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Tire technician: pay, job outlook and how to become one

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

$57,390median pay per year, or $27.59 an hour, May 2025[1]
  1. $40,150lowest 10% earn less
  2. $47,90025th percentile
  3. $57,390median
  4. $64,38075th percentile
  5. $74,680top 10% earn more
Middle half of workers in the inner band[3]Median for all US jobs, $50,980[4]

The BLS category Tire Builders, which covers tire technician work, had a median pay of $57,390 a year[1]. Employment is projected to grow 0.8% from 2025 to 2035[2].

Job growth, 2025–35
+0.8%[2]
Openings per year
1,900[5]
Typical entry education
High school diploma or equivalent[6]

How much do tire technicians make?

The official BLS title is Tire Builders. In May 2025 the median pay was $57,390 a year, or $27.59 an hour[1]. Half of workers earned more and half earned less[1]. The average was $57,160 a year, or $27.48 an hour[7].

The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $40,150 a year, and the 25th percentile was $47,900[3]. The 75th percentile was $64,380 and the 90th was $74,680[3]. Hourly, the 10th percentile was $19.31 and the 90th was $35.91[8]. A percentile is a boundary, and BLS publishes percentile wages rather than a starting salary[9].

The median for all occupations was $50,980 a year[4]. The median for tire builders was above that[1][4].

These figures cover wage and salary workers. They leave out the self-employed, and they do not include benefits or nonproduction bonuses[10].

Pay by state and city

Among the 20 states with published data, Tennessee had the highest median at $74,100, followed by North Carolina at $63,950 and Illinois at $59,830[11]. Florida had the lowest median in the list at $44,150[11].

North Carolina had the most jobs at 3,750, followed by Tennessee at 1,360 and Indiana at 1,320[12]. Georgia had 940 and Ohio had 780[12].

Among metro areas with at least 100 jobs, Des Moines-West Des Moines had the highest median at $63,060, followed by Jackson, MS at $55,380[13]. Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell had the most jobs at 740, and Fort Wayne, IN had 720[14].

Show median pay in 20 states
StateMedian per yearJobs
Tennessee[11]$74,1001,360
North Carolina$63,9503,750
Illinois$59,830n/a
Ohio$56,370780
Texas$54,880610
Mississippi$53,050710
Indiana$51,1701,320
Iowa$50,600510
Connecticut$48,63090
Oregon$48,380250
New York$46,550530
Maryland$46,29060
Kentucky$46,010270
Oklahoma$45,830n/a
Arizona$45,770130
Pennsylvania$45,270360
California$44,790360
Michigan$44,42080
Georgia$44,220940
Florida$44,150170

How to become a tire technician

The facts describe a route that starts with a diploma and on-the-job learning.

In an ONET survey of 25 workers, 66% said a high school diploma or equivalent is required, 26% said less than a high school diploma, and 7% said a post-secondary certificate[15]. The survey is small, so treat it as a rough picture. ONET places the job in a group needing very little to some preparation[16].

What tire technicians do

O*NET describes the work as operating machines that build tires[17]. Many of the listed tasks involve retreading worn tires[18]. They include:

Sample job titles from workers include retread technician, tire assembler and recapper[19].

Job outlook

BLS projects employment to grow 0.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 20,300 to 20,500 jobs[2]. That compares with projected growth of 3.5% for all occupations[20]. These counts include self-employed workers[2].

BLS expects about 1,900 openings a year on average[5]. Openings include jobs left by workers who switch to other occupations, and new jobs are included too[5]. Each year 3% of workers leave the labor force and 6.3% move to a different occupation[21].

OEWS counted about 20,770 wage and salary jobs in May 2025[22]. This differs from the projection count because the projection count includes the self-employed[2].

Is it a good fit?

The entry path asks for a high school diploma or equivalent, no related experience and moderate-term on-the-job training[6]. Median pay was above the all-occupations median[1][4]. Growth is projected to be slower than for all occupations[2][20]. Jobs are concentrated in a few states, led by North Carolina[12]. Pay varies by state, so it is worth checking the local figure[11].

Related occupations from O*NET, with BLS median pay and projected growth[23].

Frequently asked questions

How much does a tire technician make an hour?
For the BLS category Tire Builders, the median was $27.59 an hour in May 2025, and the average was $27.48[1][7].
What education do you need to be a tire builder?
BLS lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry education, with no related experience and moderate-term on-the-job training[6].
Is tire building in demand?
BLS projects employment to grow 0.8% from 2025 to 2035, against 3.5% for all occupations, with about 1,900 openings a year[2][20][5].
What is the highest paying state for tire builders?
Tennessee had the highest median at $74,100 a year[11].

Facts and sources

  1. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the median wage for Tire Builders in the US was $57,390 per year and $27.59 per hour. Half of workers earned more and half earned less. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  2. BLS Employment Projections: employment of Tire Builders is projected to grow 0.8% from 2025 to 2035, from about 20,300 to 20,500 jobs (a change of +200). These counts include self-employed workers. BLS Employment Projections
  3. BLS OEWS, May 2025, annual wage percentiles for Tire Builders: 10th percentile $40,150, 25th percentile $47,900, 75th percentile $64,380, 90th percentile $74,680. 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 1,900 openings for Tire Builders 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 Tire Builders: education needed for entry: High school diploma or equivalent; work experience in a related occupation: None; typical on-the-job training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. BLS Employment Projections
  7. BLS OEWS, May 2025: the mean (average) wage for Tire Builders was $57,160 per year and $27.48 per hour. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  8. BLS OEWS, May 2025, hourly wage percentiles for Tire Builders: 10th percentile $19.31, 25th percentile $23.03, 75th percentile $30.95, 90th percentile $35.91. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  9. 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
  10. 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
  11. Median annual wage for Tire Builders in every state with published data, May 2025 (table on this page). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  12. BLS OEWS, May 2025, states with the most Tire Builders jobs: North Carolina 3,750; Tennessee 1,360; Indiana 1,320; Georgia 940; Ohio 780. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  13. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the highest median annual wage for Tire Builders (areas with at least 100 jobs): Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA $63,060; Jackson, MS $55,380; Fort Wayne, IN $51,170; Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC $48,690; Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN $46,810; Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA $44,570. BLS OEWS, May 2025
  14. BLS OEWS, May 2025, metro areas with the most Tire Builders jobs: Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA 740 (median $44,570); Fort Wayne, IN 720 (median $51,170); Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA 310 (median $63,060); Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC 280 (median $48,690); Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN 150 (median $46,810); Jackson, MS 130 (median $55,380). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  15. O*NET 51-9197.00 survey of workers (25 respondents), education level they say is required: High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED) 66%, Less than a High School Diploma 26%, Post-Secondary Certificate 7% (levels under 5% not listed). O*NET OnLine
  16. O*NET 51-9197.00: Job Zone 1-2: Very Little to Some Preparation Needed. Some occupations may need little or no previous experience; others require several months to a year of experience. For example, landscaping and groundskeeping workers might require very little training or previous experience, while agricultural equipment operators can benefit from on-the job training. O*NET OnLine
  17. O*NET description of Tire Builders. O*NET OnLine
  18. O*NET task list for Tire Builders. O*NET OnLine
  19. O*NET 51-9197.00 sample job titles reported by workers: Buffer, Recapper, Retread Associate, Retread Technician, Retreader, Tire Assembler, Tire Builder, Tire Retreader. O*NET OnLine
  20. BLS Employment Projections: employment in all occupations is projected to grow 3.5% from 2025 to 2035. BLS Employment Projections
  21. BLS Employment Projections, 2025-35 annual average for Tire Builders: 3% of workers leave the labor force each year and 6.3% move to a different occupation. BLS Employment Projections
  22. BLS OEWS, May 2025: about 20,770 people were employed as Tire Builders in the US (wage and salary jobs, not counting self-employed workers). BLS OEWS, May 2025
  23. 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.

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.