What does this cost in your state?
California is the costliest state and Arkansas the cheapest; each square shows that state's midpoint of the estimate.
Lower-cost states ($61)MiddleHigher-cost states ($77)
What it shows: CA is the highest at $77 and AR the lowest at $61, across 51 states.
How many people do this kind of work themselves?
On an average day in 2025, 2.3% of Americans 15 and older worked on their own vehicle (3.5% of men and 1.1% of women), spending 1.6 hours when they did (BLS American Time Use Survey, national).
Share of people 15 and older who cared for their own vehicle on an average day, 2025. Men: 3.5%; Women: 1.1%.
How much of a repair bill is labor and how much is parts?
In the 2017 Economic Census, oil change and lubrication shops took 49.3% of their repair revenue from labor charges and 50.7% from parts installed, close to the 51.0% labor share of all auto repair shops (U.S. Census Bureau, national, 8,258 shops).
| Shop type (NAICS) | Labor charges | Parts installed | All revenue of the shop type | Establishments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automotive repair and maintenance (all shop types) | 51.0% | 49.0% | $115.3 billion | 162,185 |
| Automotive body, paint, interior, and glass repair | 50.6% | 49.4% | $43.0 billion | 41,542 |
| Automotive mechanical and electrical repair and maintenance | 50.4% | 49.6% | $54.9 billion | 92,088 |
| Automotive oil change and lubrication shops | 49.3% | 50.7% | $5.6 billion | 8,258 |
Has this part been recalled abroad on cars that may share it?
Manufacturers filed 1 foreign recall campaigns that name oil change with NHTSA since 2015 (matched by the filing text); the latest, from General Motors in 2019-06.
| Filed | Manufacturer | Foreign recall no. | What the filing says |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-06 | General Motors | 131 | Failure to follow recommended oil change intervals could contribute. |
The estimate for an oil change starts at $137–$211 for a conventional oil change with a new filter and 15 minutes of labor. The oil type moves it most, and the shop you pick moves it next.
What does the estimate cover, and what does it leave out?
The calculator prices three things: the oil, a new filter and 15 minutes of labor. That is the whole job on a car with no surprises.
It leaves out anything a shop adds once the car is on the lift. A leaking gasket, a worn belt or a new air filter is a separate line on a separate quote. Ask the shop to call you before it does any work that was not on the first quote.
How much do oil type and shop type change the price?
Oil type changes the price more than shop type does. The first three rows below change the oil with the default shop; the last two change the shop with conventional oil.
| Setting | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Conventional oil (default) | $137–$211 |
| Synthetic blend | $174–$261 |
| Full synthetic | $236–$348 |
| Budget chain | $124–$199 |
| Dealership | $172–$246 |
Check your owner's manual for the oil your engine needs before you choose. Paying for a grade the manual does not ask for adds cost, and dropping below the grade it does ask for is the wrong place to save.
How do I know an oil change is due?
Your dashboard oil change light and the interval in your owner's manual are the two signals to trust. Intervals differ by engine and oil type, so a friend's number for their car may not fit yours.
Treat the light as a deadline, not a suggestion. If it comes on soon after a service, ask the shop to confirm it reset the oil monitor.
How do I get a fair quote?
Give the shop your make, model, model year and engine, then ask three questions. Which oil type and grade is in the quote? Is the filter included? What is the labor charge?
Compare the answers with the table above, matching your oil type and shop type. A quote well outside the row that matches your job deserves one more question before you say yes.
What does the estimate not tell you?
The estimate is a price level, not a quote. The cost-by-state card scales the default setting by state cost of living, not by what shops in that state charge, so a real quote can differ from it. Use the calculator for your car, then use the range to judge the quote you are handed.
Frequently asked questions
Is full synthetic worth the extra money?
Only if your owner's manual calls for it or you want the longer-lasting oil. The table shows the premium over a synthetic blend, so you can price the choice before you book.
Does the shop type change the price much?
It changes it less than the oil does. Switching from a dealership to a budget chain moves the estimate, but moving from conventional to full synthetic moves it more.
Sources
Data shown on this page
- CalcScrape calculator model scaled by BEA Regional Price Parities data from 2024
- BLS American Time Use Survey, vehicle care by self (activity 020700) and vehicle maintenance and repair services not done by self (090500) data from 2025
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2017 Economic Census, Other Services, revenue from labor charges and parts installed (EC1781LABOR) file downloaded 2017 data, published 2021
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, Foreign Campaigns (filings under 49 CFR 579.11, public API) file downloaded 2026-10-05
Terms: US government data, public domain.
Modeled: our estimate, not a quote. Reported: figures as reported by the publisher, not independently verified. Observed: records as filed; owner reports are unverified and are not failure rates.
What is our own estimate
The price range comes from our calculator's formula. Its parts prices, labor hours per job and shop-rate tiers are CalcScrape estimates, not a published price dataset. Checked against RepairPal's range ($160–$188) on 2026-10-06: our default's midpoint is 0% above the middle of that range. Methodology