Diesel mechanic salary in Illinois
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Diesel mechanics in Illinois earn a median of $64,340 a year, or $30.93 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $97,670 a year. That's 4% more than the national median of $61,770, 18th of 51 states and DC.
- Entry-level starting pay (estimate)
- $21.52/hr
- Jobs in Illinois
- 11,320
- After cost of living
- $64,370
- Median hourly pay
- $30.93/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +4%
- Rank among states
- 18th of 51
Entry-level to master diesel mechanic pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $44,760–$53,640$21.52–$25.79/hr | |
| Experienced mechanic | $64,340$30.93/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $80,640–$97,670$38.77–$46.96/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
Pay over time
The median diesel mechanic wage in Illinois rose 10.6%, from $58,150 in May 2021 to $64,340 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it fell 7.3%.
| Year | Median a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $58,150 | $27.96/hr |
| May 2022 | $60,900 | $29.28/hr |
| May 2023 | $62,550 | $30.07/hr |
| May 2024 | $62,750 | $30.17/hr |
| May 2025 | $64,340 | $30.93/hr |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, each May release; inflation from the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, May of each year). BLS cautions against reading much into year-to-year changes, so we compare the first and last years. How we compare years
How Illinois compares
- Diesel mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in Illinois as nationally: 1.9 of every 1,000 jobs.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $97,670, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $44,760: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
Rural Illinois
- West Central Illinois$61,300
- Northwest Illinois$60,600
- East Central Illinois$59,980
- South Illinois$58,080
Other trades in Illinois
Questions
- How much do diesel mechanics make in Illinois?
- Diesel mechanics in Illinois earn a median of $64,340 a year, or $30.93 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $97,670 a year.
- How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Illinois?
- The median hourly wage is $30.93. The middle half earn between $25.79 and $38.77 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Illinois?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.52 an hour ($44,760 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $25.79.
- Has diesel mechanic pay gone up in Illinois?
- The median diesel mechanic wage in Illinois rose 10.6%, from $58,150 in May 2021 to $64,340 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it fell 7.3%. (BLS wage data and Consumer Price Index.)
- Where in Illinois do diesel mechanics earn the most?
- Among Illinois metro areas, Paducah has the highest median at $78,900 a year, and Cape Girardeau the lowest at $51,260.
- Do diesel mechanics in Illinois earn more than the national average?
- The Illinois median of $64,340 is 4% more than the U.S. median of $61,770. Prices in Illinois run 0% below the national average (BEA), so the median buys about what $64,370 would nationally.
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 17. 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 (100.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures