How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Tuscaloosa, AL?

The median hourly wage is $24.87. The middle half earn between $22.96 and $29.49 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Tuscaloosa, AL?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.50 an hour ($38,470 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.96.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Tuscaloosa or Huntsville?

Huntsville pays more: the median is $51,730 in Tuscaloosa and $55,110 in Huntsville, a 6% difference.

How does Tuscaloosa pay compare with the rest of Alabama?

The Tuscaloosa median of $51,730 is 2% more than the Alabama median of $50,470.

Diesel mechanic salary in Tuscaloosa, AL

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Tuscaloosa, AL area earn a median of $51,730 a year, or $24.87 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $76,460 a year. That's 2% more than the Alabama median of $50,470.

Median yearly pay$51,730

Bottom 10% under$38,470Top 10% over$76,460

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.50/hr
Jobs in this area: 230
After cost of living: $58,970
Median hourly pay: $24.87/hr
vs U.S. median: −16%
vs Alabama median: +2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 46220, Tuscaloosa, AL). Excludes self-employed diesel mechanics. Cost of living: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024. *Starting pay is estimated from the 10th percentile; BLS does not report pay by license level.

Entry-level to master diesel mechanic pay

Stage	Yearly pay	Hourly pay
Entry level	$38,470–$47,750$18.50–$22.96/hr
Experienced mechanic	$51,730$24.87/hr
Master / top earners	$61,340–$76,460$29.49–$36.76/hr

Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.

How Tuscaloosa, AL compares

Tuscaloosa ranks 5th of 13 Alabama metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Tuscaloosa area than nationally: 2.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $76,460, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,470: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Alabama metro areas

Other trades in Tuscaloosa, AL

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Lineman Plumber Carpenter Heavy equipment operator Auto mechanic Ironworker Millwright

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Tuscaloosa, AL?: Diesel mechanics in the Tuscaloosa, AL area earn a median of $51,730 a year, or $24.87 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $76,460 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Tuscaloosa, AL?: The median hourly wage is $24.87. The middle half earn between $22.96 and $29.49 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Tuscaloosa, AL?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.50 an hour ($38,470 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.96.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Tuscaloosa or Huntsville?: Huntsville pays more: the median is $51,730 in Tuscaloosa and $55,110 in Huntsville, a 6% difference.
How does Tuscaloosa pay compare with the rest of Alabama?: The Tuscaloosa median of $51,730 is 2% more than the Alabama median of $50,470.

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), area code 46220 (Tuscaloosa, AL). BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed diesel mechanics and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (87.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures