Supervisor of Mechanics and Installers Salary in Arizona: Pay by Experience, City & Take-Home
A first-line supervisor of mechanics, installers, and repairers in Arizona earns a median of $76,240 a year, or about $36.66 an hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2025). Most people in the role land between $58,740 and $96,510, with the bottom 10 percent near $45,640 and the top 10 percent above $119,960. That median sits just under the national figure for the same job.
- How Arizona compares to the national pay for this role
- Pay by experience level in Arizona
- Pay by metro area in Arizona
- Take-home pay after tax in Arizona
- How to earn more as a mechanics supervisor in Arizona
- Job outlook for the role in Arizona
- Related and higher-paying roles in Arizona
- Frequently asked questions
How Arizona compares to the national pay for this role
The national median for a supervisor of mechanics, installers, and repairers is $79,860 a year, per BLS OEWS 2025. Arizona’s median of $76,240 runs about $3,620 below that, or roughly 4.5 percent under the U.S. figure. That gap is small. For a role that supervises diesel techs, HVAC installers, line crews, and equipment repairers, Arizona pays close to the typical American wage for the work.
The spread inside the state matters more than the gap to the national line. Arizona’s 10th percentile sits at $45,640 and its 90th percentile reaches $119,960. That is a range of more than $74,000 between a new shift lead and a seasoned operations supervisor running a large shop. Where you fall depends on industry, headcount managed, and metro, and the sections below break each of those out.
| Measure | Arizona | National | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $76,240 | $79,860 | -$3,620 |
| Median hourly | $36.66 | n/a | n/a |
| State employment | 13,490 | n/a | n/a |
Arizona employs about 13,490 people in this occupation, a meaningful base of supervisory jobs spread across utilities, transportation, construction trades, and manufacturing support. To put the national gap in plain terms, a supervisor earning the Arizona median takes home $3,620 less per year than the national median earner doing the same job, which is about $302 a month or roughly $139 per biweekly paycheck. That difference is small enough that cost of living, industry, and metro choice inside Arizona will swing your pay further in either direction than the state-to-national gap does.
It also helps to read the percentiles as a market, not a ladder you climb on a timer. The 25th percentile of $58,740 and the 75th percentile of $96,510 bracket the middle half of all Arizona supervisors in this role. If an offer comes in below $58,740, it sits in the bottom quarter of the state for the title, and that is worth questioning unless the headcount and scope are unusually light. If an offer clears $96,510, you are being paid in the top quarter, which generally signals a large crew, a high-paying industry, or a metro and employer that compete hard for supervisors.
Pay by experience level in Arizona
BLS reports percentiles, not years of service, but the percentile ladder maps closely to a career arc. A newly promoted lead enters near the 10th percentile, a supervisor with a few years and a full crew sits around the median, and someone running a large department or a high-skill trade pushes into the 75th and 90th percentiles. Here is how the Arizona numbers translate.
| Stage | Percentile | Annual | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry | 10th | $45,640 | $21.94 |
| Early career | 25th | $58,740 | $28.24 |
| Mid-career (median) | 50th | $76,240 | $36.66 |
| Experienced | 75th | $96,510 | $46.40 |
| Senior | 90th | $119,960 | $57.67 |
The jump from the 25th to the 75th percentile is worth $37,770 a year. That climb is rarely about tenure alone. It tracks with the technical complexity of the crew you oversee, whether you carry budget and hiring authority, and whether you sit in a high-paying industry like power generation or aerospace support versus a lower-margin one. The move from median to the 90th percentile, another $43,720, usually means a larger headcount, multi-site responsibility, or a specialty trade where qualified supervisors are scarce.
Arizona’s statewide mean of $79,000 sits above the median of $76,240. When the average runs higher than the midpoint, it tells you a cluster of high earners at the top is pulling the average up, which matches the wide gap between the 75th and 90th percentiles. The mean is $2,760 above the median, a sign that the top of the distribution stretches well beyond the middle. For your own planning, lean on the median and the percentile you realistically occupy rather than the mean, which a handful of very high earners can distort.
One more way to read the ladder: the step from entry at $45,640 to early career at $58,740 is worth $13,100, the step from early career to the median is worth $17,500, and the step from the median to experienced at $96,510 is worth $20,270. Each rung pays more than the last, which is typical of supervisory roles where added budget authority and headcount compound the wage. The single largest step, $43,720, sits between the median and the senior 90th percentile, and that is the one that usually requires the biggest change in responsibility rather than another year on the job.
Pay by metro area in Arizona
Location inside Arizona changes the number more than most people expect. The Phoenix metro, which holds the bulk of the state’s jobs, pays the most. Smaller markets in the north and west pay noticeably less. These are BLS OEWS 2025 metro medians.
| Metro | Median annual | Employment |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler | $77,000 | 9,150 |
| Flagstaff | $74,670 | 310 |
| Yuma | $72,920 | 360 |
| Tucson | $68,950 | 2,000 |
| Lake Havasu City-Kingman | $64,440 | 290 |
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler is the clear center of gravity. With 9,150 of the state’s 13,490 jobs and a median of $77,000, it is both the largest market and the best-paying one. That density matters when you are job hunting, because more employers means more competition for supervisors and more upward pressure on pay.
Tucson, the second-largest market with 2,000 jobs, has a median of $68,950, which is $8,050 below Phoenix. Lake Havasu City-Kingman sits at the bottom at $64,440, a full $12,560 under the Phoenix figure. Flagstaff at $74,670 and Yuma at $72,920 land in the middle. If you are mobile, the Phoenix metro is where the combination of volume and pay is strongest. If you are tied to a smaller market, expect the median to run lower and weigh that against the lower cost of housing those areas usually offer.
The five metros above account for 12,110 of the state’s 13,490 jobs, so most Arizona supervisors in this role work in one of them. The remaining roughly 1,380 jobs sit in rural areas and smaller towns that BLS does not break out separately. Two patterns are worth noting. First, pay and job count do not move together in lockstep here: Flagstaff and Yuma each hold only a few hundred jobs yet post medians above Tucson, the second-largest market. That usually reflects the mix of employers in each area, where a few utilities, public agencies, or large maintenance operations can lift a small market’s median. Second, the Phoenix premium is real money over a career. A supervisor who spends a decade at the Phoenix median rather than the Tucson median earns roughly $80,500 more across those ten years before raises, which is a meaningful argument for the larger market if relocation is on the table.
When you compare metro medians, remember they are local midpoints, not caps. Even in Lake Havasu City-Kingman, a supervisor with a large crew and a high-paying employer can earn well above the $64,440 local median and approach the statewide upper percentiles. The metro figure tells you the typical pay, and the statewide 75th and 90th percentiles, $96,510 and $119,960, tell you what the strong end of the market looks like anywhere in Arizona.
Take-home pay after tax in Arizona
Gross salary is not what hits your account. Arizona uses a flat 2.5 percent state income tax (tax year 2026), which keeps the state’s bite light compared with progressive-tax states. Federal income tax, Social Security, and Medicare still apply. The table below models a single filer with the standard deduction at four points on the pay ladder.
| Stage | Gross | Federal | FICA | State tax | Net annual | Net monthly |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry (10th) | $45,640 | $3,438 | $3,491 | $1,141 | $37,569 | $3,131 |
| Median (50th) | $76,240 | $8,387 | $5,832 | $1,906 | $60,115 | $5,010 |
| Experienced (75th) | $96,510 | $12,846 | $7,383 | $2,413 | $73,868 | $6,156 |
| Senior (90th) | $119,960 | $18,037 | $9,177 | $2,999 | $89,747 | $7,479 |
At the Arizona median of $76,240, the effective combined tax rate works out to about 21.2 percent, leaving $60,115 net, or $5,010 a month. State tax is the smallest piece by far. A median earner pays just $1,906 to Arizona, against $8,387 in federal income tax and $5,832 in FICA. That flat 2.5 percent rate is the standout feature of an Arizona paycheck.
The effective rate climbs as you move up the ladder, which is the federal system at work, not the state. An entry-level supervisor at $45,640 pays an effective 17.7 percent and keeps $37,569, or $3,131 a month. The experienced supervisor at $96,510 pays 23.5 percent and keeps $73,868, or $6,156 a month. The senior earner at $119,960 pays 25.2 percent and still keeps $89,747, or $7,479 a month. Notice that Arizona’s share barely moves across all four rows, from $1,141 at entry to $2,999 at the senior level, because the 2.5 percent rate is flat. Almost the entire rise in your effective rate comes from federal brackets, so a raise in Arizona is not eaten by a jump in state tax the way it would be in a progressive-tax state.
Now the cross-state comparison that an overview can’t give you. Take the same $76,240 median to Texas, a state with no income tax. A Texas worker keeps $62,021 net on that salary, while the Arizona worker keeps $60,115. That is a gap of $1,906 a year, the exact amount Arizona’s flat tax claims. Texas comes out ahead by that figure on identical pay, which is the entire difference between a no-tax state and Arizona’s low flat rate at this income. It is real money, about $159 a month, but it is far smaller than the gap you would see against a high-tax state like California.
Here is the framing that actually matters: net pay minus local housing is the number that tells you how you’ll live. Arizona’s flat tax keeps more in your pocket than progressive-tax states, but Phoenix housing has climbed hard in recent years. A $1,906 tax advantage over Texas means little if your rent or mortgage runs several hundred dollars higher per month. Run your own salary through the Arizona paycheck calculator before you compare offers, then subtract a real local housing cost to see what each job leaves you. When you file, software like TurboTax handles Arizona’s flat-rate return and the federal side together.
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How to earn more as a mechanics supervisor in Arizona
The pay ladder in this role is steep, and the moves that lift you up it are concrete. Here is where the Arizona numbers point.
- Target the Phoenix metro. At a $77,000 median, Phoenix pays $8,050 more than Tucson and $12,560 more than Lake Havasu City-Kingman. If you can relocate or commute, the largest market is also the best-paying one.
- Move into a high-paying industry. Supervisors in power and utility generation, aerospace and defense support, and mining maintenance tend to sit in the upper percentiles. The path from the median to the 75th percentile is worth $20,270 a year, and industry choice is one of the biggest levers on that.
- Add the credentials your techs hold. A supervisor who can certify work and train crew is worth more. Stack ASE Master certification, an EPA 608 for HVAC, a CDL where fleets are involved, or an NCCER supervisory credential. Short management and maintenance courses on Coursera can fill gaps in budgeting, scheduling, and reliability methods that promotion committees look for.
- Grow your headcount and scope. The $43,720 gap between the median and the 90th percentile is mostly about responsibility. Volunteer for multi-site oversight, take on hiring authority, and own a maintenance budget. Those are the line items that justify a senior supervisor salary.
- Negotiate against the data. Walk into a review knowing the 75th percentile is $96,510. If you carry a full crew and a clean safety record and you’re sitting at the median, you have a documented case for more.
Job outlook for the role in Arizona
Arizona currently employs about 13,490 first-line supervisors of mechanics, installers, and repairers (BLS OEWS 2025). The work is tied to physical infrastructure that does not move offshore: utilities, transit and fleet operations, construction trades, semiconductor and manufacturing plant maintenance, and HVAC. As Arizona’s population and its industrial base grow, the equipment and the crews that maintain it grow with it, and someone has to supervise that work.
Because the role sits one rung above skilled trades that are facing an aging workforce and retirement waves, experienced techs who can step into supervision are in steady demand. To gauge live hiring and posted pay across the Phoenix, Tucson, and outlying markets, scan current listings on ZipRecruiter and compare the offers against the percentile table above.
The geography of the work follows the geography of the jobs. With 9,150 of Arizona’s 13,490 supervisory positions in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, the bulk of hiring happens there, and that is also where new facilities, fleets, and plants are concentrated. Tucson adds another 2,000 jobs. The four smaller metros and rural areas together hold the remaining roughly 2,340. When you read a posted salary, anchor it to the right local median: a $72,000 offer is below the Phoenix median of $77,000 but above the Tucson median of $68,950, and that context changes whether the number is competitive.
Related and higher-paying roles in Arizona
If you’re weighing this role against nearby supervisory and quality jobs in Arizona, here is how the medians stack up against a first-line mechanics supervisor’s $76,240, using BLS OEWS 2025 state figures.
| Role (Arizona) | Median annual | Vs. mechanics supervisor |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanics supervisor (this role) | $76,240 | n/a |
| Production and operating supervisor | $75,330 | $910 LESS |
| Inspector, tester, and sorter | $52,100 | $24,140 LESS |
A production and operating supervisor in Arizona earns a median of $75,330, which is $910 LESS than a first-line mechanics supervisor here. The two roles pay almost identically, so a lateral move between them is more about the kind of work than the paycheck. An inspector, tester, and sorter earns $52,100 at the median, $24,140 LESS than this role, which reflects the gap between an individual-contributor quality job and a supervisory one. Moving from inspection into supervision is one of the larger pay jumps available within this corner of Arizona’s labor market.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average salary for a mechanics supervisor in Arizona?
The median is $76,240 a year and the mean is $79,000, per BLS OEWS 2025. The median, the midpoint where half earn more and half earn less, is usually the better number to plan around. Most workers in the role earn between $58,740 and $96,510.
How much does a mechanics supervisor make per hour in Arizona?
The median hourly wage is $36.66, according to BLS OEWS 2025. Entry-level supervisors near the 10th percentile earn about $21.94 an hour, while senior supervisors at the 90th percentile reach roughly $57.67 an hour.
Which Arizona city pays mechanics supervisors the most?
Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler leads at a $77,000 median, and it also holds the most jobs at 9,150. Tucson pays $68,950 and Lake Havasu City-Kingman is lowest at $64,440. The Phoenix metro combines the highest pay with the deepest job market.
How much state income tax will I pay in Arizona?
Arizona uses a flat 2.5 percent income tax for tax year 2026. At the $76,240 median, that comes to about $1,906 a year, the smallest of your three main tax lines after federal income tax and FICA. Your net works out to roughly $60,115 a year, or $5,010 a month.
Is the take-home better in Arizona or a no-tax state like Texas?
On the same $76,240 salary, Texas keeps $62,021 net while Arizona keeps $60,115, a difference of $1,906 a year in Texas’s favor. That is exactly what Arizona’s flat 2.5 percent tax costs at this income. Factor in local housing before treating the gap as decisive.
How do I get to the top of the pay range in Arizona?
The 90th percentile pays $119,960, which is $43,720 above the median. Getting there usually means a larger crew, multi-site or budget responsibility, a high-paying industry like utilities or aerospace support, and stacked credentials such as ASE Master, EPA 608, or an NCCER supervisory cert.
Does a mechanics supervisor earn more than a production supervisor in Arizona?
Just barely. A first-line mechanics supervisor earns a median of $76,240, while a production and operating supervisor in Arizona earns $75,330, a difference of $910 a year. The two titles pay almost the same, so choose between them based on the type of work and the employer rather than the salary alone. Both pay well above an inspector, tester, and sorter, who earns a median of $52,100 in the state.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), 2025, SOC 49-1011. Tax modeling reflects 2026 federal brackets, FICA, and Arizona’s flat 2.5 percent state income tax for a single filer taking the standard deduction. Last updated 2026. See our methodology.