How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Grand Rapids, MI?

The median hourly wage is $29.44. The middle half earn between $24.02 and $31.32 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Grand Rapids, MI?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.72 an hour ($45,170 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.02.

Do diesel mechanics make more in Grand Rapids or Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor pays more: the median is $61,240 in Grand Rapids and $65,770 in Ann Arbor, a 7% difference.

How does Grand Rapids pay compare with the rest of Michigan?

The Grand Rapids median of $61,240 is about the same as the Michigan median of $61,420.

Diesel mechanic salary in Grand Rapids, MI

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the Grand Rapids–Wyoming–Kentwood, MI area earn a median of $61,240 a year, or $29.44 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $84,280. That's about the same as the Michigan median of $61,420.

Median yearly pay$61,240

Bottom 10% under$45,170Top 10% over$84,280

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $21.72/hr
Jobs in this area: 1,550
After cost of living: $64,090
Median hourly pay: $29.44/hr
vs U.S. median: −1%
vs Michigan median: 0%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 24340, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, 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	$45,170–$49,960$21.72–$24.02/hr
Experienced mechanic	$61,240$29.44/hr
Master / top earners	$65,140–$84,280$31.32–$40.52/hr

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

How Grand Rapids, MI compares

Grand Rapids ranks 8th of 16 Michigan metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the Grand Rapids area than nationally: 2.6 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.4 times the U.S. share.
The 90th-percentile wage, $84,280, is 1.9 times the 10th-percentile wage, $45,170: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Michigan metro areas

Other trades in Grand Rapids, MI

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in Grand Rapids, MI?: Diesel mechanics in the Grand Rapids–Wyoming–Kentwood, MI area earn a median of $61,240 a year, or $29.44 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $84,280.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in Grand Rapids, MI?: The median hourly wage is $29.44. The middle half earn between $24.02 and $31.32 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in Grand Rapids, MI?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $21.72 an hour ($45,170 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.02.
Do diesel mechanics make more in Grand Rapids or Ann Arbor?: Ann Arbor pays more: the median is $61,240 in Grand Rapids and $65,770 in Ann Arbor, a 7% difference.
How does Grand Rapids pay compare with the rest of Michigan?: The Grand Rapids median of $61,240 is about the same as 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 24340 (Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, 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 (95.5, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures