Diesel mechanic salary
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Diesel mechanics in the U.S. earn a median of $61,770 a year, or $29.70 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $88,740.
- Entry-level starting pay (estimate)
- $21.41/hr
- Jobs nationwide
- 289,960
- Median hourly pay
- $29.70/hr
- Mean (average) pay
- $64,320 a year · $30.92 an hour
Pay by percentile
What diesel mechanics in the U.S. earn at each point of the pay range, May 2025: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, half earn less than the median, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
| Percentile | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $21.41 | $44,530 |
| 25th percentile | $24.30 | $50,540 |
| Median (50th) | $29.70 | $61,770 |
| 75th percentile | $36.29 | $75,470 |
| 90th percentile | $42.66 | $88,740 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. BLS yearly figures are the hourly wage times 2,080 hours.
Pay over time
The median diesel mechanic wage in the U.S. rose 26.9%, from $48,690 in May 2021 to $61,770 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it rose 6.2%.
| Year | Median a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $48,690 | $23.41/hr |
| May 2022 | $54,360 | $26.14/hr |
| May 2023 | $58,970 | $28.35/hr |
| May 2024 | $60,640 | $29.15/hr |
| May 2025 | $61,770 | $29.70/hr |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, each May release; inflation from the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, May of each year). BLS cautions against reading much into year-to-year changes, so we compare the first and last years. How we compare years
Diesel mechanic pay by state
- Hawaii$80,080
- Washington$77,900
- Alaska$75,580
- Maryland$74,790
- California$73,950
- Massachusetts$73,270
- New Jersey$72,340
- New Hampshire$71,390
- Colorado$70,480
- New York$70,100
See all 50 states and DC
- Nevada$68,410
- Connecticut$67,300
- Rhode Island$67,270
- Minnesota$66,840
- North Dakota$66,110
- District of Columbia$65,200
- Utah$64,350
- Illinois$64,340
- Oregon$63,970
- Delaware$63,590
- Wisconsin$62,450
- Pennsylvania$61,740
- Arizona$61,680
- Wyoming$61,580
- Michigan$61,420
- Georgia$61,370
- Virginia$61,090
- Maine$60,850
- Indiana$60,610
- Florida$60,490
- Ohio$60,470
- Montana$59,990
- Iowa$59,680
- Kansas$59,460
- Vermont$59,390
- Missouri$59,360
- South Carolina$59,330
- Idaho$59,230
- Tennessee$59,190
- Nebraska$59,140
- Texas$58,810
- Louisiana$58,680
- South Dakota$58,120
- North Carolina$57,490
- New Mexico$55,910
- Kentucky$55,480
- Oklahoma$55,340
- Mississippi$54,360
- Arkansas$52,330
- Alabama$50,470
- West Virginia$46,610
Top-paying metro areas
- San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa ClaraCA$88,980
- Urban HonoluluHI$85,040
- Seattle–Tacoma–BellevueWA$82,330
- San Francisco–Oakland–FremontCA$82,100
- Bremerton–Silverdale–Port OrchardWA$80,450
- BoulderCO$79,030
- Olympia–Lacey–TumwaterWA$78,960
- PaducahKY-IL$78,900
- BellinghamWA$78,330
- NapaCA$78,070
See the top 20
- Mount Vernon–AnacortesWA$77,460
- Los Angeles–Long Beach–AnaheimCA$77,380
- ModestoCA$76,640
- Bridgeport–Stamford–DanburyCT$75,940
- New York–Newark–Jersey CityNY-NJ$75,780
- Boston–Cambridge–NewtonMA-NH$75,770
- Santa Cruz–WatsonvilleCA$75,670
- VallejoCA$75,500
- San Diego–Chula Vista–CarlsbadCA$75,070
- Longview–KelsoWA$74,750
Every metro area ranked by diesel mechanic pay after cost of living
Other trades in the U.S.
Questions
- Which state pays diesel mechanics the most?
- Hawaii, with a median of $80,080 a year, followed by Washington ($77,900). West Virginia has the lowest median, $46,610.
- Which metro area pays diesel mechanics the most?
- The San Jose–Sunnyvale–Santa Clara, CA area, with a median of $88,980 a year.
About this data
Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 49-3031 (Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed diesel mechanics and business owners aren't included. Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures