How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in St. Louis, MO-IL?

The median hourly wage is $29.94. The middle half earn between $24.99 and $34.86 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)

What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in St. Louis, MO-IL?

BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.26 an hour ($46,290 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.99.

Do diesel mechanics make more in St. Louis or Kansas City?

Pay is about the same: the median is $62,280 in St. Louis and $62,570 in Kansas City.

How does St. Louis pay compare with the rest of Missouri?

The St. Louis median of $62,280 is 5% more than the Missouri median of $59,360.

Diesel mechanic salary in St. Louis, MO-IL

Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025

Diesel mechanics in the St. Louis, MO-IL area earn a median of $62,280 a year, or $29.94 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $85,460 a year. Across all of Missouri, the median is $59,360, so St. Louis pays 5% more than the state as a whole.

Median yearly pay$62,280

Bottom 10% under$46,290Top 10% over$85,460

Entry-level starting pay (estimate): $22.26/hr
Jobs in this area: 2,610
After cost of living: $65,500
Median hourly pay: $29.94/hr
vs U.S. median: +1%
vs Missouri median: +5%

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (area 41180, St. Louis, MO-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	$46,290–$51,980$22.26–$24.99/hr
Experienced mechanic	$62,280$29.94/hr
Master / top earners	$72,510–$85,460$34.86–$41.09/hr

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

How St. Louis, MO-IL compares

St. Louis ranks 2nd of 8 Missouri metro areas for diesel mechanic pay.
Diesel mechanics hold about the same share of jobs in the St. Louis area as nationally: 1.9 of every 1,000 jobs.
The 90th-percentile wage, $85,460, is 1.8 times the 10th-percentile wage, $46,290: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.

Other Missouri metro areas

Other trades in St. Louis, MO-IL

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

Questions

How much do diesel mechanics make in St. Louis, MO-IL?: Diesel mechanics in the St. Louis, MO-IL area earn a median of $62,280 a year, or $29.94 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The highest-paid 10% make over $85,460 a year.
How much do diesel mechanics make an hour in St. Louis, MO-IL?: The median hourly wage is $29.94. The middle half earn between $24.99 and $34.86 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
What do entry-level diesel mechanics make in St. Louis, MO-IL?: BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $22.26 an hour ($46,290 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $24.99.
Do diesel mechanics make more in St. Louis or Kansas City?: Pay is about the same: the median is $62,280 in St. Louis and $62,570 in Kansas City.
How does St. Louis pay compare with the rest of Missouri?: The St. Louis median of $62,280 is 5% more than the Missouri median of $59,360.

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 41180 (St. Louis, MO-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 (95.1, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures