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

The median hourly wage is $29.34. The middle half earn between $21.86 and $36.46 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

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

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.76 an hour ($39,030 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.86.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Rockford or Paducah?

Paducah pays more: the median is $61,020 in Rockford and $78,900 in Paducah, a 23% difference.

How does Rockford pay compare with the rest of Illinois?

The Rockford median of $61,020 is 5% less than the Illinois median of $64,340.

Diesel mechanic salary in Rockford, IL

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Rockford, IL area earn a median of $61,020 a year, or $29.34 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $95,970 a year. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $64,340; Rockford is 5% below it.

Median yearly pay$61,020

Bottom 10% under$39,030Top 10% over$95,970

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.76/hr
Jobs in this area: 310
After cost of living: $66,220
Median hourly pay: $29.34/hr
vs U.S. median: −1%
vs Illinois median: −5%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 40420, Rockford, 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	$39,030–$45,460$18.76–$21.86/hr
Experienced mechanic	$61,020$29.34/hr
Master / top earners	$75,840–$95,970$36.46–$46.14/hr

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

How Rockford, IL compares

Rockford ranks 10th of 12 Illinois metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Rockford area than nationally: 2.3 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.2 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $95,970, is 2.5 times the 10th-percentile wage, $39,030: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Illinois metro areas

Other trades in Rockford, IL

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Rockford, IL?: Diesel mechanics in the Rockford, IL area earn a median of $61,020 a year, or $29.34 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $95,970 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Rockford, IL?: The median hourly wage is $29.34. The middle half earn between $21.86 and $36.46 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Rockford, IL?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.76 an hour ($39,030 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $21.86.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Rockford or Paducah?: Paducah pays more: the median is $61,020 in Rockford and $78,900 in Paducah, a 23% difference.
How does Rockford pay compare with the rest of Illinois?: The Rockford median of $61,020 is 5% 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 40420 (Rockford, 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 (92.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures