How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Lake Charles, LA?

The median hourly wage is $27.60. The middle half earn between $22.58 and $31.59 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Lake Charles, LA?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.41 an hour ($38,300 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.58.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Lake Charles or Shreveport?

Shreveport pays more: the median is $57,410 in Lake Charles and $60,490 in Shreveport, a 5% difference.

How does Lake Charles pay compare with the rest of Louisiana?

The Lake Charles median of $57,410 is 2% less than the Louisiana median of $58,680.

Diesel mechanic salary in Lake Charles, LA

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Lake Charles, LA area earn a median of $57,410 a year, or $27.60 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,190. Statewide, diesel mechanics earn a median of $58,680; Lake Charles is 2% below it.

Median yearly pay$57,410

Bottom 10% under$38,300Top 10% over$81,190

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $18.41/hr
Jobs in this area: 140
After cost of living: $66,870
Median hourly pay: $27.60/hr
vs U.S. median: −7%
vs Louisiana median: −2%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 29340, Lake Charles, LA). 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	$38,300–$46,960$18.41–$22.58/hr
Experienced mechanic	$57,410$27.60/hr
Master / top earners	$65,700–$81,190$31.59–$39.04/hr

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

How Lake Charles, LA compares

Lake Charles ranks 6th of 10 Louisiana metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are less concentrated in the Lake Charles area than nationally: 1.3 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.72 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $81,190, is 2.1 times the 10th-percentile wage, $38,300: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Louisiana metro areas

Other trades in Lake Charles, LA

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Lake Charles, LA?: Diesel mechanics in the Lake Charles, LA area earn a median of $57,410 a year, or $27.60 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,190.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Lake Charles, LA?: The median hourly wage is $27.60. The middle half earn between $22.58 and $31.59 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Lake Charles, LA?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $18.41 an hour ($38,300 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $22.58.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Lake Charles or Shreveport?: Shreveport pays more: the median is $57,410 in Lake Charles and $60,490 in Shreveport, a 5% difference.
How does Lake Charles pay compare with the rest of Louisiana?: The Lake Charles median of $57,410 is 2% less than the Louisiana median of $58,680.

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 29340 (Lake Charles, LA). 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 (85.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures