How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Des Moines, IA?

The median hourly wage is $29.63. The middle half earn between $24.01 and $35.34 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Des Moines, IA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.39 an hour ($46,560 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.01.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Des Moines or Davenport?

Des Moines pays more: the median is $61,630 in Des Moines and $61,270 in Davenport, a 1% difference.

How does Des Moines pay compare with the rest of Iowa?

The Des Moines median of $61,630 is 3% more than the Iowa median of $59,680.

Diesel mechanic salary in Des Moines, IA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA area earn a median of $61,630 a year, or $29.63 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $79,260. Across all of Iowa, the median is $59,680, so Des Moines pays 3% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$61,630

Bottom 10% under$46,560Top 10% over$79,260

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.39/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,050
After cost of living: $67,210
Median hourly pay: $29.63/hr
vs U.S. median: 0%
vs Iowa median: +3%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 19780, Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA). 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	$46,560–$49,930$22.39–$24.01/hr
Experienced mechanic	$61,630$29.63/hr
Master / top earners	$73,500–$79,260$35.34–$38.11/hr

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

How Des Moines, IA compares

Des Moines has the highest diesel mechanic median of the 9 Iowa metro areas with published pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Des Moines area than nationally: 2.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $79,260, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,560: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Iowa metro areas

Other trades in Des Moines, IA

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Des Moines, IA?: Diesel mechanics in the Des Moines–West Des Moines, IA area earn a median of $61,630 a year, or $29.63 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $79,260.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Des Moines, IA?: The median hourly wage is $29.63. The middle half earn between $24.01 and $35.34 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Des Moines, IA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.39 an hour ($46,560 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.01.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Des Moines or Davenport?: Des Moines pays more: the median is $61,630 in Des Moines and $61,270 in Davenport, a 1% difference.
How does Des Moines pay compare with the rest of Iowa?: The Des Moines median of $61,630 is 3% more than the Iowa median of $59,680.

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 19780 (Des Moines-West Des Moines, IA). 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 (91.7, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures