How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Champaign, IL?

The median hourly wage is $29.90. The middle half earn between $24.00 and $39.72 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Champaign, IL?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.88 an hour ($39,270 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.00.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Champaign or Chicago?

Chicago pays more: the median is $62,180 in Champaign and $65,680 in Chicago, a 5% difference.

How does Champaign pay compare with the rest of Illinois?

The Champaign median of $62,180 is 3% less than the Illinois median of $64,340.

Diesel mechanic salary in Champaign, IL

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Champaign–Urbana, IL area earn a median of $62,180 a year, or $29.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $96,100. Across all of Illinois, the median is $64,340, so Champaign pays 3% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$62,180

Bottom 10% under$39,270Top 10% over$96,100

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.88/hr
Jobs in this area: 160
After cost of living: $67,070
Median hourly pay: $29.90/hr
vs U.S. median: +1%
vs Illinois median: −3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 16580, Champaign-Urbana, IL). 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	$39,270–$49,920$18.88–$24.00/hr
Experienced mechanic	$62,180$29.90/hr
Master / top earners	$82,610–$96,100$39.72–$46.20/hr

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

How Champaign, IL compares

Champaign ranks 6th of 12 Illinois metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Champaign area than nationally: 1.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.81 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $96,100, is 2.4 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,270: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Illinois metro areas

Other trades in Champaign, IL

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Champaign, IL?: Diesel mechanics in the Champaign–Urbana, IL area earn a median of $62,180 a year, or $29.90 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $96,100.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Champaign, IL?: The median hourly wage is $29.90. The middle half earn between $24.00 and $39.72 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Champaign, IL?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.88 an hour ($39,270 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.00.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Champaign or Chicago?: Chicago pays more: the median is $62,180 in Champaign and $65,680 in Chicago, a 5% difference.
How does Champaign pay compare with the rest of Illinois?: The Champaign median of $62,180 is 3% less than the Illinois median of $64,340.

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 16580 (Champaign-Urbana, IL). 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 (92.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures