How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Topeka, KS?

The median hourly wage is $31.97. The middle half earn between $27.41 and $39.84 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Topeka, KS?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.87 an hour ($47,560 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $27.41.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Topeka or Kansas City?

Topeka pays more: the median is $66,500 in Topeka and $62,570 in Kansas City, a 6% difference.

How does Topeka pay compare with the rest of Kansas?

The Topeka median of $66,500 is 12% more than the Kansas median of $59,460.

Diesel mechanic salary in Topeka, KS

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Topeka, KS area earn a median of $66,500 a year, or $31.97 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $82,860. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $59,460; Topeka is 12% above it.

Median yearly pay$66,500

Bottom 10% under$47,560Top 10% over$82,860

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.87/hr
Jobs in this area: 290
After cost of living: $74,870
Median hourly pay: $31.97/hr
vs U.S. median: +8%
vs Kansas median: +12%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 45820, Topeka, KS). 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	$47,560–$57,000$22.87–$27.41/hr
Experienced mechanic	$66,500$31.97/hr
Master / top earners	$82,860–$82,860$39.84–$39.84/hr

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

How Topeka, KS compares

Topeka has the highest diesel mechanic median of the 7 Kansas metro areas with published pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Topeka area than nationally: 2.5 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $82,860, is 1.7 times the 10th-percentile wage, $47,560: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Kansas metro areas

Other trades in Topeka, KS

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Topeka, KS?: Diesel mechanics in the Topeka, KS area earn a median of $66,500 a year, or $31.97 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $82,860.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Topeka, KS?: The median hourly wage is $31.97. The middle half earn between $27.41 and $39.84 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Topeka, KS?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.87 an hour ($47,560 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $27.41.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Topeka or Kansas City?: Topeka pays more: the median is $66,500 in Topeka and $62,570 in Kansas City, a 6% difference.
How does Topeka pay compare with the rest of Kansas?: The Topeka median of $66,500 is 12% more 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 45820 (Topeka, 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 (88.8, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures