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Automotive detailer: pay, job outlook and how to get started

Updated October 28, 2026. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and O*NET data. Published by Humblebee.

$35,830median pay per year, or $17.23 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $27,380lowest 10% earn less
  2. $30,42025th percentile
  3. $35,830median
  4. $41,04075th percentile
  5. $47,610top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

Automotive detailers fall under the BLS category Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment, which had a median pay of $35,830 a year in May 2025[1]. Employment is projected to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+3.9%[2]
Openings per year
51,500[5]
Typical entry education
No formal educational credential[6]

How much do automotive detailers make?

The BLS category that includes the automotive detailer is Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment[7]. Its median pay was $35,830 a year, or $17.23 an hour, in May 2025[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. The average was $36,980 a year, or $17.78 an hour[8]. The median for all US occupations was $50,980[4], so this job paid less than the typical US job.

Here are the percentile wages:

Measure Annual Hourly
10th percentile[3][9] $27,380 $13.17
25th percentile[3][9] $30,420 $14.62
Median[1] $35,830 $17.23
75th percentile[3][9] $41,040 $19.73
90th percentile[3][9] $47,610 $22.89

A percentile is a boundary. The lowest-paid 10% of workers earned less than $27,380[3]. BLS does not publish a starting salary[10].

The figures cover wage and salary workers, part time and full time. They leave out the self-employed and do not include bonuses or the cost of benefits[11]. About 380,430 people held these jobs[12]. In the projection data, 7.9% of workers in this category were self-employed in 2025[13].

Pay by state and city

The District of Columbia had the highest median at $42,710[14]. Alaska was next at $40,210, then Washington at $40,070[14]. Louisiana had the lowest published median at $27,600[14].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Grand Island, NE had the highest median at $50,320[15]. Decatur, IL followed at $49,370[15], and St. Joseph, MO-KS at $49,140[15].

California had the most jobs at 46,030[16]. Texas had 37,750 and Florida had 24,920[16]. The largest metro area was New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ with 19,280 jobs and a median of $41,540[17]. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA had 15,950 jobs[17].

Show median pay in 50 states and DC
StateMedian per yearJobs
District of Columbia[14]$42,710350
Alaska$40,210620
Washington$40,0708,270
Colorado$39,6106,750
Vermont$39,530620
New York$39,39020,390
Massachusetts$38,6305,100
Oregon$38,0705,550
California$37,92046,030
Minnesota$37,5804,460
Hawaii$37,5601,180
Delaware$37,4401,280
Maine$37,4401,150
New Hampshire$37,4201,030
Kansas$37,3706,410
Rhode Island$37,340780
North Dakota$37,2901,330
Nebraska$37,1604,570
New Jersey$37,0909,930
Montana$36,5101,490
Maryland$36,3906,010
Illinois$35,93016,350
Iowa$35,9204,190
Connecticut$35,8703,480
Idaho$35,6402,840
Arizona$35,4106,260
Wisconsin$35,2807,040
Ohio$35,23013,750
South Dakota$35,0501,510
Arkansas$34,9705,140
Tennessee$34,9508,420
Indiana$34,9407,520
Utah$34,9004,580
Missouri$34,6709,150
Pennsylvania$34,65011,710
Kentucky$34,4705,580
Virginia$34,4508,860
Nevada$34,2303,790
South Carolina$34,2305,720
Michigan$33,89010,320
Wyoming$33,890720
North Carolina$33,47013,820
Florida$33,38024,920
Oklahoma$30,8805,080
Georgia$30,61012,180
New Mexico$30,3101,820
Texas$29,45037,750
West Virginia$29,3901,260
Alabama$29,3606,440
Mississippi$28,6402,790
Louisiana$27,6004,140

How to get started as a detailer

BLS lists no formal educational credential and no related work experience as typical for this category[6]. The training details below come from a BLS profile of hand laborers and material movers, which covers a wider group of occupations that includes this one[18].

Some workers in the wider group need a state-issued license. The profile's example is garbage and recycling collectors who drive large trucks[22]. The facts do not list a license for detailers.

Useful qualities include attention to detail, courtesy with customers, listening to instructions and physical stamina[23][24][25][26].

What automotive detailers do

Cleaners of vehicles and equipment wash and clean vehicles, machinery and other equipment with water, cleaning agents, brushes, cloths and hoses[27]. Common tasks include:

Workers report job titles such as Auto Detailer, Car Washer, Bus Cleaner, Aircraft Cleaner and Detail Technician[7].

Where they work

The workplace details here describe the wider group of hand laborers and material movers[18]. The work is usually repetitive and physically demanding. It can mean lifting and carrying, and bending or crouching in awkward positions[29]. The profile says this wider group has some of the highest injury and illness rates of any occupations, and it mentions bending while cleaning a vehicle as one cause of strains[30].

Most workers in the wider group work full time, though part-time work is common. Schedules vary and can include nights and weekends[31]. Retail trade was the largest employer of the wider group at 35% in 2025[32].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment of cleaners of vehicles and equipment to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035[2]. That is from about 419,500 to 435,800 jobs, a gain of 16,300[2]. Employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5%[33]. The projection counts include self-employed workers, while the pay data count wage and salary jobs only[2][12].

BLS projects about 51,500 openings a year on average[5]. Openings include jobs that come up when people retire or switch occupations, not only new jobs[5]. Each year, 5% of workers leave the labor force and 6.7% move to a different occupation[34].

Is it a good fit?

The facts describe a job that is easy to enter. No formal education or related experience is typical, and training is short[6]. Pay is below the all-occupations median[1][4]. Growth is a little faster than the all-occupations rate, and openings are plentiful at about 51,500 a year[2][33][5]. The work is physical and can strain the body[29][30]. Pay differs by state, so compare your own area in the figures above[14].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[35].

Frequently asked questions

How much does an automotive detailer make an hour?
In the BLS category Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment, the median was $17.23 an hour in May 2025 and the average was $17.78[1][8].
What education do you need to be an automotive detailer?
BLS lists no formal educational credential as typical for this category[6].
How long does training take?
BLS lists short-term on-the-job training[6]. For the wider group of hand laborers and material movers, it usually lasts 1 month or less[19].
What is the highest paying state for cleaners of vehicles and equipment?
The District of Columbia had the highest median at $42,710, followed by Alaska at $40,210[14].
Is this job in demand?
BLS projects 3.9% growth from 2025 to 2035 and about 51,500 openings a year[2][5].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment in the US was $35,830 per year and $17.23 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment is projected to grow 3.9% from 2025 to 2035, from about 419,500 to 435,800 jobs (a change of +16,300). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment: 10th percentile $27,380, 25th percentile $30,420, 75th percentile $41,040, 90th percentile $47,610. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  4. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median annual wage for all occupations in the US was $50,980. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  5. BLS Employment Projections: about 51,500 openings for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment are projected each year, on average, from 2025 to 2035. Openings include jobs that open when workers retire or move to other occupations, not only new jobs. BLS Employment Projections
  6. BLS Employment Projections, typical path into Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment: education needed for entry: No formal educational credential; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Short-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. O*NET 53-7061.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Aircraft Cleaner, Automotive Detailer (Auto Detailer), Bus Cleaner, Car Detailer, Car Washer, Cleaner, Detail Technician (Detail Tech), Detailer. O*NET OnLine
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment was $36,980 per year and $17.78 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment: 10th percentile $13.17, 25th percentile $14.62, 75th percentile $19.73, 90th percentile $22.89. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  10. BLS OEWS FAQ: a percentile wage is a boundary. The median (50th percentile) separates the highest-paid 50% from the lowest-paid 50% of workers in the occupation. OEWS publishes percentile wages, not a starting salary. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  11. BLS OEWS FAQ: OEWS covers part-time and full-time workers paid a wage or salary. It does not cover the self-employed, owners and partners in unincorporated firms, household workers or unpaid family workers. OEWS wages do not include nonproduction bonuses or employer costs of benefits such as health insurance or retirement contributions. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 380,430 people were employed as Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS Employment Projections: 7.9% of Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment were self-employed in 2025. BLS Employment Projections
  14. Median annual wage for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment (areas with at least 100 jobs): Grand Island, NE $50,320; Decatur, IL $49,370; St. Joseph, MO-KS $49,140; Longview-Kelso, WA $47,350; Sioux City, IA-NE-SD $44,440; San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA $44,350; San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA $43,680; Greeley, CO $42,920. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  16. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment jobs: California 46,030; Texas 37,750; Florida 24,920; New York 20,390; Illinois 16,350. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  17. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment jobs: New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ 19,280 (median $41,540); Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 15,950 (median $37,540); Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN 12,030 (median $36,580); Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 9,970 (median $31,350); Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX 9,020 (median $29,650); Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 7,040 (median $31,690). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  18. The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profile "Hand Laborers and Material Movers" covers Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment together with other related occupations, so its text describes the wider group. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  19. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  20. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Education. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  21. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Training. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  22. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  23. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  24. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  25. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  26. Occupational Outlook Handbook, How to Become One: Important Qualities. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  27. O*NET description of Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment. O*NET OnLine
  28. O*NET task list for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment. O*NET OnLine
  29. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  30. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Injuries and Illnesses. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  31. Occupational Outlook Handbook, Work Environment: Work Schedules. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  32. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, largest employers of hand laborers and material movers in 2025: Retail trade 35%. BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook
  33. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  34. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment: 5% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6.7% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  35. Related occupations (O*NET) with BLS pay, growth and entry education. O*NET OnLine

Notes are for reading the data only. They are not facts and cannot be cited: use the wage_scope and percentile_meaning facts instead. OEWS employment (jobs in May 2025) and Employment Projections employment (2025, includes self-employed) are different measures and can differ. O*NET education shares come from a small survey of workers in the occupation, not from all workers. The Occupational Outlook Handbook text covers a wider group of occupations than this page.

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 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. CareerFacts has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.