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How Much Does a Bike Mechanic Make? – Average Salary


Written by Gary Johnson / Fact checked by Henry Speciale

how much does a bike mechanic make

Have you ever thought about how much does a bike mechanic make? Is it a lucrative job especially for bike lovers like you? Being a bike mechanic requires skills, education, training, and experience.

Depending on the level of your expertise, a bike mechanic salary also varies. But for an average bike mechanic with the right training and certifications, you can make a yearly salary of $30,000.

What Is a Bicycle Mechanic?

The bicycle has been a thriving industry nowadays and has been an ongoing topic on Reddit, as well. You will normally see cyclists from everywhere, young and old, and regardless of gender, riding a bicycle on public roads. This also indicates that along with the proliferation of bikers and bicycles today, the need for a bike mechanic became on-demand.

A bike mechanic is your bicycle’s best friend, especially when the bike parts are faulty, and not going well. The mechanic works with clients having bicycles that need repair or evaluation. A bike mechanic will perform an overall assessment of the equipment, and make the necessary adjustment, replacement, or repair.

The mechanic is also highly involved in the cleaning and testing of the parts of a bicycle. You can make the mechanic your go-to consultant, particularly when you want an upgrade or replacement. The mechanic typically comes up with a quote for you, so you can improve or enhance the performance of your bike.

Becoming a Bike Mechanic

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Being a bike mechanic can provide you with a decent and stable job, especially if you put passion, technique, and hard work into it. But there are steps you need to take in order to become a certified bike mechanic and apply it to your personal business.

Here are the things you need to do to become a bicycle mechanic:

1. Earn a high school diploma or GED

You do not need a college degree in order to become a bike mechanic. Since it is a skill-based profession, it is essential that you finish high school or obtain GED (General Education Development). This will help you get employed in a sporting store and bicycle shops initially.

You can acquire the necessary skills for being a bike mechanic from work and employment experience. It is important that you land a job in line with the path you want to take. Looking for employment in sports shops and bike repair shops can help you become a bike mechanic.

Along with the experience, bike-short courses can help you gain more knowledge about the industry. The programs can also improve your skills in repairing bicycles and may provide you with the necessary technique to become an excellent mechanic.

2. Enroll in a bike repair course

You need to understand the anatomy of a bicycle and how this equipment works in order to become a bike mechanic. Specialization courses such as advanced bike repair courses can help you achieve more knowledge and techniques about bicycles.

The United States offers bike repair courses for interested individuals. Here you can obtain extensive education, receive the right information, and learn from the experts about maintaining and repairing a bike.

Depending on the time and budget you have, you can enroll in a one-day bike repair course or a more intensive program that can take up to one month. The longer the duration of the program, the more knowledge you gain, and the more technique and skills you can get.

3. Get the right experience

After you obtain the right knowledge and skills, you will not be able to practice it entirely if you land a different job. It is important to look for work or employment where you can practice your bike repair skills.

You will not instantly become a mechanic, but if you can observe other experts doing the work, you can gain a lot from them. The knowledge and the experience you get from the same industry will prepare you to become a bike mechanic in the future.

With the right job, you can be immersed in the different types of bikes, engines, and brands that help supplement all the things that you learn from the training center.

4. Get certified

If you feel confident about your training and skills, you can get yourself certified to officially become a bike mechanic. You can check the United Bicycle Institute and the Barnett Bicycle Institute for accreditation and certifications, too.

You can also check some schools in the US that help you get your certification. This certification can help you advance in your career, be more competitive, and increase your bicycle mechanic salary.

5. Up your skills

If you want to become the best bike mechanic in your community, it is important to grow your skills. It can help increase your value as a bike mechanic and make you competitive when you want to look for another job. Improving your skills will also give you more confidence to start your own bike repair business in the future.

Here are the skills you can learn in order to become an excellent bike mechanic:

  • Building wheels
  • Assembling and disassembling bikes
  • Replacing of the crank arm
  • Overhauling of parts
  • Adjusting bicycle screws
  • Turning up bikes
  • Repairing center brakes
  • Replacement of derailleurs

Salary Rate of Bike Mechanic

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How much do bicycle mechanics make? According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS, the national average salary wage of being a bike repairer is about $30,000 per year. The number has a projected growth rate of 5% in ten years. Compared to other skill jobs, the salary growth is faster for bike mechanics, too.

As a bike mechanic, you can work full time or hourly depending on the amount of time you want to spend in the industry. You can receive an hourly rate of $12 if you opt for a part-time job. Besides the basic rate, you can also earn benefits such as insurance, overtime pay, and other bonuses working as a bike mechanic.

The $12 hourly rate can potentially increase depending on your years of experience, skills, and techniques. You can reach up to $16 per hour if you have reached a higher level of expertise as a bike mechanic or around $2,560 a month.

Here are the factors you can consider that can affect the salary of a bike mechanic:

1. Expertise and years of experience

Of course, mastery does matter. If you are an expert in the field and have done the most difficult and challenging job as a bike mechanic, you will receive a higher bike mechanic pay.

An experienced mechanic or shop owner obviously receives a higher income than enter-level mechanics. Beginners receive almost 19% less income than the average bike mechanic, too.

2. Industry

If you are working for a bike shop or sporting store, you can earn more than a standard bike mechanic working at a rental store. Most of the bike mechanics in the US today work in a sporting store and earn their monthly income from the said industry.

Those who work as freelancers or only do personal repairs can earn more than those in the bike shop. You can earn $20 per hour. Or if you want to know how much do mechanics make a year in this industry, the answer is as high as $43,130 a year.

3. Location

Location is another factor you should consider if you are working as a mechanic. There are states in the United States that pay higher to a bike mechanic compared to others:

  • California
  • Colorado
  • Michigan
  • Minnesota
  • New York

Working as a mechanic in California allows you to earn a yearly bike technician salary rate of $37,220. This is one of the highest-paying states in the country, as well.

Conclusion

Being a bike mechanic seems like a good career path nowadays. If you know how to navigate the industry and have acquired the necessary skills, you can make it a long-term profession.

With the bike mechanic’s growing salary every year, you can be confident that you will be able to enjoy a decent and stable income as a certified bike mechanic. But remember, how much does a bike mechanic makes highly depends on your expertise, talents, and skill level.

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