How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in El Centro, CA?

The median hourly wage is $33.83. The middle half earn between $21.72 and $39.29 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in El Centro, CA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.54 an hour ($36,480 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.72.

Do diesel mechanics make more in El Centro or San Francisco?

San Francisco pays more: the median is $70,360 in El Centro and $82,100 in San Francisco, a 14% difference.

How does El Centro pay compare with the rest of California?

The El Centro median of $70,360 is 5% less than the California median of $73,950.

Diesel mechanic salary in El Centro, CA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the El Centro, CA area earn a median of $70,360 a year, or $33.83 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $97,650. That's 5% less than the California median of $73,950.

Median yearly pay$70,360

Bottom 10% under$36,480Top 10% over$97,650

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.54/hr
Jobs in this area: 140
After cost of living: $73,930
Median hourly pay: $33.83/hr
vs U.S. median: +14%
vs California median: −5%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 20940, El Centro, CA). 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	$36,480–$45,170$17.54–$21.72/hr
Experienced mechanic	$70,360$33.83/hr
Master / top earners	$81,730–$97,650$39.29–$46.95/hr

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

How El Centro, CA compares

El Centro ranks 14th of 25 California metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the El Centro area than nationally: 2.2 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $97,650, is 2.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,480: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other California metro areas

Other trades in El Centro, CA

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Plumber Carpenter Heavy equipment operator Auto mechanic

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in El Centro, CA?: Diesel mechanics in the El Centro, CA area earn a median of $70,360 a year, or $33.83 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $97,650.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in El Centro, CA?: The median hourly wage is $33.83. The middle half earn between $21.72 and $39.29 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in El Centro, CA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.54 an hour ($36,480 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.72.
Do diesel mechanics make more in El Centro or San Francisco?: San Francisco pays more: the median is $70,360 in El Centro and $82,100 in San Francisco, a 14% difference.
How does El Centro pay compare with the rest of California?: The El Centro median of $70,360 is 5% less than the California median of $73,950.

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 20940 (El Centro, CA). 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 (95.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures