How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Iowa City, IA?

The median hourly wage is $28.92. The middle half earn between $23.54 and $33.10 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Iowa City, IA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.79 an hour ($45,320 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.54.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Iowa City or Des Moines?

Des Moines pays more: the median is $60,150 in Iowa City and $61,630 in Des Moines, a 2% difference.

How does Iowa City pay compare with the rest of Iowa?

The Iowa City median of $60,150 is 1% more than the Iowa median of $59,680.

Diesel mechanic salary in Iowa City, IA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Iowa City, IA area earn a median of $60,150 a year, or $28.92 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $76,290. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $59,680; Iowa City is 1% above it.

Median yearly pay$60,150

Bottom 10% under$45,320Top 10% over$76,290

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $21.79/hr
Jobs in this area: 120
After cost of living: $65,730
Median hourly pay: $28.92/hr
vs U.S. median: −3%
vs Iowa median: +1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 26980, Iowa City, 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	$45,320–$48,960$21.79–$23.54/hr
Experienced mechanic	$60,150$28.92/hr
Master / top earners	$68,840–$76,290$33.10–$36.68/hr

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

How Iowa City, IA compares

Iowa City ranks 6th of 9 Iowa metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Iowa City area than nationally: 1.3 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.68 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $76,290, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $45,320: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Iowa metro areas

Other trades in Iowa City, IA

Electrician HVAC technician Welder Plumber Carpenter Heavy equipment operator Auto mechanic

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Iowa City, IA?: Diesel mechanics in the Iowa City, IA area earn a median of $60,150 a year, or $28.92 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $76,290.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Iowa City, IA?: The median hourly wage is $28.92. The middle half earn between $23.54 and $33.10 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Iowa City, IA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.79 an hour ($45,320 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.54.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Iowa City or Des Moines?: Des Moines pays more: the median is $60,150 in Iowa City and $61,630 in Des Moines, a 2% difference.
How does Iowa City pay compare with the rest of Iowa?: The Iowa City median of $60,150 is 1% 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 26980 (Iowa City, 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 (91.5, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures