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
Entry-level to master diesel mechanic pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $44,530–$50,540$21.41–$24.30/hr | |
| Experienced mechanic | $61,770$29.70/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $75,470–$88,740$36.29–$42.66/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
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
How it compares
- The 90th-percentile wage, $88,740, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $44,530: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
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
- How much do diesel mechanics make?
- 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.
- How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in the U.S.?
- The median hourly wage is $29.70. The middle half earn between $24.30 and $36.29 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in the U.S.?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.41 an hour ($44,530 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.30.
- Has diesel mechanic pay gone up?
- 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%. (BLS wage data and Consumer Price Index.)
- 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