How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Jonesboro, AR?

The median hourly wage is $28.94. The middle half earn between $22.91 and $38.80 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Jonesboro, AR?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.54 an hour ($44,800 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.91.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Jonesboro or Memphis?

Memphis pays more: the median is $60,200 in Jonesboro and $61,360 in Memphis, a 2% difference.

How does Jonesboro pay compare with the rest of Arkansas?

The Jonesboro median of $60,200 is 15% more than the Arkansas median of $52,330.

Diesel mechanic salary in Jonesboro, AR

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Jonesboro, AR area earn a median of $60,200 a year, or $28.94 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $80,710 a year. Across all of Arkansas, the median is $52,330, so Jonesboro pays 15% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$60,200

Bottom 10% under$44,800Top 10% over$80,710

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $21.54/hr
Jobs in this area: 230
After cost of living: $70,100
Median hourly pay: $28.94/hr
vs U.S. median: −3%
vs Arkansas median: +15%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 27860, Jonesboro, AR). 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	$44,800–$47,650$21.54–$22.91/hr
Experienced mechanic	$60,200$28.94/hr
Master / top earners	$80,710–$80,710$38.80–$38.80/hr

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

How Jonesboro, AR compares

Jonesboro ranks 2nd of 7 Arkansas metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Jonesboro area than nationally: 3.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.0 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $80,710, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $44,800: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Arkansas metro areas

Other trades in Jonesboro, AR

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Jonesboro, AR?: Diesel mechanics in the Jonesboro, AR area earn a median of $60,200 a year, or $28.94 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $80,710 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Jonesboro, AR?: The median hourly wage is $28.94. The middle half earn between $22.91 and $38.80 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Jonesboro, AR?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.54 an hour ($44,800 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.91.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Jonesboro or Memphis?: Memphis pays more: the median is $60,200 in Jonesboro and $61,360 in Memphis, a 2% difference.
How does Jonesboro pay compare with the rest of Arkansas?: The Jonesboro median of $60,200 is 15% more than the Arkansas median of $52,330.

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 27860 (Jonesboro, AR). 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 (85.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures