How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Bay City, MI?

The median hourly wage is $29.10. The middle half earn between $23.87 and $31.33 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Bay City, MI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.37 an hour ($42,370 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.87.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Bay City or Detroit?

Detroit pays more: the median is $60,530 in Bay City and $63,360 in Detroit, a 4% difference.

How does Bay City pay compare with the rest of Michigan?

The Bay City median of $60,530 is 1% less than the Michigan median of $61,420.

Diesel mechanic salary in Bay City, MI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Bay City, MI area earn a median of $60,530 a year, or $29.10 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,410. Across all of Michigan, the median is $61,420, so Bay City pays 1% less than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$60,530

Bottom 10% under$42,370Top 10% over$81,410

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $20.37/hr
Jobs in this area: 90
After cost of living: $65,850
Median hourly pay: $29.10/hr
vs U.S. median: −2%
vs Michigan median: −1%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 13020, Bay City, MI). 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	$42,370–$49,640$20.37–$23.87/hr
Experienced mechanic	$60,530$29.10/hr
Master / top earners	$65,170–$81,410$31.33–$39.14/hr

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

How Bay City, MI compares

Bay City ranks 9th of 16 Michigan metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Bay City area than nationally: 2.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $81,410, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $42,370: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Michigan metro areas

Other trades in Bay City, MI

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Bay City, MI?: Diesel mechanics in the Bay City, MI area earn a median of $60,530 a year, or $29.10 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $81,410.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Bay City, MI?: The median hourly wage is $29.10. The middle half earn between $23.87 and $31.33 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Bay City, MI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $20.37 an hour ($42,370 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $23.87.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Bay City or Detroit?: Detroit pays more: the median is $60,530 in Bay City and $63,360 in Detroit, a 4% difference.
How does Bay City pay compare with the rest of Michigan?: The Bay City median of $60,530 is 1% less than the Michigan median of $61,420.

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 13020 (Bay City, MI). 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 (91.9, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures