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

The median hourly wage is $31.59. The middle half earn between $23.08 and $36.94 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.41 an hour ($36,220 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.08.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Redding or San Francisco?

San Francisco pays more: the median is $65,710 in Redding and $82,100 in San Francisco, a 20% difference.

How does Redding pay compare with the rest of California?

The Redding median of $65,710 is 11% less than the California median of $73,950.

Diesel mechanic salary in Redding, CA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Redding, CA area earn a median of $65,710 a year, or $31.59 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $90,890. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $73,950; Redding is 11% below it.

Median yearly pay$65,710

Bottom 10% under$36,220Top 10% over$90,890

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $17.41/hr
Jobs in this area: 100
After cost of living: $65,260
Median hourly pay: $31.59/hr
vs U.S. median: +6%
vs California median: −11%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 39820, Redding, 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	$36,220–$48,000$17.41–$23.08/hr
Experienced mechanic	$65,710$31.59/hr
Master / top earners	$76,830–$90,890$36.94–$43.70/hr

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

How Redding, CA compares

Redding ranks 18th of 25 California metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Redding area than nationally: 1.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.77 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $90,890, is 2.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,220: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other California metro areas

Other trades in Redding, CA

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Redding, CA?: Diesel mechanics in the Redding, CA area earn a median of $65,710 a year, or $31.59 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $90,890.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Redding, CA?: The median hourly wage is $31.59. The middle half earn between $23.08 and $36.94 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Redding, CA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.41 an hour ($36,220 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.08.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Redding or San Francisco?: San Francisco pays more: the median is $65,710 in Redding and $82,100 in San Francisco, a 20% difference.
How does Redding pay compare with the rest of California?: The Redding median of $65,710 is 11% 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 39820 (Redding, 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 (100.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures