How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Columbus, IN?

The median hourly wage is $26.67. The middle half earn between $23.02 and $30.22 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Columbus, IN?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.21 an hour ($44,130 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.02.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Columbus or Chicago?

Chicago pays more: the median is $55,470 in Columbus and $65,680 in Chicago, a 16% difference.

How does Columbus pay compare with the rest of Indiana?

The Columbus median of $55,470 is 8% less than the Indiana median of $60,610.

Diesel mechanic salary in Columbus, IN

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Columbus, IN area earn a median of $55,470 a year, or $26.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $72,780. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $60,610; Columbus is 8% below it.

Median yearly pay$55,470

Bottom 10% under$44,130Top 10% over$72,780

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $21.21/hr
Jobs in this area: 80
After cost of living: $59,640
Median hourly pay: $26.67/hr
vs U.S. median: −10%
vs Indiana median: −8%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 18020, Columbus, IN). 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	$44,130–$47,890$21.21–$23.02/hr
Experienced mechanic	$55,470$26.67/hr
Master / top earners	$62,860–$72,780$30.22–$34.99/hr

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

How Columbus, IN compares

Columbus has the lowest diesel mechanic median of the 15 Indiana metro areas with published pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Columbus area than nationally: 1.7 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.89 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $72,780, is 1.6 times the 10th-percentile wage, $44,130: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Indiana metro areas

Other trades in Columbus, IN

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Columbus, IN?: Diesel mechanics in the Columbus, IN area earn a median of $55,470 a year, or $26.67 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $72,780.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Columbus, IN?: The median hourly wage is $26.67. The middle half earn between $23.02 and $30.22 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Columbus, IN?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.21 an hour ($44,130 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.02.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Columbus or Chicago?: Chicago pays more: the median is $55,470 in Columbus and $65,680 in Chicago, a 16% difference.
How does Columbus pay compare with the rest of Indiana?: The Columbus median of $55,470 is 8% less than the Indiana median of $60,610.

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 18020 (Columbus, IN). 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 (93.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures