoming | 708 | 12.0 | $51M | $71,445 | 495 | 2,428 | $928 |
Thinking about opening a repair shop?
- Licensing varies. Some states (like California and Michigan) register repair shops or certify mechanics; most don’t. Check your state and city, plus any environmental permits for oil, fluids and tires.
- Insurance matters. Customer cars in your bay are a big risk. Garage liability and garagekeepers coverage protect you if a customer’s car is damaged.
- Mobile mechanics skip the shop rent but face higher fuel costs. See gas prices by state and sole proprietor profits by state.
Opening or growing a repair business?
Get a garage and general liability quote from Simply Business. Forming an LLC? Start with ZenBusiness.
We may earn a commission if you use this link. It doesn’t change what you pay, and it doesn’t affect the data on this page.
About the data
- Self-employed shops: U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024, industry “Automotive repair and maintenance,” all legal forms. These are businesses with no paid employees that file business income taxes, including side businesses.
- Shops with employees: U.S. Labor Department, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, first quarter 2026, private employers in the same industry (preliminary).
- Per 10,000 residents uses Census Bureau 2024 population estimates.
- The two counts cover different businesses and shouldn’t be added together as a single “total shops” figure.
Sources
- U.S. Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics
- U.S. Labor Department, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Cite this data
Reporters and bloggers may use these numbers and charts. Please credit StartBusinessByState and link to this page.
Source: StartBusinessByState, “Auto Repair Shops by State: How Many Mechanics Work for Themselves,” https://startbusinessbystate.com/auto-repair-shops-by-state/ (updated October 12, 2026).
FAQ
How many auto repair shops are in the U.S.?
401,679 self-employed auto repair businesses (no paid employees) in 2024, plus 176,086 repair shops with employees in early 2026.
Which state has the most auto repair businesses?
Texas has the most self-employed repair businesses (56,492), followed by Florida (47,869) and California (42,284).
How much does a self-employed mechanic make?
The average self-employed auto repair business took in about $60,296 in 2024. That’s revenue before expenses, and many are part-time.
Is the number of auto repair businesses growing?
Yes. Self-employed repair businesses rose from 373,301 in 2023 to 401,679 in 2024.
Where is this data from?
The U.S. Census Bureau (Nonemployer Statistics) for self-employed businesses, and the U.S. Labor Department for shops with employees.
Last updated October 12, 2026 by StartBusinessByState.