Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians programs in Iowa
30 schools in Iowa teach this, at certificate or associate level. 12 of them report what graduates earn two years out; the highest is $44,244 at Des Moines Area Community College.
What this work pays in Iowa
Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in Iowa earn a median of $50,510 a year across 7,610 jobs. That is what the occupation pays everyone in it — not what graduates of any one program below earned.
| Also leads to | Median | Jobs in Iowa |
|---|---|---|
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | $78,340 | 6,450 |
| Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists | $59,680 | 4,140 |
| Coating, Painting, and Spraying Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders | $49,330 | 3,220 |
| Automotive Body and Related Repairers | $49,400 | 1,830 |
| Outdoor Power Equipment and Other Small Engine Mechanics | $45,830 | 430 |
Occupation wages: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025.
Schools
| School | Credential | Median debt | Graduate earnings, 2 yrs | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny | Associate's degree | $8,770 | $44,244 (75 grads) | 70 |
| Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon | Associate's degree | $11,326 | $41,937 (21 grads) | 27 |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | Associate's degree | $10,000 | $39,369 (24 grads) | 16 |
| Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge | Associate's degree | $12,000 | $36,521 (71 grads) | 32 |
| Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | Associate's degree | $13,000 | $36,132 (31 grads) | 27 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar | Undergraduate certificate | $5,500 | $36,077 (28 grads) | 18 |
| Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa | Associate's degree | $11,000 | $35,060 (37 grads) | 25 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City | Associate's degree | $11,000 | $34,526 (44 grads) | 20 |
| Hawkeye Community College Waterloo | Associate's degree | $12,000 | $33,993 (31 grads) | 12 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville | Associate's degree | — | $33,993 (14 grads) | 9 |
| North Iowa Area Community College Mason City | Associate's degree | $6,238 | $32,382 (19 grads) | 25 |
| Southwestern Community College Creston | Associate's degree | — | $26,353 (14 grads) | 3 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport | Associate's degree | — | not published | 13 |
| Indian Hills Community College Ottumwa | Undergraduate certificate | $12,000 | not published | 1 |
| Iowa Western Community College Council Bluffs | Undergraduate certificate | $6,500 | not published | 53 |
| Western Iowa Tech Community College Sioux City | Undergraduate certificate | $5,500 | not published | 73 |
| Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 62 |
| Eastern Iowa Community College District Davenport | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 30 |
| Hawkeye Community College Waterloo | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 11 |
| Iowa Central Community College Fort Dodge | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 14 |
| Iowa Lakes Community College Estherville | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 1 |
| Kirkwood Community College Cedar Rapids | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 68 |
| Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 7 |
| Marshalltown Community College Marshalltown | Associate's degree | — | not published | 2 |
| North Iowa Area Community College Mason City | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 0 |
| Northeast Iowa Community College Calmar | Associate's degree | — | not published | 4 |
| Northwest Iowa Community College Sheldon | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 6 |
| Southeastern Community College West Burlington | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 10 |
| Southeastern Community College West Burlington | Associate's degree | — | not published | 7 |
| Southwestern Community College Creston | Undergraduate certificate | — | not published | 28 |
A dash under earnings or debt means the U.S. Department of Education has not published a figure for that program — it withholds any median computed from too few graduates, which covers about four of every five programs. It never means zero, and it says nothing about whether the program is any good. Where a figure is shown, the number of graduates behind it is shown with it.
Email me when these figures change
The U.S. Department of Education publishes new cost, debt and earnings figures once a year, and every number on this page changes at once. One email when that happens for Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Technologies/Technicians — nothing else, and nothing in between.
Program and outcome figures: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, released 2026-06-10.