Okay, let’s tackle this. So Jeremy has a mix of technical skills like maintenance, hydraulics, and metal fabrication. He’s working in the Mobile Metropolitan Area, which is a relatively lower-cost region compared to major cities like New York or San Francisco. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, heavy equipment mechanics in the South (which includes Alabama, where Mobile is located) tend to earn lower median salaries compared to the national average. For example, the median annual salary for heavy equipment mechanics in the South was around $43,000 in May 2020. Considering Jeremy’s skills and location, I estimate his hourly rate to be around $45, which is slightly above the national average but still reasonable for the region.