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

The median hourly wage is $31.35. The middle half earn between $23.77 and $37.31 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.40 an hour ($44,510 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.77.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Fresno or San Francisco?

San Francisco pays more: the median is $65,210 in Fresno and $82,100 in San Francisco, a 21% difference.

How does Fresno pay compare with the rest of California?

The Fresno median of $65,210 is 12% less than the California median of $73,950.

Diesel mechanic salary in Fresno, CA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Fresno, CA area earn a median of $65,210 a year, or $31.35 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $96,210. Across all of California, the median is $73,950, so Fresno pays 12% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$65,210

Bottom 10% under$44,510Top 10% over$96,210

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $21.40/hr
Jobs in this area: 720
After cost of living: $63,830
Median hourly pay: $31.35/hr
vs U.S. median: +6%
vs California median: −12%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 23420, Fresno, 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	$44,510–$49,450$21.40–$23.77/hr
Experienced mechanic	$65,210$31.35/hr
Master / top earners	$77,610–$96,210$37.31–$46.25/hr

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

How Fresno, CA compares

Fresno ranks 19th of 25 California metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Fresno area than nationally: 1.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.80 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $96,210, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $44,510: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other California metro areas

Other trades in Fresno, CA

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Fresno, CA?: Diesel mechanics in the Fresno, CA area earn a median of $65,210 a year, or $31.35 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $96,210.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Fresno, CA?: The median hourly wage is $31.35. The middle half earn between $23.77 and $37.31 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Fresno, CA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.40 an hour ($44,510 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.77.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Fresno or San Francisco?: San Francisco pays more: the median is $65,210 in Fresno and $82,100 in San Francisco, a 21% difference.
How does Fresno pay compare with the rest of California?: The Fresno median of $65,210 is 12% 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 23420 (Fresno, 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 (102.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures