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

The median hourly wage is $30.27. The middle half earn between $26.12 and $35.70 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.08 an hour ($45,930 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.12.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Merced or San Francisco?

San Francisco pays more: the median is $62,970 in Merced and $82,100 in San Francisco, a 23% difference.

How does Merced pay compare with the rest of California?

The Merced median of $62,970 is 15% less than the California median of $73,950.

Diesel mechanic salary in Merced, CA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Merced, CA area earn a median of $62,970 a year, or $30.27 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $89,880 a year. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $73,950; Merced is 15% below it.

Median yearly pay$62,970

Bottom 10% under$45,930Top 10% over$89,880

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.08/hr
Jobs in this area: 120
After cost of living: $64,080
Median hourly pay: $30.27/hr
vs U.S. median: +2%
vs California median: −15%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 32900, Merced, 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	$45,930–$54,320$22.08–$26.12/hr
Experienced mechanic	$62,970$30.27/hr
Master / top earners	$74,250–$89,880$35.70–$43.21/hr

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

How Merced, CA compares

Merced ranks 22nd of 25 California metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Merced area than nationally: 1.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.83 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $89,880, is 2.0 times the 10th-percentile wage, $45,930: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other California metro areas

Other trades in Merced, CA

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Merced, CA?: Diesel mechanics in the Merced, CA area earn a median of $62,970 a year, or $30.27 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $89,880 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Merced, CA?: The median hourly wage is $30.27. The middle half earn between $26.12 and $35.70 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Merced, CA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.08 an hour ($45,930 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $26.12.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Merced or San Francisco?: San Francisco pays more: the median is $62,970 in Merced and $82,100 in San Francisco, a 23% difference.
How does Merced pay compare with the rest of California?: The Merced median of $62,970 is 15% 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 32900 (Merced, 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 (98.3, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures