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

The median hourly wage is $34.28. The middle half earn between $27.87 and $37.60 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.54 an hour ($46,890 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $27.87.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Riverside or San Francisco?

San Francisco pays more: the median is $71,300 in Riverside and $82,100 in San Francisco, a 13% difference.

How does Riverside pay compare with the rest of California?

The Riverside median of $71,300 is 4% less than the California median of $73,950.

Diesel mechanic salary in Riverside, CA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario, CA area earn a median of $71,300 a year, or $34.28 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $89,570 a year. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $73,950; Riverside is 4% below it.

Median yearly pay$71,300

Bottom 10% under$46,890Top 10% over$89,570

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.54/hr
Jobs in this area: 3,400
After cost of living: $66,980
Median hourly pay: $34.28/hr
vs U.S. median: +15%
vs California median: −4%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 40140, Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, 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	$46,890–$57,970$22.54–$27.87/hr
Experienced mechanic	$71,300$34.28/hr
Master / top earners	$78,210–$89,570$37.60–$43.06/hr

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

How Riverside, CA compares

Riverside ranks 12th of 25 California metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the Riverside area as nationally: 2.0 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $89,570, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,890: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other California metro areas

Other trades in Riverside, CA

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Riverside, CA?: Diesel mechanics in the Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario, CA area earn a median of $71,300 a year, or $34.28 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $89,570 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Riverside, CA?: The median hourly wage is $34.28. The middle half earn between $27.87 and $37.60 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Riverside, CA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.54 an hour ($46,890 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $27.87.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Riverside or San Francisco?: San Francisco pays more: the median is $71,300 in Riverside and $82,100 in San Francisco, a 13% difference.
How does Riverside pay compare with the rest of California?: The Riverside median of $71,300 is 4% 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 40140 (Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, 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 (106.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures