SALARY DATA — SOC 51-9197
Tire Builders
51-0000 Production Occupations
The 90/10 ratio for Tire Builders is 1.86× — the national median is $57,390 but top decile earns $74,680. The spread exists; it's concentrated in geography, specialization, and industry sector. Knowing which end of the band you're on is the whole negotiation.
BLS OEWS reference period: May 2025. Employment: 20,770.
Wage distribution — the receipts
National OEWS annual wage percentiles. "vs. median" column shows each percentile relative to the occupation's own national median — this is where your position in the band lives. Source and series IDs: methodology page.
| Percentile | Annual wage | vs. median | Hourly (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th pct — bottom decile | $40,150 | -30% | ~$19 |
| 25th pct — lower quartile | $47,900 | -17% | ~$23 |
| Median — 50th pct | $57,390 | — | $27.59/hr |
| Mean — average | $57,160 | +0% | $27.48/hr |
| 75th pct — upper quartile | $64,380 | +12% | ~$31 |
| 90th pct — top decile | $74,680 | +30% | ~$36 |
Source: BLS OEWS national estimates. Annual wage ÷ 2,080 hrs = hourly estimate. Hourly-median is direct from OEWS when available; others are estimates only.
Pay by metro area
BLS publishes May 2025 wage estimates for Tire Builders in 8 metro areas; the 8 with the most jobs are below, ranked by employment.
| Metro | Jobs | Median | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA | 740 | $44,570 | $36,680 | $49,080 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 720 | $51,170 | $51,170 | $58,470 |
| Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA | 310 | $63,060 | $38,650 | $63,820 |
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | 280 | $48,690 | $37,160 | $57,350 |
| Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN | 150 | $46,810 | $39,740 | $49,720 |
| Jackson, MS | 130 | $55,380 | $48,230 | $55,380 |
| Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN | 90 | $47,190 | $38,550 | $55,410 |
| Burlington, NC | 40 | $39,720 | $38,830 | $46,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — metropolitan area estimates (oesm25ma/MSA_M2025_dl.xlsx). Jobs are rounded to the nearest ten and exclude the self-employed; a dash means BLS suppressed that percentile.
Pay by industry
Across 3 detailed industries with a publishable estimate, the 3 that employ the most Tire Builders are below, with the median wage each one pays.
| Industry | NAICS | Jobs | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rubber Product Manufacturing | 326200 | 19,730 | $58,910 |
| Employment Services | 561300 | 250 | $37,830 |
| Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers | 423100 | 110 | $38,810 |
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 — national 4-digit NAICS industry estimates (oesm25in4/nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx), all ownerships combined. Industries where BLS suppresses the wage are omitted rather than shown as zero.
What it pays vs. what it buys
The wage is only half the number. Below, the metro median for Tire Builders is divided by that metro's BEA Regional Price Parity — the federal measure of what a dollar actually buys there. Nominal is what the job pays. Real is what it buys at local prices.
| Metro | Nominal | Prices | Real | Rank shift |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte | $48,690 | 98.2 | $49,560 | — |
| Indianapolis | $47,190 | 99.1 | $47,616 | — |
| Cincinnati | $46,810 | 99.0 | $47,289 | — |
| Atlanta | $44,570 | 96.7 | $46,085 | +1 |
| Portland | $44,600 | 100.1 | $44,551 | -1 |
Top 10 of 5 metros by real wage. Rank shift = places gained or lost against the nominal ranking. Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 metropolitan estimates; BEA Regional Price Parities (national = 100). Metros where BLS suppresses the estimate are omitted rather than shown as zero. Full data at /salaries-metro.json.
Is this job growing or dying?
BLS projects employment in Tire Builders to move from 20,300 to 20,500 over 2025–2035 — +0.8% , with about 1,900 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted . Typical entry requirement: high school diploma or equivalent.
Source: BLS Employment Projections, Table 1.2 (2025–2035). Openings count growth and replacement need together, which is why a shrinking occupation can still hire. Full data at /employment-projections.json.
Salary FAQ
- What is the median salary for Tire Builders?
- The median annual salary for Tire Builders is $57,390, and the mean is $57,160 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025).
- What is the salary range for Tire Builders?
- Most Tire Builders earn between $40,150 and $74,680 a year. The wage gap inside the occupation is a 1.86× ratio — workers at the 90th percentile earn 1.86 times those at the 10th (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
- Where does pay for Tire Builders fall the most after adjusting for cost of living?
- Local prices reorder the ranking. Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA ranks #4 by nominal pay but #5 of 5 metros once local prices are applied (BEA Regional Price Parities).
- Is employment for Tire Builders growing or shrinking?
- BLS projects Tire Builders employment to grow 0.8% over the 2025–2035 window, with about 1,900 openings a year once retirements and career changes are counted (BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035).
- How many Tire Builders jobs are there in the US?
- BLS counts about 20,770 workers in Tire Builders nationally (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Figures from this page's OEWS / Employment Projections / BEA data, above. Methodology at /methodology#oews-salaries.
Related occupations
Other Production Occupations whose national median wage is closest to that of Tire Builders: same SOC major group, nearest median first.
- Patternmakers, Metal and Plastic $58,000
- Chemical Equipment Operators and Tenders $58,040
- Model Makers, Wood $56,550
- Machinists $58,750
- Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant and System Operators $60,020
- Metal-Refining Furnace Operators and Tenders $54,430
- Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers $53,750
- Engine and Other Machine Assemblers $53,710
The national wage distribution and the metro and industry tables above are BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates for Tire Builders (SOC 51-9197): percentiles from the OEWS API series, metro and industry rows from the published bulk tables — how they are fetched, what OEWS leaves out (equity, bonuses, benefits) and how the 90/10 ratio is read are documented at /methodology#oews-salaries and #oews-breakdown. The other sections keep their own sources and periods: the cost-adjusted metro table divides OEWS metro medians by BEA Regional Price Parities (/methodology#burnout-index); the outlook and its FAQ entry are BLS Employment Projections for 2025–2035.
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Raw JSON: /salaries/tire-builders-51-9197.json · License: CC BY 4.0 · Source: BLS OEWS · Cite as: Office Blues OEWS Salary Data, Tire Builders, officeblues.net/salaries/tire-builders-51-9197
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