Diesel mechanic salary in St. Joseph, MO-KS
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Diesel mechanics in the St. Joseph, MO-KS area earn a median of $58,440 a year, or $28.10 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. One in ten earns more than $95,020. Across all of Missouri, the median is $59,360, so St. Joseph pays 2% less than the state as a whole.
- Entry-level starting pay (estimate)
- $19.45/hr
- Jobs in this area
- 110
- After cost of living
- $67,650
- Median hourly pay
- $28.10/hr
- vs U.S. median
- −5%
- vs Missouri median
- −2%
- Mean (average) pay
- $63,440 a year · $30.50 an hour
Pay by percentile
What diesel mechanics in St. Joseph, MO-KS earn at each point of the pay range, May 2025: 10% earn less than the 10th percentile, half earn less than the median, and 10% earn more than the 90th.
| Percentile | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $19.45 | $40,460 |
| 25th percentile | $22.87 | $47,570 |
| Median (50th) | $28.10 | $58,440 |
| 75th percentile | $37.09 | $77,140 |
| 90th percentile | $45.68 | $95,020 |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. BLS yearly figures are the hourly wage times 2,080 hours.
How St. Joseph, MO-KS compares
- St. Joseph ranks 4th of 8 Missouri metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
- Diesel mechanics are more concentrated in the St. Joseph area than nationally: 2.1 of every 1,000 jobs, 1.1 times the U.S. share.
Other Missouri metro areas
Other trades in St. Joseph, MO-KS
Questions
- Do diesel mechanics make more in St. Joseph or Kansas City?
- Kansas City pays more: the median is $58,440 in St. Joseph and $62,570 in Kansas City, a 7% difference.
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 41140 (St. Joseph, MO-KS). 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 (86.4, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures