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

The median hourly wage is $27.99. The middle half earn between $21.37 and $32.55 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.34 an hour ($38,160 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.37.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Kankakee or Chicago?

Chicago pays more: the median is $58,230 in Kankakee and $65,680 in Chicago, a 11% difference.

How does Kankakee pay compare with the rest of Illinois?

The Kankakee median of $58,230 is 9% less than the Illinois median of $64,340.

Diesel mechanic salary in Kankakee, IL

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Kankakee, IL area earn a median of $58,230 a year, or $27.99 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $80,270. Across all of Illinois, the median is $64,340, so Kankakee pays 9% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$58,230

Bottom 10% under$38,160Top 10% over$80,270

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.34/hr
Jobs in this area: 110
After cost of living: $60,410
Median hourly pay: $27.99/hr
vs U.S. median: −6%
vs Illinois median: −9%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 28100, Kankakee, 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	$38,160–$44,450$18.34–$21.37/hr
Experienced mechanic	$58,230$27.99/hr
Master / top earners	$67,710–$80,270$32.55–$38.59/hr

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

How Kankakee, IL compares

Kankakee ranks 11th of 12 Illinois metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Kankakee area than nationally: 2.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $80,270, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,160: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Illinois metro areas

Other trades in Kankakee, IL

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Plumber Carpenter Heavy equipment operator Auto mechanic

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Kankakee, IL?: Diesel mechanics in the Kankakee, IL area earn a median of $58,230 a year, or $27.99 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $80,270.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Kankakee, IL?: The median hourly wage is $27.99. The middle half earn between $21.37 and $32.55 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Kankakee, IL?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.34 an hour ($38,160 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.37.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Kankakee or Chicago?: Chicago pays more: the median is $58,230 in Kankakee and $65,680 in Chicago, a 11% difference.
How does Kankakee pay compare with the rest of Illinois?: The Kankakee median of $58,230 is 9% 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 28100 (Kankakee, 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 (96.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures