Lube Tech Hours and Wages: At a Glance
On average, how many hours per week are lube technicians working and how much are they being paid?
The 2025 NOLN Operator Survey asked shop leaders about the work schedules and compensation for the techs working in their bays. Here’s a breakdown of what they told us:
Average weekly hours per tech
|
Less than 35 |
2.9% |
|
35 to 40 |
67.1% |
|
40+ |
30.0% |
Average starting wage for lube techs
|
$9 to $11 |
1.4% |
|
$11 to $13 |
10.0% |
|
$13 to $15 |
28.6% |
|
Over $15 |
60.0% |
Average hourly wage for all lube techs
|
$11 to $13 |
2.9% |
|
$13 to $15 |
18.8% |
|
Over $15 |
78.3% |
Flashback
For our annual Operator Survey, NOLN began asking shop leaders about hours and wages for lube techs in 2016. Here’s where those figures stood a decade ago:
|
Average hours worked per week by lube techs |
33 |
|
Average starting wage for lube techs |
$9.28 |
|
Average hourly wage for all lube techs |
$10.62 |
Coming to NOLN.net in July: Get fresh industry insights and data in the 2026 NOLN Operator Survey