Diesel mechanic salary in Bowling Green, KY
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Diesel mechanics in the Bowling Green, KY area earn a median of $51,920 a year, or $24.96 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $67,280. That's 6% less than the Kentucky median of $55,480.
- Entry-level starting pay (estimate)
- $17.54/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 200
- After cost of living
- $57,570
- Median hourly pay
- $24.96/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −16%
- vs Kentucky median
- −6%
Entry-level to master diesel mechanic pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $36,480–$47,330$17.54–$22.76/hr | |
| Experienced mechanic | $51,920$24.96/hr | |
| Master / top earners | $59,750–$67,280$28.73–$32.35/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
How Bowling Green, KY compares
- Bowling Green ranks 8th of 9 Kentucky metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
- Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Bowling Green area than nationally: 2.4 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.3 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $67,280, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $36,480: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Other Kentucky metro areas
Other trades in Bowling Green, KY
Questions
- How much do diesel mechanics make in Bowling Green, KY?
- Diesel mechanics in the Bowling Green, KY area earn a median of $51,920 a year, or $24.96 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $67,280.
- How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Bowling Green, KY?
- The median hourly wage is $24.96. The middle half earn between $22.76 and $28.73 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Bowling Green, KY?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $17.54 an hour ($36,480 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.76.
- Do diesel mechanics make more in Bowling Green or Paducah?
- Paducah pays more: the median is $51,920 in Bowling Green and $78,900 in Paducah, a 34% difference.
- How does Bowling Green pay compare with the rest of Kentucky?
- The Bowling Green median of $51,920 is 6% less than the Kentucky median of $55,480.
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 14540 (Bowling Green, KY). 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