How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Paducah, KY-IL?

The median hourly wage is $37.93. The middle half earn between $25.48 and $49.14 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Paducah, KY-IL?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.00 an hour ($45,760 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $25.48.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Paducah or Cincinnati?

Paducah pays more: the median is $78,900 in Paducah and $62,400 in Cincinnati, a 26% difference.

How does Paducah pay compare with the rest of Kentucky?

The Paducah median of $78,900 is 42% more than the Kentucky median of $55,480.

Diesel mechanic salary in Paducah, KY-IL

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Paducah, KY-IL area earn a median of $78,900 a year, or $37.93 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $102,330 a year. That's 42% more than the Kentucky median of $55,480.

Median yearly pay$78,900

Bottom 10% under$45,760Top 10% over$102,330

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.00/hr
Jobs in this area: 190
After cost of living: $91,650
Median hourly pay: $37.93/hr
vs U.S. median: +28%
vs Kentucky median: +42%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 37140, Paducah, KY-IL). 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	$45,760–$53,010$22.00–$25.48/hr
Experienced mechanic	$78,900$37.93/hr
Master / top earners	$102,210–$102,330$49.14–$49.20/hr

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

How Paducah, KY-IL compares

Paducah has the highest diesel mechanic median of the 9 Kentucky metro areas with published pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Paducah area than nationally: 3.9 of every 1,000 jobs, 2.1 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $102,330, is 2.2 times the 10th-percentile wage, $45,760: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Kentucky metro areas

Other trades in Paducah, KY-IL

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Paducah, KY-IL?: Diesel mechanics in the Paducah, KY-IL area earn a median of $78,900 a year, or $37.93 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $102,330 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Paducah, KY-IL?: The median hourly wage is $37.93. The middle half earn between $25.48 and $49.14 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Paducah, KY-IL?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.00 an hour ($45,760 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $25.48.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Paducah or Cincinnati?: Paducah pays more: the median is $78,900 in Paducah and $62,400 in Cincinnati, a 26% difference.
How does Paducah pay compare with the rest of Kentucky?: The Paducah median of $78,900 is 42% more 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 37140 (Paducah, KY-IL). 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 (86.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures