Best programs to become a motorcycle mechanic
You do not need a college degree to become a motorcycle mechanic. BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award (a certificate) as the typical entry-level education. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician (IPEDS completions).
1 college program at 28 schools trains motorcycle mechanics, graduating 852 people a year (IPEDS completions). The job pays a median of $48,580 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
About motorcycle mechanics
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul motorcycles, scooters, mopeds, dirt bikes, or similar motorized vehicles.
Best programs to study to become a motorcycle mechanic
Ranked by graduates per year (IPEDS completions). Graduate earnings and debt are College Scorecard figures for people who finished the program, reported at the 4-digit CIP level, so specializations within one field share a figure. That is a different measurement from the occupation-wide wages further down this page.
| # | Program | Graduates / yr | Share of pipeline | Schools | Grad earnings (1 yr) | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CIP 47.0611 | 852 | 100.0% | 28 | $37,089 | $11,790 |
Top 28 schools by graduates into this job
Counting every feeder program a school offers, not just its largest one.
Fields of study that lead to this job
Grouped at the 4-digit CIP level, the tier our program pages are built on. Numbers are graduates per year.
What motorcycle mechanics earn
What people already working in this job earn (BLS OEWS May 2025). Not graduate earnings.
Top-paying states
Top-paying metro areas
Job outlook
Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2024 to 2034.
Where the jobs are, state by state
Pick a state for in-state pay, the schools there, and the programs they run.
| State | Median pay | Jobs | Concentration | Schools | Graduates / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizonalimited | $44,190 | 240 | 0.85× | 1 | 322 |
| Floridalimited | $48,700 | 730 | 0.85× | 1 | 264 |
| Ohiolimited | $44,280 | 520 | 1.09× | 1 | 34 |
| North Carolinalimited | $48,670 | 440 | 1.03× | 2 | 28 |
| Oklahomalimited | $44,740 | 240 | 1.64× | 2 | 26 |
| Tennesseemoderate | $47,300 | 320 | 1.12× | 3 | 20 |
| Massachusettslimited | $48,940 | — | — | 1 | 19 |
| Coloradolimited | $56,850 | 420 | 1.67× | 1 | 16 |
| Michiganlimited | $40,100 | 310 | 0.82× | 1 | 14 |
| New Hampshirelimited | $62,890 | 130 | 2.14× | 2 | 12 |
| Kansaslimited | — | 260 | 2.08× | 1 | 10 |
| Texaslimited | $53,330 | 1,170 | 0.96× | 2 | 9 |
| Utahlimited | $43,820 | 170 | 1.14× | 1 | 7 |
| Minnesotalimited | $58,280 | 350 | 1.36× | 1 | 6 |
| Iowalimited | $44,840 | 300 | 2.25× | 1 | 5 |
| Illinoislimited | $41,630 | 290 | 0.55× | 1 | 4 |
| Pennsylvanialimited | $50,050 | 490 | 0.92× | 1 | 4 |
| South Dakotalimited | $46,490 | 200 | 4.95× | 1 | 4 |
| Georgialimited | $43,050 | 250 | 0.58× | 1 | 1 |
Skills and knowledge
From O*NET, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational database. Importance is a 1 to 5 scale.
What they do day to day
- Mount, balance, change, or check condition or pressure of tires.
- Replace defective parts, using hand tools, arbor presses, flexible power presses, or power tools.
- Dismantle engines and repair or replace defective parts, such as magnetos, carburetors, or generators.
- Connect test panels to engines and measure generator output, ignition timing, or other engine performance indicators.
- Listen to engines, examine vehicle frames, or confer with customers to determine nature and extent of malfunction or damage.
- Repair or replace other parts, such as headlights, horns, handlebar controls, gasoline or oil tanks, starters, or mufflers.
- Disassemble subassembly units and examine condition, movement, or alignment of parts, visually or using gauges.
- Repair or adjust motorcycle subassemblies, such as forks, transmissions, brakes, or drive chains, according to specifications.
Skills
- Active Learning3.1
- Active Listening3.1
- Critical Thinking3.1
- Monitoring3.1
- Speaking3.1
- Reading Comprehension3.0
- Writing2.8
- Learning Strategies2.6
Knowledge areas
- Mechanical4.8
- English Language3.5
- Customer and Personal Service3.4
- Computers and Electronics3.3
- Mathematics3.1
- Education and Training3.1
Abilities
- Manual Dexterity3.9
- Finger Dexterity3.9
- Inductive Reasoning3.9
- Deductive Reasoning3.9
- Hearing Sensitivity3.8
- Arm-Hand Steadiness3.8
Core activities
- Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment4.5
- Making Decisions and Solving Problems4.5
- Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment4.3
- Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Materials4.3
- Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings4.3
- Getting Information4.3
How to get in
How to become a motorcycle mechanic
- Typical entry education
- Postsecondary nondegree award
- On-the-job training
- Short-term on-the-job training
Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.
Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.
Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Every major mapped to this job
The official federal mapping behind the rankings above.
All 1 majors mapped to Motorcycle Mechanics1 of them graduated someone in the latest IPEDS year. NCES CIP 2020 → SOC 2018 crosswalk.+
- 47.0611Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician
Related careers
Jobs O*NET identifies as close to this one, with their own pay and outlook.
Common questions
What degree do you need to become a motorcycle mechanic?+
You do not need a college degree to become a motorcycle mechanic. BLS lists a postsecondary nondegree award (a certificate) as the typical entry-level education. The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician (IPEDS completions).
Which college majors lead to becoming a motorcycle mechanic?+
The field of study that leads most directly to this job is Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Technology/Technician (IPEDS completions). In all, the NCES CIP-to-SOC crosswalk maps 1 program to this job, which graduates about 852 people a year.
How much do motorcycle mechanics earn?+
The median is $48,580 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025). The middle range runs from $34,770 at the 10th percentile to $74,400 at the 90th. This is pay for people already working in the occupation, not the same thing as graduate earnings one year after finishing a degree.
Is demand for motorcycle mechanics growing?+
BLS projects a +5.3% change in employment between 2024 and 2034, faster than average, with roughly 1,500 openings a year nationally once retirements and job changes are counted.
How many schools offer programs for this career?+
28 institutions reported graduates from at least one of the 1 program that feed this occupation in IPEDS 2024-25. Rankings on this page use graduates per year, because the federal data publishes no enrollment count by program.
What other job titles do motorcycle mechanics work under?+
Employers advertise this work under many names. O*NET records Service Technician, Motorcycle Mechanic, Motorcycle Technician, All Terrain Vehicle Technician (ATV Technician) among the most commonly reported, all mapping to SOC 49-3052.
About the data on this page
Rankings use IPEDS completions 2024-25, degrees awarded per year. That is the closest federal measure of how many people a program puts into a career, because no federal dataset publishes enrollment by program. Wages and employment come from BLS OEWS May 2025, growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections 2024-34, and which majors lead to which jobs from the NCES CIP 2020 to SOC 2018 crosswalk. Occupation descriptions, tasks, skills and tools are O*NET 30.3 (CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor/ETA).
BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics
May 2025Wages, employment counts, location quotients and metro breakdowns.
BLS Employment Projections
2024–34Projected growth, annual openings and typical entry-level education.
IPEDS Completions
2024-25 (provisional)Graduates per year by program and institution — the ranking metric.
College Scorecard, Field of Study
2020-21 cohortsMedian graduate earnings one year after completion, and median debt.
Census Post-Secondary Employment Outcomes
latest availableGraduate earnings 1/5/10 years out, where the state participates.
NCES CIP 2020 and the CIP-to-SOC 2018 crosswalk
CIP 2020 / SOC 2018Which college programs officially lead to this occupation.
O*NET Database 30.3
30.3Tasks, skills, knowledge, tools, job zone and alternate job titles.
Official source →CC BY 4.0, U.S. Department of Labor / ETA
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