Diesel mechanic salary in Manhattan, KS
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Diesel mechanics in the Manhattan, KS area earn a median of $54,010 a year, or $25.97 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $72,710 a year. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $59,460; Manhattan is 9% below it.
- Entry-level starting pay (estimate)
- $19.41/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 70
- After cost of living
- $59,900
- Median hourly pay
- $25.97/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −13%
- vs Kansas median
- −9%
Entry-level to master diesel mechanic pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $40,370–$48,280$19.41–$23.21/hr | |
| Experienced mechanic | $54,010$25.97/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $61,220–$72,710$29.43–$34.96/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Manhattan, KS compares
- Manhattan has the lowest diesel mechanic median of the 7 Kansas metro areas with published pay.
- Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Manhattan area than nationally: 1.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.72 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $72,710, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $40,370: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Kansas metro areas
Other trades in Manhattan, KS
Questions
- How much do diesel mechanics make in Manhattan, KS?
- Diesel mechanics in the Manhattan, KS area earn a median of $54,010 a year, or $25.97 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $72,710 a year.
- How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Manhattan, KS?
- The median hourly wage is $25.97. The middle half earn between $23.21 and $29.43 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Manhattan, KS?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $19.41 an hour ($40,370 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.21.
- Do diesel mechanics make more in Manhattan or Topeka?
- Topeka pays more: the median is $54,010 in Manhattan and $66,500 in Topeka, a 19% difference.
- How does Manhattan pay compare with the rest of Kansas?
- The Manhattan median of $54,010 is 9% less than the Kansas median of $59,460.
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 31740 (Manhattan, KS). 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 (90.2, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures